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Chapter 04
En-hye had safely passed through the back gate of the palace and was busily moving her short legs, running as fast as she could toward the East Palace.
The path from the inner palace to the Crown Prince’s library was quite long. Usually, when she walked with her brother, the Crown Prince, they would chat along the way, but running alone at full speed like this left her out of breath and tired.
Still, no matter how hard it was, she knew she would be safe once she arrived…
En-hye kept her eyes on the ground as she ran, afraid she might encounter someone who would recognize her—or a spirit attached to a stranger.
Then, suddenly, something caught her eyes: the tip of a red silk shoe and the edge of a dark blue skirt trimmed with gold embroidery.
“Huh?”
Before she could stop, she bumped her head against the swollen hem of the dark blue silk skirt.
“Oh my! Well, who is this? Isn’t this the princess?”
Ah… it’s Gyeongbin…!
En-hye tightly shut her eyes at the unwelcome voice above her.
Of all places, she had to meet Gyeongbin here.
Gyeongbin was the highest-ranked consort of His Majesty, a first-rank lady with two sons, known for her great influence in the palace.
Moreover, it was said that even her own two sons feared her cold temper.
Strangely enough, Gyeongbin seemed to particularly dislike En-hye.
En-hye didn’t know why, but she had long noticed it. From a very young age, Gyeongbin had always been rude and disrespectful toward her and the Crown Prince.
After bumping into Gyeongbin’s skirt, En-hye clutched the hem tightly and froze.
She was so close to the East Palace… why had she run into Gyeongbin here?
A cold, mocking voice came from above her:
“Even in the palace, where do you think you’re going alone, princess? Running around without an attendant—anyone seeing this might think you’re a common child from the street.”
How dare she!
En-hye grit her teeth at Gyeongbin’s insulting words from above.
Even as a first-rank consort with two sons, how dare she compare the legitimate princess of the kingdom to a commoner!
En-hye opened her tightly shut eyes and stared up at Gyeongbin.
“Please choose your words carefully!”
“Oh my, did that offend you, princess? Don’t take it the wrong way,” Gyeongbin said, lowering her body to look at En-hye’s face with a mocking expression.
“I was only concerned because the legitimate princess is wandering the palace alone,” she added.
En-hye lifted her small chin proudly and looked Gyeongbin squarely in the eye.
“I am in a hurry to go to the East Palace. You may continue on your way as well, Gyeongbin.”
Hmph… even a seemingly gentle little puppy can show its claws.
Gyeongbin curled one side of her mouth into a crooked smile.
“By the way, did you get into a scuffle with someone? A scratch on that precious face of yours… His Majesty would be very disappointed to see it.”
En-hye frowned at the strange scent wafting from Gyeongbin—part floral, part sour—and let out a quiet breath. Slowly, she spoke.
“Who would dare scuffle with the princess unless their neck were at stake?”
Hah, not a single word to lose?
Gyeongbin noticed the small, clenched fist in En-hye’s hand and smirked.
“Oh? So the young lady speaks boldly. But what are the servants of Hyeshingung doing, letting the princess walk alone like this? This won’t do. I’ll ask Her Majesty to have the palace attendants there immediately.”
“No!”
En-hye’s voice rang sharply, her eyes blazing even though she was only a child.
“Do not concern yourself, Gyeongbin. I will handle my own attendants.”
“Hmph, even a little brat, yet the eyes of the legitimate princess are not ordinary.”
Gyeongbin snorted in amusement at En-hye’s unwavering gaze.
Even though her eyes trembled slightly, they were fixed firmly on Gyeongbin, as if saying, Do not touch my people.
“Ah, I see. If the princess’s will is so firm, I shall overlook it today. But if you continue wandering alone in the palace, someday someone attending you will be blamed,” Gyeongbin said with a sneer.
Though her voice carried mockery, Gyeongbin was not entirely wrong, so En-hye had no choice but to lower her gaze slightly.
“I… I will be more careful from now on,” En-hye replied.
“Hehe, very well. Then, do you absolutely have to go to the Crown Prince’s library right now?”
En-hye’s eyes darted from side to side, unsure how to answer. She couldn’t admit she was fleeing from the spirit attached to the new attendant.
Gyeongbin’s voice came again, feigning concern.
“I actually came this way today to bring a gift for you, princess.”
A gift?
En-hye tilted her head, puzzled by Gyeongbin’s sudden words.
“I heard that, even after recovering from smallpox, the princess still often faints,” Gyeongbin continued, glancing at En-hye as if mocking her confusion.
“Coincidentally, I received some precious ingredients in my quarters,” she added.
Precious ingredients?
En-hye’s round white forehead furrowed slightly at Gyeongbin’s cryptic words. Gyeongbin’s one-sided smirk deepened, and she whispered near En-hye’s ear:
“I brought them to you before the Queen Mother, so you can regain your strength quickly and make His Majesty happy.”
She then lifted a fairly large wooden box, taking it from the hand of Senior Attendant Seo who had knelt beside her.
“This is the first time I’ve seen these amazing ingredients myself. These are live octopuses, said to be very good for energy,” Gyeongbin said.
En-hye’s eyes widened at the wriggling octopuses in the brass bowl filled with ice water. They twisted and entangled themselves, making strange, terrifying sounds.
“What… what is this?!”
Gyeongbin grinned mischievously, pressing the box closer to En-hye.
“Fascinating, isn’t it, princess? They’re so full of energy that even cut into pieces, they continue to move. If you pick one up and dip it in sauce, it’s said to taste wonderful and restore vitality. You must try it.”
En-hye stepped back nervously, shaking her head.
“G-Gyeongbin mama, I’ll only accept your kindness… please take it back.”
But before she could finish, Gyeongbin grabbed her small, soft hand.
“Princess, would you like to touch it yourself?”
She tried to push En-hye’s hand into the box.
“H-Ha… no!”
Terrified, En-hye struggled with all her might. The box fell to the ground, spilling the squirming octopuses everywhere.
“Princess!”
Gyeongbin’s shocked shout mixed with the squirming creatures. En-hye’s little heart pounded as she backed away.
“Uwaaah!”
She tripped over her skirt and fell into the wet, muddy ground, crying for the first time like a normal five-year-old rather than a dignified princess.
The dirty water soaked her deep-red skirt. Gyeongbin flicked her own skirt to remove some of the splash and looked down at En-hye with a disdainful expression.
“Oh my, so scared, princess? Seeing you like this is… quite displeasing,” Gyeongbin said, scolding her attendants.
“Why are you standing there! Help the princess up immediately! And remove that horrible mess at once!”
“Yes, Gyeongbin mama!”
En-hye’s small fists clenched at the taunts. When Senior Attendant Seo reached for her arm, she stood up sharply, voice fierce.
“Do not touch me! How dare you grab me!”
Even Gyeongbin could not treat the legitimate princess so carelessly. En-hye’s chubby cheeks puffed up as she grit her teeth.
Gyeongbin pointed at her wet skirt and said with a teasing smile:
“You’ve gotten your skirt soaking wet. Go back to your quarters and change. Even though you are young, you cannot wander the palace like this.”
En-hye glared at Gyeongbin, determined not to give her the satisfaction of catching even the smallest mistake.
Gyeongbin glanced at her attendants, who were tidying the wooden box, the octopuses, and the brass bowl, then addressed En-hye:
“Today, I may have unintentionally offended you, princess. Next time, I will bring a gift you will truly like. If there is any anger, please forgive me.”
En-hye said nothing, simply glaring. She knew Gyeongbin had come to tease and mock her, and she was too small and weak to fight back.
Gyeongbin chuckled, slightly bowing her head at En-hye, then straightened up and said:
“Then I shall leave. You should return to your quarters as well. The servants are careless. Hohoho.”
Before En-hye could respond, Gyeongbin turned sharply and walked away, muttering under her breath:
“What’s so good about a spoiled little princess that His Majesty indulges her so…”
