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Chapter 26
After parting ways with Bokhee and returning to Chwiseondang, a major challenge still remained before me.
The King’s summons came without warning.
And just as Bokhee had said, the palace maids of Chwiseondang were bound to explode with curiosity.
“Bongbong is back!”
“Bongbong, did it go well?”
“What in the world happened? Did you really meet His Majesty?”
As expected.
I was instantly surrounded by the Chwiseondang court ladies.
…Still, home really was different. Compared to being swarmed by the ladies of Bogyeongdang earlier, this felt completely different.
“Ahem. Why are you all behaving so recklessly? Bongbong must report to Lady Huibin, so step aside.”
A head court lady suddenly appeared and cleanly dispersed the crowd before escorting me straight to Huibin’s quarters.
The moment I entered the room, Huibin anxiously questioned me.
“For what reason did His Majesty summon you?”
“Well… Samgam Mama said I resembled Princess Myeongan. He said looking at me reminded him of old memories…”
I deliberately avoided mentioning the red mark or the talk about the Cheok clan in front of Huibin.
It felt like a secret shared only between the King and me.
“He said you resembled Princess Myeongan? Ah… now I understand.”
Fortunately, Huibin accepted my explanation without suspicion.
Then again, it would be difficult not to trust the words of a child with such an innocent face.
“His Majesty often spoke of the Princess. His affection for his younger sister was truly deep…”
Huibin stroked my hair fondly.
“But… did he say anything else?”
Her voice turned cautious.
It was obvious she wanted to know whether the King had mentioned her.
For some reason, seeing Huibin—someone so high above a mere child servant—looking anxious and hopeful made my heart ache.
“Well, Lady Huibin…”
“Yes? Go on.”
“His Majesty is coming to Chwiseondang.”
“His Majesty? Did he say he would come see you again?”
At her question, I shook my head.
“No. Not because of me. He’s coming to see you, Lady Huibin.”
“….”
Huibin’s expression blanked for a moment. She blinked slowly.
“…He is coming to see me? His Majesty?”
“Yes. He promised me.”
“His Majesty made such a promise? Tell me exactly what happened.”
Unable to contain herself, Huibin leaned toward me.
…She truly must have longed desperately for a reunion with the King.
“I told His Majesty to come visit Chwiseondang and see you.”
Normally, I wasn’t the type to boast about my accomplishments.
But this time was different.
I intentionally tried to make it clear that the King’s visit was something I had achieved.
Sometimes, showing off your contribution was necessary.
Especially in a situation like this, where I needed to earn Huibin’s trust.
Now that our survival depended on each other, we absolutely had to remain on the same side.
“You…? What exactly did you say to him?”
“I told him that Lady Huibin misses him.”
Huibin’s eyes trembled violently.
Her expression was conflicted, as though she couldn’t decide whether my words were true or simply childish nonsense.
“How could a child like you know that I miss His Majesty?”
“Because Lady Huibin often looks sad. Whenever you hear His Majesty passing by from far away… and whenever you gaze toward Changdeok Palace…”
“…….”
I could see her lips trembling.
Even if I truly were a clueless four-year-old child—
How could I not know?
Why Huibin always looked over the wall with such yearning eyes.
Why she dressed herself beautifully every day, only to fall into disappointment, and then repeat the process all over again.
“Lady Huibin.”
“Yes?”
“I want you to smile every day and never be sad.”
“Ah…”
A sigh, almost like a sob, escaped her lips.
What happened next was something even I never expected.
Huibin suddenly pulled me into her embrace.
Her arms were incredibly warm.
“I was always so lonely. I thought there was no one who understood my heart. And yet… such a little child comforts me like this.”
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Drip, drip.
Tears fell onto the top of my head.
“Please don’t cry, Lady Huibin.”
“Sniff…”
“You really shouldn’t cry. Okay?”
The King might show up tonight, after all. Puffy eyes would be a bit of a problem.
“Lady. There, there.”
Only after hearing me did Huibin finally stop crying.
“Oh dear. To show such weakness before a child…”
As I looked at her hurriedly wiping away her tears, a thought crossed my mind.
…Maybe I should tell her to keep crying.
Because Huibin’s tear-stained, sorrowful appearance was breathtakingly beautiful.
“There now, all better. I won’t cry anymore. My little lucky charm, just as you said, I’ll smile from now on.”
Huibin smiled brightly at me.
Heart attack.
I immediately took back my previous thought.
Lady Huibin really was prettiest when she smiled.
Later that afternoon,
the Crown Prince came to see me.
Well, more accurately, he had come to pay respects to Huibin and stopped by afterward.
I had been napping, so I stumbled out into the courtyard still groggy when the Crown Prince held something out toward me.
“Bongbong, here. Take this.”
“What is it?”
I accepted the object wrapped in fine silk before I could think.
“Open it.”
Honestly, I wanted to rip it apart immediately, but trying to maintain some dignity, I carefully untied the silk cord and unfolded the cloth.
“Oh?”
Inside the wrapping was a small doll.
Ah—not some horrifying thing like Boomboomie still sitting in my room.
This one was a properly made doll shaped like a little girl, stuffed with cotton and actually quite cute.
“There was not much I could give you. So I asked one of the seamstress court ladies to make this. I hope you like it.”
Uh… well.
To be honest, I wasn’t particularly fond of dolls.
Especially after all the traumatic doll-related incidents I’d experienced lately.
But this doll…
This is a historical artifact handmade by a royal seamstress!
If it had survived into modern times, it would probably be displayed in a museum as a priceless cultural treasure offering insight into the play culture of children in the Joseon royal court.
“Yes! I love it!”
I shouted with genuine delight.
Hugging the handmade work of art tightly, I beamed at the Crown Prince.
“Bongbong is so happy! The doll is so pretty!”
“You like it that much?”
“Yes! Very, very much!”
Receiving such a precious doll already made me happy, but what touched me even more was the warmth and thoughtfulness behind the gift itself.
He must have been worried after hearing me talk about my older brother dying.
The Crown Prince was thirteen this year.
Yet the depth of his heart surpassed that of any adult in the palace.
A truly good person.
For the first time, I found myself wanting to become even the slightest source of strength for him someday.
“Then, Bongbong. How about giving the doll a name?”
“A name?”
“Yes. Didn’t you also name the doll you carried around all the time? Boomboomie, was it?”
Comparing Boomboomie to this priceless masterpiece was unacceptable.
“Umm… This doll’s name is…”
The Crown Prince watched me expectantly with sparkling eyes, but unfortunately, I had absolutely no talent for naming things.
Then suddenly, inspiration struck.
“I got it!”
“Yes? What will you call her?”
“Barbie!”
The Crown Prince blinked.
“…Rice?”
…Your Highness, did you just mistake me for a glutton?
“No, not rice! Barbie! Barbie!”
“Barbie… What a strange… no, a fine name indeed. Very well. Let us call her Barbie.”
“Yes! Thank you for giving me Barbie!”
I bowed at a perfectly polite ninety-degree angle.
The Crown Prince let out a soft laugh.
And so, I obtained the world’s very first Barbie doll!
…Then, the next day—
A massive shockwave struck Chwiseondang.
