Chapter 9

“Ugh…!”

Lady Kim and Doctor Kang groaned, covering their mouths.

Right, look at this. Isn’t it cute?

Here I am, so adorably staring at you without crying. Surely, you can give me just one sweet rice cake? Right?

“Just one. Please?”

You’ll give it, right? Right?

“Well, just one…”

Finally giving in, Lady Kim extended her hand to give me the sweet rice cake, but…

“What are you doing, Lady Kim!”

Lady Choi swiftly snatched the rice cake out of the air.

“...!”

I looked devastated, but it was already too late.

‘Sweet rice cake acquisition rate: down to 0%.’

No matter how much I acted cute, it was useless against Lady Choi, the most loyal of the Queen Dowager’s attendants.

“You mustn’t, Princess.”

Ever since the king ordered that I be treated as a proper princess, the number of attendants managing the detached palace increased, but Lady Choi remained the highest authority.

“Doctor Kang, please be on your way. Thank you for your care today.”

“I’ll take my leave then. See you again.”

Doctor Kang left, smiling at me, who was feeling down.

‘What’s so difficult about giving me one sweet rice cake?’

Even the poisons I took during resistance training in my past life weren’t as bad as this.

Still feeling the bitter taste of the medicinal decoction in my mouth, I groaned and gulped down some water.

“Here comes Lady Gui!”

“Cough!”

Hearing the voice announcing Lady Gui’s entrance, I hadn’t seen her since the whipping incident.

Startled, the attendants hurriedly formed two rows as the doors opened, and Lady Gui entered with a lot of commotion.

“Tut…!”

Lady Gui clicked her tongue as soon as she saw me, skipping formalities and looking displeased.

“Lady Choi!”

“Yes, madam.”

“Prepare the princess immediately. We have somewhere to go right now.”

The sudden order to prepare me left the attendants visibly confused.

I, too, was worried, wondering if she was going to drag me somewhere to finish the whipping.

“Hurry…!”

With Lady Gui urging the sluggish attendants, I had no choice but to be dressed up quickly.

***

Lady Gui took me to the Queen Dowager’s chambers.

“Greetings to the Queen Dowager.”

After awkwardly giving my greeting using the palace manners I had learned, I glanced at her face.

The Queen Dowager, with her graying hair, looked at me with kind eyes.

How should I describe it? She had the typical look of a gentle grandmother…

‘Now that I think about it, I might have seen her when I was a baby.’

Before I was officially abandoned as a princess, there were times when people from the royal family visited me while I was in the cradle at the Cheongbokheon.

‘At that time, I couldn’t tell who was who, but looking back, they were incredibly important figures.’

She is the one who, despite overcoming infertility, lost her beloved son, the previous king, to the current king.

‘So the point is… is this grandmother an ally or an enemy?’

No matter how I looked at it, it seemed unlikely she would view me favorably.

I continued to observe the Queen Dowager with a suspicious gaze.

‘If I could somehow make her an ally, it would be a great help, considering she’s much higher in rank than a concubine… After all, I am someone abandoned by the king.’

While I was lost in thought about how to win her over, attendants came in, setting a small table with various sweets and delicacies, including rice cakes, sweet rice cakes, and steaming medicinal tea.

“Now, I’ve prepared some refreshments. Please have some. You too, princess, try one.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.”

For now, she’s definitely an ally!

“Thank you!”

After the Queen Dowager and Lady Gui started eating, I cautiously put one sweet rice cake in my mouth and crunched down.

Just as I felt when I had them from the Royal Confectionery, the sweetness of the rice cakes was as good as any modern snack.

“It’s really delicious!”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Responding with a wide smile, the Queen Dowager laughed gracefully, covering her mouth.

While I was soothing my throat with the medicinal tea, she brought up the main topic.

“I heard recently that His Majesty personally took care of you, Princess.”

“Cough!!!”

Of course, she had invited me here because of the king’s unexpected behavior after having shown no interest in me for the past five years.

‘Ally, my foot. Could it be that she called me here because I’m in trouble?’

Knowing the past between the king and the Queen Dowager, I didn’t know how to react and felt nervous.

As I wiped the tea off my lips and looked around, the Queen Dowager smiled reassuringly.

“Oh, no need to be so nervous. I realized I should have arranged this meeting earlier. From now on, I’d like you to visit this old lady more often. How does that sound?”

“Yes! I’d love to! I’ll come often! Grandmother.”

“Oh my, how adorable. By the way, Lady Gui, has His Majesty mentioned anything about elevating you to Queen?”

“I have not heard of such a thing, Your Majesty.”

“I thought perhaps His Majesty showing interest in the princess might indicate a change of heart…”

“I am sorry.”

Lady Gui bit her lip in frustration.

It seemed the Queen Dowager thought the king’s interest in me meant he might make Lady Gui the queen.

For me, it was a relief.

It seemed he still wasn’t interested in me.

Sighing with relief, the Queen Dowager sighed deeply as well.

“It’s truly concerning. In these times, when rebels are rampant, the king’s consort’s seat remains vacant. Moreover, there are rumors that Kim Jong-seo’s child is still alive.”

Flinch.

Lady Gui’s fingers trembled slightly at those words.

‘Huh? That name sounds familiar.’

I listened carefully, focusing.

“Kim Jong-seo? But he was supposed to be dead!”

“There are rumors in the marketplace that the traitor Kim Jong-seo’s son is still alive and intends to restore the previous dynasty. If there is indeed a surviving descendant from the Kim family, known for producing the best swordsmen in Joseon, it could pose a serious threat.”

‘The best swordsmen in Joseon?’

This sounded very familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.

“It’s impossible. There’s no way…”

“Of course, I believe it to be mere rumors.”

The Queen Dowager sipped her tea and then looked directly at Lady Gui, speaking as if to advise.

“Given the state of the nation, His Majesty must quickly elevate someone to the queen’s position to solidify his authority. You and Lady Hee-bin must strive harder to win His Majesty’s favor.”

“I will work harder.”

“The fate of Joseon rests on you, Lady Gui.”

Having given Lady Gui some words of encouragement, the Queen Dowager turned her gaze back to me.

“Our lovely little princess.”

“Yes?! Grandmother.”

Lost in thought about something on the verge of coming to mind, I startled and raised my voice.

“Haha, how adorably you respond!”

The Queen Dowager seemed to find my startled reaction even more delightful, laughing loudly.

She had clearly already fallen for my cuteness.

“His Majesty is a man of strong likes and dislikes. However.”

“?”

“He is also someone who, if displeased, will not hesitate to cut down even his own blood. Always remember to regard His Majesty as the sky and follow him faithfully.”

“Yes! Grandmother.”

Don’t worry; I know better than anyone that my father is a heartless bastard!

Turning her gaze back to Lady Gui, the Queen Dowager added one last remark.

“Lady Gui. You know that the one who becomes queen’s child will be the crown prince of this country, Joseon.”

At the mention of the crown prince, my ears perked up.

Come to think of it, there was another prince I had only seen from afar, Prince Seongnam, Hee-bin’s son, who was in competition with Lady Gui’s son, Prince Su-yang.

‘After being abandoned, I never had the chance to meet any royal family members… I’m curious about him.’

‘What kind of person is Prince Seongnam?’

Even if the king was crazy, if one of my brothers was at least normal, maybe I could bring him to my side.

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