I Was Born as the King’s Daughter – Chapter 7

Ch 7

Welcome. Is this your first time seeing a Ddalbabo?

◈◈◈

The so-called ‘If I live to be a million years old, can I marry Dad?’ incident. After that night, I did about four high-kicks into my blanket before falling asleep, but after that day, I often had the opportunity to have meals with that Gaecha-ban. Gang Seo-yeong ssi seemed very proud of me and would kiss me on the cheek.

“Your mother is so proud of you.”

“Huh? Mom, are you proud of me?”

“Having a meal with That Person is a very meaningful thing.”

Listen here, Mother. Are you saying that you find it more meaningful and proud that I eat with that Gaecha-ban than the fact that I am being praised as a genius by the kingdom’s best mathematicians and scholars?

“Mom, try it, Mom.”

…Kim Hwan-seong always makes me say “Woof woof!” But Gang Seo-yeong ssi makes me say “Mom” every day. The reason wasn’t far away. When you turn eight, you have to call your mother ‘Eomamama’ instead of ‘Mom’. Boys enter elementary school when they turn eight. But that’s a story from a distant land for girls. No, since all the countries in the world are probably like that, it’s not a distant land, but more like a story from a distant universe. Instead of entering school, girls have something called a ‘Girl’s Ceremony’ at home, which is nothing special. It’s just about visiting the elders of the family and having tea with the other women of the family to say, “I’m eight years old now.”

“Mom!”

I hugged Gang Seo-yeong ssi tightly. Just by my doing this, Gang Seo-yeong ssi’s eyes quickly became red. I understand. Gang Seo-yeong ssi and my many mothers, no, the women here are probably living with a lot of loneliness… no. A deep, aching loneliness. Someone said that women are happy when they are loved. This is a place where there is no love whatsoever. If I had been born in an extremely matriarchal world, I would have been happy.

The door burst open.

“Mureo-wat!”

Hey, you dog… The mood was just getting good. Kim Hwan-seong. You. Someday. I’ll kill you. I will definitely kill you. Sob sob. What’s even more humiliating is that I’m running to that cloth doll.

“Oh, Mother was here too?”

“Did Prince nim arrive?”

“Yeah. I came to play with the Dog.”

Kim Hwan-seong called me a Dog without any hesitation and made me say “Woof woof!” but Gang Seo-yeong ssi didn’t care. Rather, she seemed happy. She seems to think that it’s a happy thing just that the noble and high Prince nim is playing with a lowly princess. No. She definitely thinks that way.

“Older Brother!”

You. I will definitely kill you… but not yet. D*mn it.

“Older Brother has arrived!”

I grabbed Kim Hwan-seong’s waist -he’s much taller than me━ tightly while holding the cloth doll in my hand and jumped up and down. Kim Hwan-seong laughed, “Hehe.”

“You really look like a dog. A completely ugly dog.”

I stepped back from Kim Hwan-seong.

“Please say I’m pretty.”

“I’ll say you’re pretty if you’re pretty.”

“This girl is really happy when Older Brother says she’s pretty.”

Okay. I’ll be doing some high-kicks into my blanket tonight too. This girl? Older Brother? What was that? Su-hui, no, Sang-hui. You’ve really gone too far.

“Should I say you’re pretty?”

“Yes!”

I smiled brightly.

“You’re prettily ugly.”

You really won’t give up on saying I’m ugly, will you?

“Oh, right. They said to come eat.”

Gang Seo-yeong ssi, who was looking at us with a pleased expression, made a shocked face. She was probably shocked that the prince himself had taken the errand of saying, “Come eat.”

“Wow! Am I eating with Older Brother?”

“Yeah. You, me, and Father. Oh, right. And Mother, you come too.”

Gang Seo-yeong ssi was startled. She waved her hands.

“I, how could I…”

That’s a normal woman’s reaction. At least in this world. I might be okay now because I’m wearing the mask of a 7-year-old, but if I get older, I might have to refuse. Of course, I have to work hard to avoid that.

“It’s okay. Father has permitted it.”

“Th, then just a moment… makeup. No, no, that’s not it… Yes. I’ll go get ready quickly.”

Gang Seo-yeong ssi was happy with a deeply moved face and expression. Oh my. She wiped her eyes. She was crying. It was pitiful to see her being so happy just by having a meal together, even though he was her husband. That Gaecha-ban is a bad guy after all.

Gaecha-ban. Gang Seo-yeong ssi. Kim Hwan-seong. And me. There were only four of us sitting at this large rectangular table. Gaecha-ban spoke. His voice was very serious and calm.

“What is it that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?”

I tilted my head, not even having finished eating my meat soup. Kim Hwan-seong answered.

“A dog.”

“Wrong.”

What’s absurd is that both of them have serious expressions. Even a third-grader would know that question! Well, I guess. This isn’t Earth, after all.

“Girl. You answer.”

Gang Seo-yeong ssi was startled for a moment, but then she started sending me worried and anxious looks, seeing that Gaecha-ban’s gaze was directed at me. Listen here, Gang Seo-yeong ssi. Even though women’s rights are at rock bottom, you’re so intimidated by a simple question like this… no. It’s because you’re so intimidated that men look down on women, is bull. Actually, I’m a little scared too. It’s like, men have something unique to them. They always seem to be using magic power, and even though I can’t explain it exactly, there’s definitely something that oppresses and intimidates women. I don’t know if it’s because the world is like this.

“Please give me a little more time. This girl will think hard.”

“…….”

I even put down my spoon and pretended to think hard. Judging by his expression, he seems to seriously think that it’ll be difficult for me to get it right, but if I get it too easily, it’ll have the opposite effect. If he’s going to ask such a difficult question, it’s only polite for me to pretend to think hard, right? That’s how I’m packaging it, but actually, it’s not that. It’s my desperate will to look good. D*mn it. It’s so unfair.

When the meal was almost over, I opened my mouth very carefully.

“Could the answer perhaps… be a human?”

“…….”

Gaecha-ban looked at me.

“This girl is quite something. Really quite something.”

I jumped up. I ran to Gaecha-ban, passing by Gang Seo-yeong ssi.

“Abamama. Since I answered a very, very difficult question, please give me a present.”

Gang Seo-yeong ssi made another shocked expression. I could almost hear her voice. No. Sang-hui. How can you do such a ridiculous thing? Asking for a present! A woman should never say such a thing to a man! Gang Seo-yeong ssi’s desperate cry echoed in my head. In reality, Gang Seo-yeong ssi’s hands were trembling. Mother. It’s okay, it’s okay.

Gaecha-ban chuckled.

“A present?”

“Yes! I have a very, very, very big present!”

Kim Hwan-seong added a word.

“Ten chocolate bars!”

I don’t need that. You can have them all.

“What kind of present do you want?”

“Please pat my head!”

I had come down from the chair, so I burrowed my head under the pot lid-like hand that I could see -it’s a hand that’s big and heavy enough for my eyes now━ and rubbed my head against it. Ah, how miserable. So miserable. Patting my head? Ah. Ah. I can’t explain it, but I feel so pitiful and wistful.

On the other hand, Gaecha-ban is laughing heartily again. Gang Seo-yeong ssi is looking around with anxiety, and Kim Hwan-seong is also laughing and giggling.

“She said pat-pat. She said pat-pat. Pat-pat!”

He’s not just giggling, he’s cackling, and I want to punch that face. Anyway, Gaecha-ban, after showing off a bit, saying that a girl’s wish is too grand, patted my head. He’s making such a big deal out of patting my head once. That’s just what I’m thinking, and I looked up at the Gaecha-ban, my dad, with a happy smile as if I had the whole world and smiled brightly.

“Dad!”

Gang Seo-yeong ssi looks like she’s about to cry now. Her face is full of fear. Dad. I heard that even princes haven’t called their fathers “Dad” since they were seven years old. Calling him “Dad” here is something that goes beyond imagination. At least for Gang Seo-yeong ssi.

“Sang-hui really, really likes Dad.”

Okay. I’m seven years old. I’m seven years old. Yes, it’s okay because I’m seven years old. It must be a delusion that my stomach is churning. I’m seven years old. I really am seven years old. I brainwashed myself countless times.

When I glanced at Gang Seo-yeong ssi, she seemed to be saying to me, “Please stop, Sang-hui. Please.”

But Gaecha-ban’s laughter didn’t stop. Listen here, Gang Seo-yeong ssi. Think rationally. If this man was in a bad mood, he wouldn’t be laughing like this. Of course, I understand why you can’t understand, but you look so pitiful when you’re so pale.

Gaecha-ban stopped laughing.

“Why are you so stiff like a corpse?”

“N, no, I’m not.”

What do you mean you’re not? Even I can see that you look like a corpse.

“It’s true that this girl’s behavior is unusual.”

Kim Hwan-seong added again. Unnecessarily.

“Because she’s a dog!”

“But I’m in a very good mood. If this child were a boy, she would have been a great help to the country. Someone said that she would have become a hero.”

I cut off Gaecha-ban’s words. I made a very unfair expression. I clenched my fist tightly.

“I should have become a hero and married Dad!”

Gang Seo-yeong ssi is on the verge of fainting. To cut off the King’s words. This is a really big deal. In terms of common sense, that is. It’s literally crazy, but I’ve set my own line. It’s not like I’ve only had a meal with this guy once or twice. I only open my mouth within a line that is acceptable enough. Of course, this tightrope walk wasn’t easy.

Gaecha-ban, who I didn’t even ask to, stroked my head.

“I will visit your bedroom tonight. Be prepared.”

Gang Seo-yeong ssi nodded with a shy face.

◈◈◈

A few days ago.

There are a lot of maids in the Royal Palace. They move busily every day for the 12 queens and the 30 princesses. Among them, Song Su-jin, Kim Sang-hui’s exclusive helper, shouted angrily.

“What nonsense are you talking about!”

“No. Think about it. The King called the princess separately!”

Song Su-jin heard strange words. The King had personally called Kim Sang-hui to have a meal with him. This kind of thing is not so common. At least, it hasn’t happened in this King’s reign. So, strange rumors started circulating.

“They might be poisoning a useless girl.”

“Don’t say such strange things! Don’t you know that words can become reality? Our Princess nim is so pretty and kind!”

“No. Why are you getting so heated? Don’t you know that it’s strange that you’re getting so heated? You’re getting angry because you also think it could be true, right?”

“…….”

No way. That can’t be true. Song Su-jin bit her lip. That’s what women are like. If they don’t like you, they can call you to a meal and poison you. There’s no such thing as a daughter. Of course, I don’t think the King has such a bad nature, but if you look at past history books, there were plenty of such precedents. Usually, princesses who tried to compete with the princes were poisoned like that.

But a few days later. Song Su-jin walked around with her shoulders straightened. It was because rumors spread that Kim Sang-hui, the princess she served, was receiving the King’s favor and was very close with the princes. But these rumors even reached the princesses. The number of princesses is exactly 33.

Kim Seo-hui, one of the 33 princesses, who is 12 years old, spoke softly.

“Soon, that girl’s Girl’s Ceremony will be held.”

“At that time. We must show her who’s boss. How dare a mere girl think of associating with the noble princes.”

“Yes, Sister. It’s really an eyesore. She has no manners. I think this is when the princesses should step up and discipline her. She’ll be a proper young lady when she turns eight. Shouldn’t the older sisters step up to guide her on the right path?”

“Princess Seo-hui is right. We must step up.”

“That’s right. I think we should help her come to her senses during the Girl’s Ceremony. That’s our role as princesses.”

A few more days passed. Aures Calendar. December 31, 1003.

Kim Hwan-seong giggled.

“Hyung, do you know? The Dog’s Girl’s Ceremony is tomorrow.”

“…I see.”

January 1, 1004. Kim Sang-hui’s Girl’s Ceremony was scheduled to be held.