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Chapter 28
Even the sky seemed cruel.
It was already embarrassing enough that, even if someone had seen it, I would’ve been haunted by secondhand shame for the rest of my life—but of all people, I had to run into the worst possible one.
Should I just collapse and pretend I fainted?
I considered it for a moment, but the gaze on me was far too sharp.
I bowed my head.
“Ah, h-hello, Prince Yeoning.”
“I’m well enough, but… what exactly were you doing? Throwing punches and kicks, talking to yourself, and then collapsing like that.”
There was no need for him to carefully summarize my entire performance, step by step. I was already more than sufficiently mortified.
Yeoning crossed his arms.
His face was filled with the determination to uncover the reason behind my strange behavior.
“Um, well, what I was doing was….”
Go back, brain.
Say anything—anything except ghosts or hallucinations, please.
“Actually… I was… doing training… to prepare for meeting scary people….”
Even I could tell how pathetic that excuse sounded, my voice trailing off.
“…I see.”
What?
Why was he looking at me so seriously while I was spouting nonsense?
“It seems you’ve suffered quite a shock.”
…What? What shock?
Then Yeoning spoke again.
“I heard that the palace maids at Bogyeongdang did something terrible to you. Ah, I’m not someone who pays attention to petty rumors, but… a court eunuch happened to tell me.”
I was honestly surprised.
First, that a child—no more than seven years old—already knew such rumors, even though it happened in his mother’s quarters.
Second, the look of pity in his eyes directed at me.
It was completely different from the Yeoning I had imagined so far.
“My mother also said she suffered many hardships when she was a court lady, yet for the attendants of Bogyeongdang to behave like that…”
Clicking his tongue, he continued.
“The attendants of Bogyeongdang are normally very strict about rules and propriety. My mother is an extremely disciplined person. Likely, only a few unruly ones slipped in.”
Even while saying this, he did not forget to defend his mother’s dignity.
As expected—sharp and calculating.
Still, hearing such words from Yeoning, who was not even the Crown Prince yet, felt strange and interesting.
No, maybe I was thinking about him the wrong way from the beginning.
Regardless of what he would become in the future—King Yeongjo—right now he was only seven.
Still a growing child whose personality had not fully formed yet.
I shouldn’t view him too cynically.
That didn’t mean I had any grand idea of “correcting” Yeoning or anything like that.
Maybe… just a little…?
While I was thinking that, he kept speaking.
“So, I will properly scold the palace attendants of Bogyeongdang. If they looked down on an agye-nain simply because she is young, then that means they could just as easily look down on the young prince himself. I will hold them accountable so they never act that way again.”
It didn’t sound wrong, and I was even grateful—but…
He’s ridiculously strict.
And why did he talk so much?
I already felt sorry for the palace attendants in his quarters, whom I didn’t even know.
“So, Bongbong.”
“Y-yes?”
“If anyone tries to bully you again, report it immediately.”
“W-what?”
“Tell them you will report it to Yeoning so I can punish them.”
“…Thank you, Your Highness.”
I stared blankly at him before bowing in thanks, figuring that was the appropriate response.
Yeoning looked proud, as if I could rely on him completely.
Something felt off…
I was trying not to have prejudices against him, but I couldn’t shake off a thought.
Yeoning—King Yeongjo in the future.
What was he known for?
The rice chest…
No, that was too heavy a thought. Let’s not go there.
The icon of favoritism.
He was known for extreme favoritism.
He showered some of his children with overwhelming affection, while treating others with unbearable cruelty.
So maybe Yeoning was…
Choosing to favor me?
Looking at his smug expression, I thought that.
It didn’t feel entirely good—but it wasn’t necessarily bad either.
At least I hadn’t fallen out of favor with someone as extreme as him.
As long as I didn’t get entangled in weird clingy nonsense like “older brother” this or that, I didn’t care.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave, Your Highness.”
Since I didn’t want to talk any longer, I bowed.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m running an errand for Jeoseongjeon.”
“What errand?”
“I have to bring dried persimmons—”
Tsk.
Seeing the scattered dried persimmons on the ground left me speechless.
“The Crown Prince is not in Jeoseongjeon. There’s an event at Chunbang, and most attendants are there. And those persimmons are no longer usable.”
Why did he have to be so logically precise?
I seriously wanted to open his head and look inside, but I held back.
“So what now?”
“In other words, you don’t need to run the errand.”
“Then I’ll go to Chwiseondang…”
He cut me off again.
“Since you don’t need to run errands, you must have time. So I will show you something interesting.”
“…Something interesting?”
I tried to act indifferent, but honestly, I was a bit curious.
Especially since I had relaxed a lot since first meeting him.
Maybe I could use this chance to learn more about his personality.
Considering how well-informed he was about Bogyeongdang, maybe I could even gather information about Lady Sukbin through him.
While I was thinking that, he suddenly handed something to me.
“Look. You don’t have anything like this, right?”
…That line sounds familiar.
Anyway, what he was holding was a transparent glass marble.
It shimmered with rainbow colors—clearly something expensive.
It was shiny, pretty, and rolled smoothly.
In short: a pretty piece of junk.
The expression on seven-year-old Yeoning’s face as he proudly showed it off made me nod in admiration.
“It’s… beautiful.”
“Of course it is. It was specially brought by a merchant who traveled to Qing. There’s nothing like this in Joseon.”
“I see.”
“If you want it, you may have it.”
Me?
“For real?”
I asked blankly.
“Of course. Say the word if you want it.”
I hesitated.
Not because I wanted the marble—I didn’t—but because I didn’t want to offend him.
But it was risky.
If I accepted something so valuable, it felt like I’d end up owing him something.
“I sincerely thank you for your kindness. But I don’t know how to play with marbles, and I’d be worried about losing something so precious. More than anything, I don’t need something so expensive, Your Highness.”
“Really?”
He looked slightly disappointed and put the marble away.
“Then what do you want?”
He was more persistent than expected.
Maybe he felt guilty about what the palace attendants had done?
I didn’t think he was that sensitive…
I just needed to say something so I could leave quickly.
“I prefer useful things. Not pretty things, but things I can actually use.”
Like silver. Or gold. Or treasure…
If you’re going to pity me, just give me money.
Then—
“Ah!”
He suddenly seemed to remember something.
“Then come with me to Hongseogak for a moment.”
“H-Hong… what?”
“Hongseogak. It’s where the Crown Prince and I keep the books we read. I also store all the gifts I’ve received there.”
He started acting proud again, as if he was about to show me something incredible.
“I’m fine…”
“It’s very close. It’ll be quick.”
“…Alright.”
It was hard to keep refusing a prince.
And I was also a little curious about a place that stored royal books.
So, pretending to reluctantly agree, I followed him.
The signboard with elegant calligraphy hung above a small building.
Ink smell.
The thick scent of old paper and ink filled the space.
Yeoning returned from somewhere carrying a bundle.
Then—
Wait… what is all that?
It looked like a traveling merchant’s entire inventory.
He spread the bundle open.
Dozens of items spilled out.
A small bow, a finely carved spinning top, colorful jade beads, ornaments suitable for a child, and jade-made Go stones…
I was staring blankly at all these beautiful but practically useless luxury trinkets when—
Wait… that one…!
My eyes suddenly snapped open.
