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Chapter 5
The next morning.
I woke up with my eyes still swollen, only to be handed a very important mission.
It was to pay a formal visit to Lady Jang Hui-bin, the mistress of Chwiseondang.
I was extremely nervous and anxious.
“How should I earn her favor? What should I say first…?”
More than anything, what if she turned out to be as wicked as history recorded?
While worrying about all sorts of things, I hurried over to the entrance of Hui-bin’s residence—
“Her Ladyship is not receiving visitors today. She is unwell.”
“…Yes, understood.”
I was turned away at the gate.
Understanding Hui-bin’s intentions was urgent, but there was nothing I could do.
In the end, I had to postpone it and move on to my next mission.
The second task was also an introduction.
Namely, introducing myself to the court ladies of Chwiseondang.
“G-gooood morning. I am Hwang Bom-bom.”
I clasped my hands neatly and bowed as close to ninety degrees as I could.
My head kept wobbling due to its weight, but I managed to maintain my balance with my genius coordination and avoided falling over.
“Yes. We met yesterday, didn’t we? I’m Suk-yeong.”
“I’m Sun-rye. That’s my younger sister, Seolhyang.”
“Kid, I’m called Chuksaeng.”
Fortunately, the two little maidservants I had met yesterday were not present.
The other court ladies of Chwiseondang were all kind to me.
My brain, however, was spinning as I tried to memorize all their names and faces.
“…Haa.”
After finishing my greetings, I let out a sigh without thinking.
“Good job. That’s enough for now.”
Seolhyang handed me a yakgwa (honey cookie).
Perfect timing—I was already running low on energy.
“Don’t do anything weird. Just rest.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I squatted in front of the empty quarters, chewing on the yakgwa, enjoying a rare moment alone.
“I need to memorize the hierarchy of Chwiseondang…”
At the very top of this world called Chwiseondang stood, of course, Jang Hui-bin.
Next in power was Chief Court Lady Han.
Below her were Court Ladies Min and Kim.
Below them were Seolhyang (my roommate), Suk-yeong (the one who shares snacks), Sun-rye (the two-meter-tall one), Chuksaeng (the big potato-looking one)…
And my own status was “aegina-in” (young court maid).
Higher than low servants or palace maids, but still very low.
In the end, I was at the very bottom of Chwiseondang.
“…When will I grow up?”
I muttered weakly.
And then—
“You’ll grow soon.”
A clear male voice suddenly came from behind me.
“Since it was the beginning of spring yesterday…”
Inside Lady Hui-bin’s chamber.
Leaning against her cushions, she slowly counted the days on her delicate fingers.
She was thinking.
“When was the last time His Majesty visited…? Before the snow fell?”
No, maybe even earlier.
Was it October, when red autumn leaves fell like fleeting love?
“After he elevated the ranks of Lady Choi and Lady Park, he never came to Chwiseondang again…”
Her heart suddenly began to pound.
Her chest tightened, and her breathing grew difficult.
After several deep breaths, she finally managed to breathe normally again.
“…Ah.”
She opened a mirror box placed nearby.
In the bronze mirror, a woman’s face appeared.
Hui-bin looked at it as if she were observing someone else.
“How strange.”
It had already been twenty years since she had fallen into passionate love with the ruler of Joseon.
Twenty years was a long time.
“Flowers do not stay red for more than ten days.”
Yet her beauty had not withered in any ordinary way.
Of course, she was not exactly the same as she had been at twenty, but she still possessed a beauty no one in the palace could challenge.
“My face has not changed with time…”
She murmured to the reflection.
“And yet why has your heart changed?”
If one heart inevitably changes, should not both hearts change together?
Why does only one depart while the other remains?
Even so, Hui-bin reached into her mirror box and took out rouge.
In case he might come.
She colored her dry lips a deep red.
“Your Ladyship. It is Han Court Lady. May I enter?”
Hui-bin, still applying rouge, lifted her head.
“Come in.”
Court Lady Han entered and spoke.
“A message has arrived from the Jeong family household. They say they will enter the palace tomorrow afternoon.”
“Jeong family? Oh. That’s good timing.”
Hui-bin’s expression brightened for the first time in a while.
“Is it for the ritual offering?”
At Han Court Lady’s question, Hui-bin nodded.
“Yes. Last time, thanks to that, His Highness the Crown Prince recovered from illness, did he not? And I also suffer from breathlessness… since spring has come, I think I shall ask her to conduct a rite for blessings.”
“Yes, Your Ladyship. As soon as the rite was performed, His Highness rose from his sickbed. I was also quite shocked.”
“Indeed. That Jeong woman is reliable. She is my elder brother’s only concubine and right hand.”
“Yes, Your Ladyship. I will prepare refreshments according to the schedule.”
“Do so.”
Han Court Lady withdrew.
Hui-bin’s gaze returned to the still-open mirror.
“That Jeong woman said she would find a way to regain His Majesty’s heart…”
Hope rose within her, and anxiety subsided. Her breathing calmed.
A faint smile formed on her lips, painted deep red.
If his heart had already changed, then she would simply make it change again.
From the beginning, his heart had belonged only to Jang Ok-jeong.
“You’ll grow soon.”
Ah—startled.
I jumped up in shock and turned around.
A boy who looked about thirteen or fourteen stood a few steps away.
“Huh? That outfit… I’m seeing it in real life?”
I almost said it out loud.
A deep blue robe embroidered with a five-clawed dragon on the chest, and a tall ceremonial crown.
Only one person in Joseon could wear that outfit.
In other words, this boy was…
“The Crown Prince Yi Yun, son of King Sukjong and Jang Hui-bin.”
The one who would later become King Gyeongjong.
“Let’s not get too nervous.”
I quickly composed myself.
Based on my knowledge as a history nerd, Yi Yun was considered a relatively decent person.
Compared to the two tyrants in this palace who would go down in history for their temper…
Yi Yun could almost be called a saint.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
I bowed as politely as my small body allowed.
As a low-ranking palace maid, it wouldn’t hurt to leave a good impression on the Crown Prince.
“So you are the new young maid in my mother’s quarters. But you are so small…”
The Crown Prince nodded knowingly.
“So you must be thinking about growing up quickly.”
He clearly saw me as a harmless child.
Then I might as well live up to his expectations.
“Yes, Your Highness. I… I have been waiting to grow taller.”
I stretched my arms and legs dramatically, showing off my pitiful body.
Tch.
A faint laugh escaped his lips.
“It would be nice if everything happened exactly as we wished. But there is a saying: in haste, make haste slowly. Sometimes waiting quietly is necessary.”
“When am I supposed to wait until?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
“Shall I tell you a good method?”
“Yes, please tell me, Your Highness.”
“Eat well, sleep well, and play properly…”
“Ugh.”
Sounds like “study hard and get perfect scores on exams” nonsense.
Seeing my sigh, the Crown Prince chuckled softly.
I recalled the historical records of King Gyeongjong.
Yi Yun was gentle in a good way… but indecisive in a bad way.
He had sharp features like the son of Jang Hui-bin, but his impression was soft rather than strong.
Most of all, his eyes were somehow sorrowful.
“He became king, but only ruled for four years…”
A man who lived his entire life in the shadow of tragedy caused by his mother’s death.
Meeting someone I had only known through history sparked my curiosity.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Ah, well… that is…”
At that moment, I was struggling with myself.
The historical-nerd me vs. the low-ranking palace maid me.
Should I ask it or not?
Should I ask…?
“Your Highness. Do you perhaps like persimmons… or crabs?”
