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Chapter 13
Tok-tok, tok-tok.
I quietly waited for the Crown Prince’s emotions to settle.
Waited, and waited…
‘…My arms are going to fall off.’
Maybe it was because I had been running errands all day—my legs were starting to cramp too.
“Ahhh…”
I let out an involuntary sound, and the Crown Prince turned his head.
“Oh my. Are your arms hurting because of me?”
“…My legs are about to give out too.”
The Crown Prince gave a bright smile. The gloom from moments ago had completely vanished.
Well. At least it was worth the effort.
“Bongbong.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
As I awkwardly massaged my arms and legs, he suddenly asked,
“Would you like a piggyback ride?”
Huh?
Me?
I blinked, trying to process what I had just heard.
“Have I not made you run around taking care of me all this time? I would like to make you a little more comfortable now.”
“Ah… y-yes.”
I rolled my eyes awkwardly, debating the situation.
A normal child would probably climb on immediately—but for me, with an adult mind inside, this was a bit…
“Come now. Get on. I’ve always wanted a younger sister I could carry on my back, and thanks to you, that wish is coming true.”
…Even after hearing something like that from the Crown Prince himself, I couldn’t exactly refuse.
I hesitantly leaned onto his back and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“Rest comfortably. Just relax.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I kept my body stiff at first, but slowly relaxed against his back.
‘So this is what a sickly prince is like? Feels more like an adult’s back.’
Or maybe I was just too small.
“Bongbong.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“We will be returning home soon. You must be happy about that.”
“I’m not going home.”
“It’s a holiday. Why not?”
“I’m an orphan.”
The Crown Prince stiffened. I could hear him swallow nervously.
“…I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry, Bongbong.”
“It’s alright, Your Highness.”
I truly wasn’t bothered, but he looked deeply flustered.
…So he really was a kind person.
Thinking about the many hardships that would one day come his way made my chest feel heavy.
‘But being carried like this is surprisingly comfortable.’
His back was warm and broad.
Blink, blink.
…Slowly, I drifted off to sleep.
Inner Courtyard of Jeoseungjeon
A young eunuch, Moon Yudo, stopped walking abruptly.
“Your Highness, that child is from Chwiseondang…”
“Shh.”
The Crown Prince brought a finger to his lips.
The eunuch looked at the sleeping child in confusion. She was softly dozing on his back.
“Lady Han is looking for you.”
“Is that so? Then I will take the child to Chwiseondang on my way.”
The sky was already turning deep blue.
The Crown Prince nodded quietly.
“Be careful not to wake her.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Carefully, Moon Eunuch lifted the child into his arms.
“Ah, wait.”
The Crown Prince called him in a low voice.
“Moon Eunuch. Could you look into Bongbong’s background?”
“Her background?”
“Yes. She said she is an orphan, but I find myself curious about how she has lived.”
The eunuch studied the Crown Prince’s face.
His steady gaze remained on the sleeping Bongbong.
The Crown Prince was someone who thought deeply before acting.
So for him to order an investigation into a little attendant was unusual.
“…Understood. I will carry out your order.”
As their conversation continued—
“Hm…”
The child murmured softly and shifted in her sleep.
Bongbong did not wake all the way to Chwiseondang.
Chwiseondang
“Haahh…”
The moment I woke up from a long yawn, I saw—
“AAH! A ghost!”
A face was too close to mine.
“Don’t scream like that. Did you commit a crime or something?”
“A crime? No? I don’t think so…”
I instinctively flinched.
Please don’t tell me I said something strange in my sleep… or revealed state secrets.
‘Lady Jang will be poisoned, and the maids will get their heads chopped off!’
Just imagining myself muttering that made me break out in cold sweat.
“By the way… why are you staring at me like that, Hama-nim?”
“You fell asleep in Jeoseungjeon?”
“Me? Ah…”
Only then did I remember.
I had fallen asleep while being carried by the Crown Prince.
…But how did I end up back in Chwiseondang?
The answer came from Seolhyang.
“Eunuch Moon carried you back while you were asleep. Bongbong, do you even realize how busy that man is? And yet he had to deal with you? It’s unbelievable.”
She sounded like she was scolding me, but her cheeks were slightly flushed.
Ah.
I realized something beyond the situation itself.
‘Seolhyang… probably likes Eunuch Moon.’
Even though court ladies were technically the king’s women, the palace was still full of human relationships.
“Sorry. I won’t fall asleep anywhere anymore. But about Eunuch Moon…”
Seolhyang’s eyes widened instantly.
“What about him?”
“He has such a pale face and is so tall and thin, right? But unexpectedly…”
I whispered as if sharing a huge secret.
“His chest is super solid. And his arms are really muscular…”
If Eunuch Moon heard this, he would probably go, ‘…Me?’
But so what?
Compared to all the times Seolhyang teased me about sending me to the latrine pits, this was nothing.
“Oh my goodness! Really?”
“Yes. And that’s not all—his muscles—cough!”
“Muscles? What muscles?”
“My throat is… cough cough!”
“Water! Should I get water?”
“Preferably rice punch…”
“Rice punch? Got it!”
“And some sweets too.”
“Wait here! Don’t fall asleep!”
Watching Seolhyang rush out, I giggled.
Life in the palace was exhausting and unpredictable—but moments like this made it bearable.
Daily Life as a Little Attendant
My duties at Chwiseondang were basically:
- Learning palace etiquette
- Studying reading and writing
- Fetching water for Seolhyang and running small errands
Honestly—it was a pretty sweet deal.
‘Except for the fact that I’ve got a ticking time bomb on my neck.’
But the day before the New Year’s festival arrived, I was given a dangerously important mission.
“The Lady Hee-bin is in a terrible mood… what do we do?”
“No word from the palace, no gifts, and His Majesty hasn’t come…”
“She dressed up so beautifully and waited, she must be so disappointed…”
The maids whispered together, their heads almost touching.
Then their eyes turned to me.
“How about sending Bongbong in?”
“Yes. If a child acts cute, maybe it’ll cheer her up.”
“And even if she gets upset, she won’t take it out on a kid.”
…Excuse me. I also have thoughts and opinions. Please respect them.
But the maids ignored my rights entirely and shoved me into Lady Hee-bin’s quarters.
“Bongbong? What brings you here at this hour?”
“Yes, well…”
Her gaze was cold. She looked like she had “I’m in a bad mood” written across her face.
I immediately knew: this was the moment to use my survival-level social skills.
“I had a scary dream… so I wanted to see your face, Lady.”
“A scary dream? And why would you come see me for that?”
“Because beautiful things make people feel better.”
“…Hah.”
It was only a small laugh, but it worked.
“So Bongbong thinks I’m beautiful?”
“Yes! Even after 330 years, there will be no one as beautiful as you!”
Apparently satisfied by this brutally sincere flattery, her expression softened.
Good. Step one successful.
Lady Hee-bin suffered from severe emotional swings and anxiety-like symptoms.
She was also extremely sensitive about her appearance.
Even now, she was searching for her rouge.
‘She’s trying so hard to win His Majesty’s affection.’
I understood that much.
But the problem was—
‘But you’re a warm tone, seriously.’
Please stop using cool-tone red…
Her natural beauty was strong enough that it wasn’t obvious, but the bluish red made her lips look strange and harsh.
She kept applying it anyway.
Tap tap. Rub rub.
“Bongbong, why are you making that face?”
“My face?”
“You were smiling earlier. Why so serious now?”
“Well…”
I hesitated.
It felt wrong to comment on someone’s appearance so directly, but I didn’t have many options.
If there was any way to influence the king’s affection, I had to try.
I lowered my head and pretended to sniffle.
“Until just now, Lady Hee-bin was the most beautiful person in the world… but after you put on red…”
“After I put it on?”
“You became a little less beautiful… sob…”
Her hand froze.
“Lady Hee-bin is most beautiful with light lips! Like peach color! Light eyebrows, light lips…”
“….”
“I want to see you when you’re pretty… sniff…”
Even while pretending to cry, I was fully alert.
Would she get angry?
Kick me out to clean latrines?
“…Maybe I was using too much makeup.”
She said it calmly.
And I saw it clearly—she took a cloth and began wiping off the lipstick.
‘Oh. It worked.’
So yeah.
No more red from now on, okay?
