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Chapter 12
Once he had made up his mind, the elderly ghost felt even more apologetic for having ignored the little princess’s cries all this time.
After a long, heavy sigh, the old ghost looked down at Eunhye with gentle eyes and spoke.
“[Child, from now on, this grandpa will chase away all the wicked things that frighten you. Fear nothing and live proudly as the princess of the Great Taeshin Kingdom.]”
Since he had manifested here, he would stay with her until her spiritual sight closed again.
Hearing this kind, reassuring voice, Eunhye opened her eyes. Her tear-soaked, jet-black eyes sparkled like stars.
“Is that true?”
Eunhye asked in a voice thick with tears. The old ghost smiled kindly and spoke with a commanding voice.
“[This grandpa was the 6th king of the Great Taeshin Kingdom. Later generations called me King Gwangjo. Hundreds, even thousands, of enemies trembled at my feet! Child, from now on, trust only in this grandpa!]”
Upon hearing the elderly ghost reveal himself as the 6th king of Taeshin, Eunhye’s eyes and mouth widened as if they were plates.
All her pent-up tears, her long-suffered sorrow and sadness, vanished, leaving her mind completely clear.
No wonder! That’s why all the other ghosts in the study had scattered!
No wonder! That’s why he didn’t feel frightening like the other ghosts—he was her real grandfather!
Eunhye could hardly close her gaping mouth as she looked up at Gwangjo.
Now that she could see him clearly, she noticed that in his noble gaze there was a great deal of her father and her elder brother’s faces as well.
Slowly closing her mouth, she blinked her large eyes and murmured,
“Now I see, in Grandfather’s gaze are Abamama and Crown Prince Oppa too.”
At the sight of Eunhye staring straight at him, even her little nostrils adorably flaring, Gwangjo could not help but burst into laughter.
“[Hahaha! Yes, yes, I am indeed your grandfather.]”
Following Gwangjo’s laughter, Eunhye let out a cute giggle of her own. Ghosts had always been frightening, but now, the most powerful ghost in this world—at least in the young Eunhye’s eyes—was on her side!
Giggling along with Gwangjo, Eunhye folded her outstretched legs and stood up. Then, looking at Gwangjo with a pleased smile, she spoke quite formally.
“Child salutes King Gwangjo, the 6th king of the Great Taeshin Kingdom, your majesty.”
She then placed her small, plump hands neatly together in front of her eyebrows and bowed in an adorable little salute.
“[Hehehe… In all my over five hundred years wandering the palace, I never imagined such a lovely descendant would bow to me personally. Hehehe.]”
Eunhye, having bowed to the beaming Gwangjo, sat back down on the study floor, her face full of anticipation.
“From now on, Grandfather will always stay by my side, won’t you?”
“[Yes, and from now on, you will never face anything frightening alone, so do not worry.]”
“Yes!”
Eunhye’s voice rang out, her eyes shining brighter than the morning star in the eastern sky.
But then, just as Gwangjo was about to say something more, he suddenly turned his head toward the study’s entrance.
“Why is that, Grandfather?”
Following his gaze, Eunhye craned her neck and asked.
“[Hehe… I see some commotion at the door. It seems someone is desperately looking for you.]”
At Gwangjo’s laugh-filled voice, Eunhye’s eyes widened as she looked ahead and murmured,
“Looking for me? No one knew that I had come here.”
“[Is that so? But it seems a palace maid is having a scuffle with the guards who protect this place.]”
A palace maid?
Only then did Eunhye realize and look up at Gwangjo with a startled expression.
“Ah! It must be a maid from my chambers! I didn’t realize so much time had passed!”
Indeed, quite some time had passed since she had hurriedly left her quarters.
By now, the senior lady and the palace maids at Hyesin Palace were probably in trouble because of her sudden disappearance.
What if the wet nurse and the palace attendants had suffered because of her?
A sudden wave of worry filled Eunhye’s pretty eyes.
At that moment, the study’s outer door suddenly became noisy, and it slowly opened. Then a familiar voice called out.
“Princess! Little Princess! It’s me, a palace maid. Are you here?”
It was indeed a palace maid.
Eunhye’s lips let out a small sigh, a mix of apology and frustration at being found after all this time.
Of all times, why now?
Grandfather had been about to say something else.
Just a moment later would have been fine!
Perhaps sensing Eunhye’s thoughts, Gwangjo nodded with a gentle smile and spoke.
“[Do not worry, child. I shall go straight to your chambers.]”
Relieved, Eunhye’s eyes curved into a soft smile as she raised her right pinky finger.
“Is that true? Is it a promise?”
“[Hahaha! Of course, of course, I promise.]”
Only after receiving Gwangjo’s confirmation did Eunhye stand, glance toward the study door where the maid’s voice came from, and continue.
“Then, trusting Grandfather’s words, I shall return to my chambers now.”
Seeing her skirt, soaked in briny water, now mostly dried, it seemed she had been in the study for quite some time.
“Ugh… what a smell…”
Eunhye lifted her crimson skirt, dusty and smelly, shaking it off. Clouds of dust scattered in the soft sunlight streaming in.
“Princess? Little Princess?”
Through the slightly open study door, the maid cautiously poked her head inside.
Even with only her shoulders visible, the soft, clear light seemed to erase the gloom of the study entirely.
“Little Princess, are you here?”
Calling out once more, the maid now stepped fully into the study.
The only light came from the skylight, and the deep interior smelled faintly of aged paper and ink.
As she leaned into the study to look around, the maid could hear the gruff voice of a guard outside.
“See? Lady Han, I told you no one came in.”
The guard was responsible for protecting the Donggung study.
But the maid ignored his murmuring from behind, stepping carefully inside and stretching her neck to search for Eunhye.
“Princess, it’s me, a palace maid. I’m coming in.”
As the maid finally stepped inside, the guard grumbled in dissatisfaction.
“Ugh, I said there’s no one here! If you must check, do it quickly and come out. Otherwise, we’ll get scolded again for no reason.”
Ignoring him, the maid took another careful step into the study and closed her eyes briefly, adjusting to the quiet.
Though only a thick wooden door separated this room from the outside world, the silence inside felt as if it had swallowed all noise.
With her eyes slowly opening to adjust to the darkness, the maid saw only rows of shelves filled with books, unsure where to step next.
Then, a voice called out:
“Is that you, palace maid?”
At the edge of the soft sunlight, the little princess herself was walking toward her!
“Princess!”
Like a living painting, the young princess appeared in the study, carrying the sunlight with her.
The maid, unable to help herself, called out loudly and ran forward.
The study, once silent, seemed to shake with the sound of her running footsteps and shouts.
Gwangjo looked on and let out an astonished sigh.
“[Hehe… looks delicate, yet behaves like a little whirlwind.]”
“Little whirlwind?”
Hearing Gwangjo grandfather’s comment about the maid, Eunhye tilted her little head.
But the maid, now close enough, knelt down and began checking on Eunhye.
“P-Princess! How did you come all this way alone? Are you hurt anywhere?”
She gently checked Eunhye’s hands, face, and little body, letting out a quivering sound.
“Oh dear, your delicate cheeks and hands are all scratched. It must hurt a lot, right? Hoo-hoo.”
The maid blew gently on Eunhye’s scraped palms, unsure what to do, then lifted her head, looking nearly ready to cry herself.
“You can’t disappear so suddenly. If you want to go for a walk, you could just open the door. Why climb out a window instead of using the proper door?”
Eunhye, seeing the maid’s eyes full of tears, whispered apologetically,
“I had no choice. I’m sorry, palace maid.”
Hastily shaking her head, the maid gently touched the little red scratches on Eunhye’s soft cheeks and chin.
“No, it’s not your fault. I should have taken better care of you. But still… did it hurt much?”
“No, it’s okay now.”
Eunhye shook her head, signaling it was fine, her chubby cheeks bouncing cutely.
The maid, glancing at Eunhye’s skirt still smelling unpleasant, gasped.
“My goodness, Princess! What happened to your skirt? Ugh! What are all these stains and smells?”
The front of her deep crimson silk skirt was all stained and foul-smelling.
“Yes… well… no, never mind, I don’t want to say.”
The little princess swallowed her words. The maid looked at her with worried eyes, nodding in understanding.
The young princess had clearly experienced something unpleasant she did not wish to speak about. As the palace maid at the soju room had warned, she had likely been reprimanded by Lady Gyeongbin.
Kneeling on the floor, making eye contact with Eunhye, the maid tried to hide her sadness and spoke in a stern tone.
“Princess, will you wander alone like this again today? What if something serious happened while you were alone?”
“Serious? Nothing serious could happen. Is there anyone in the palace who doesn’t know me?”
Eunhye replied lightly, glancing upward for a moment.
Ah, yes. There was someone… called Jihoo, wasn’t it?
