I Was Born as the King’s Daughter – Chapter 32

Ch 32

I’d rather die.

◈◈◈

A few minutes ago. Inside the elevator. Kim Hwan-seok said briefly.

“17th floor.”

“Yes. I will safely take you to the 17th floor.”

Magic power is required to operate an elevator. It’s obvious, but the person who operates the elevator is a man. Recently, the trend of replacing direct operation with magic stones to obtain power has become stronger, but in such high-end facilities, there were many cases where people operated it directly.

Around the 7th floor, the elevator door opened. Kim Hwan-seok frowned.

“Close it.”

“Yes. I will close the door. Hey. You, get lost.”

A woman who looked like a maid bowed politely. Originally, women cannot use elevators. Even if they try to use an elevator that is operated by magic stones, they often just use the stairs because they are conscious of the men around them. However, there are cases where women can use the elevator without being conscious of others. That is when they are serving meals to the guests or when men who are staying call them to move. Of course, it’s not that they are allowed to use it for the sake of women. It’s because the men who are waiting might have to wait too long.

Kim Hwan-seok spoke again.

“Wait.”

However, in such cases, if a male guest who is already in the elevator refuses to share the ride with a woman, then the women have to wait. Especially for VIPs staying on the 15th floor or higher, that authority was even greater.

The man operating the elevator knows who this boy is.

“Yes. Prince nim. What can I help you with?”

“Open the door again.”

The elevator door opened.

“Come in.”

The woman, who looked like a maid, bowed politely and greeted prettily, then slowly entered, pushing a wagon -a cart with food on it-. Hwan-seok asked.

“Do you know about the new guest on the 5th floor?”

Maids memorize the faces of the guests. Especially the faces of VIPs. It’s because they might commit a discourtesy. This maid also knew Kim Hwan-seok.

“Yes. Prince nim. I heard it’s a princess from the Goryeo Kingdom.”

The man operating the elevator -for the sake of notation, let’s call him the operating man━ should have felt something strange.

‘Although the Goryeo Kingdom is said to treat women better than we do… I heard that Prince Kim Hwan-seok looks at women like they are bugs.’

It seemed that the rumors were wrong. According to his common sense, there is a difference in status that the maid cannot even dare to talk to the prince. It’s just that Kim Hwan-seok is asking a question and the maid is answering, but even that looked mysterious to the man. Kim Hwan-seok’s questions were a bit strange. He asked about the amount of food provided on the 5th floor. The types of side dishes. The operating man continued to feel strange.

‘No. Why is he asking about that?’

Kim Hwan-seok said.

“To the 5th floor.”

“Yes. Customer nim. We will move to the 5th floor.”

The 5th floor door opened.

“…”

Kim Hwan-seok walked ahead without saying a word. The maid watched carefully with a desperate determination. It seemed like he was telling her to follow, but it was hard to actually follow. If she made the wrong choice, her fate could be twisted. Fortunately, Kim Hwan-seok spoke.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“I, I will go now. Prince nim.”

Actually, this meal was originally for the third prince of the ‘Il Kingdom’. However, in terms of the ranking assessed by the Empire, the rank of the second prince of the ‘Goryeo Kingdom’ was much higher than that of the third prince of the ‘Il Kingdom’, which was a minor power. The maid followed without complaint. Instead, she contacted someone via radio in a small voice. （This radio is also operated by a charged magic stone.）

“Requesting a re-preparation of the meal for the third prince of the Il Kingdom. The second prince of the Goryeo Kingdom is taking it.”

Kim Hwan-seok also heard that, but he didn’t care. He just went his own way. On the 5th floor hallway, the women he occasionally encountered -mostly maids━ bowed politely to one side of the wall as Kim Hwan-seok passed by.

‘Why on earth did this Prince nim come to the humble 5th floor…?’

She knew that the prince’s half-sibling was staying on the 5th floor. However, there was no correlation between that fact and the prince coming down to the 5th floor. At least, that’s what she thought. There was no way the Prince nim would come to the 5th floor because of the princess. That was common sense.

“Open it.”

“Yes. Prince nim.”

And the maid had to taste a new world.

“I picked it up on the way, so eat it or not.”

And he left. She had received training on how to deal with various situations that could occur in the hotel, but she did not understand this situation. What on earth just happened? He picked it up on the way. No. It’s too big of a scale for something he picked up on the way. Even though the Il Kingdom is a minor power compared to the Goryeo Kingdom, it is still a kingdom. He took the meal of the prince of that kingdom and said he picked it up on the way. He even gave it to a woman. This is a serious matter that could even develop into a diplomatic issue.

‘I must keep my mouth shut.’

If she carelessly said the wrong thing, she could die. If it turned into a diplomatic issue -that the Goryeo Kingdom ignored the Il Kingdom-, someone would have to take responsibility. That responsibility would probably fall on her. She would be recorded in history as a foolish maid who made the absurd mistake of bringing the food that should have gone to the prince of the Il Kingdom to the princess of the Goryeo Kingdom.

So the maid made a brief explanation. She left out all the other situations. She only said one thing. A huge incident that anyone in this world would be shocked to hear.

“Prince Kim Hwan-seok nim ordered me to bring it directly.”

An incident where the prince cared about the princess’s meal. This was truly an unprecedented event. Meanwhile, Kim Hwan-seok said to the maid who brought his meal.

“Always make two servings for my portion.”

“Yes. Prince nim.”

“And make sure to bring the leftovers I leave to Kim Sang-hui.”

“Yes. Prince nim.”

The maid was moved. The leftovers that the Prince nim was giving her. It seemed like the Goryeo Kingdom was a really good place to live. And that maid was impressed once again in the evening.

“Take this to the 5th floor.”

Although he roughly expressed it as leftovers, he told her to take the remaining one portion to the 5th floor without even touching it.

‘Prince nim… you are such a benevolent person.’

The maid was lost in a strict imagination. She had the absurd imagination that all the princes of the Goryeo Kingdom might be like that.

For reference, in the Goryeo Kingdom, Kim Hwan-seok is an object of fear for the princesses. The maid was mistaken.

‘You’re really a wonderful person…’

◈◈◈

A day has passed. Because the Emperor of the Empire had scheduled it in advance, I will soon have an audience with the Emperor. My heart was pounding. Even when I see our Gaecha-ban nim and Brat nim, whom I think I’ve become very close with and who I think like me a lot, I don’t let my guard down. Moreover, this place is the Empire, where the ideology of male dominance is even stronger.

‘Is there anything out of place?’

I tidied and tidied myself from head to toe. Song Su-jin yang said while brushing my hair.

“Princess nim, you are so, so beautiful.”

Song Su-jin ssi, who is not the person involved, didn’t seem so nervous. While I was preparing for the audience with the Emperor, a special guest came to visit.

“Older Brother!”

Our first brother, Hyeong-seok, who is being held hostage in the Imperial Palace of the Empire. The child I cherish the most.

“Our Sang-hui. I didn’t expect to see you in the Empire?”

That figure of him smiling at me with his arms wide open. It’s really a feast for the eyes. I ran to Hyeong-seok and hugged him. Hyeong-seok carefully hugged me, unlike usual, then lightly kissed my forehead and put me back on the ground.

“I almost patted your head out of habit.”

What he meant was that he couldn’t mess up my styled hair. You are such a man. You’re even meticulous. Really. Ha. You are the only hope in my life. Sob sob.

“Ogu. Our Princess nim. You’ve gotten even prettier? If you keep getting prettier like this, how will your oppa send you off to get married?”

“Oh my. If Older Brother says such things, I will be so embarrassed.”

No. I’m not embarrassed. I’m 30 years old. You’re my nephew or younger sibling. What I’m embarrassed about is that I’m using such cheesy words, not that your words are embarrassing. Rather, I’m pleased. So please keep doing it.

Anyway, the first prince, Kim Hyeong-seok Older Brother, came to see me. He said that he was going to the Emperor’s audience with me. Sang-ah also ran with her arms open. Sang-ah also likes our first older brother as much as I do.

“Older Brother!”

The first older brother hugged Sang-ah lightly and kissed her forehead again. The time for the private audience with the Emperor was approaching.

◈◈◈

Kim Hyeong-seok learned that envoys were coming from the Goryeo Kingdom, and that Hwan-seok, Sang-hui, and Sang-ah were included in the group. And he also knew that the Emperor wanted to see Sang-hui and Sang-ah. So he made a special request. He said that he wanted to be there with them.

‘Hwan-seok is smart, of course, but he doesn’t have much experience yet.’

Actually, Hwan-seok is not the problem. What the Emperor wanted to see was absurdly the two princesses. The princesses who are somewhat related to magic power.

‘Sang-ah is too young… and she is so used to the customs of the Goryeo Kingdom that there is a high risk of her making a mistake.’

To be exact, it’s not the customs of the Goryeo Kingdom, but the ‘customs around Kim Sang-hui’. Sang-ah is greatly influenced by Sang-hui, so she tends to be less afraid of men than other princesses. Of course, the fact that she herself has magic power also had a big impact.

‘Above all… Sang-hui is in danger.’

Kim Hwan-seok is not a big concern, the problem is Sang-hui. But that Sang-hui is now 12 years old and will be an adult in three years. Even a small slip of the tongue could cause a big problem. It may be a bit of a far-fetched idea, but perhaps the Emperor is aiming for that. To deliberately induce a situation where the princess commits a discourtesy and use it as an excuse to gain a favorable position in diplomacy. It’s not a common method, but there was definitely a precedent.

‘So I have to be by her side no matter what.’

So that’s why he made a special request to the Imperial Palace. He requested to participate in the audience in order to oversee the situation, in case the prince and princess of his country might make a mistake, and to take all the responsibility in case an unfortunate incident occurred. The Imperial Palace had no reason to refuse, so they allowed it.

Kim Sang-hui didn’t know the ins and outs, but she was greatly relieved just by the fact that Kim Hyeong-seok was accompanying her. Kim Sang-hui was about to meet the Emperor.

A palace gleaming with gold. Dozens of marble pillars were reflecting the yellow color emitted by the golden chandeliers. Dozens of golden stairs. And above them. A man wearing a crown sitting on a golden chair. It was the Emperor.

“Hmm. So you’re the famous Kim Sang-hui.”

For some reason, the Emperor decided to see Kim Sang-hui today and Kim Sang-ah tomorrow. Kim Sang-hui replied.

“It is a great honor for a mere lowly girl that Your Imperial Majesty, the noble sun, knows my name.”

“Enough with such formalities. It’s enough to make my ears bleed. Come closer.”

Kim Sang-hui tensed up. She walked to the front of the golden stairs.

“Come up here.”

“How can a lowly girl put her dirty feet on the stairs of the sun?”

“Oh my. Come up when I tell you to.”

Kim Sang-hui looked at Kim Hyeong-seok. Kim Hyeong-seok nodded lightly. It meant that it was okay to do this much since the Emperor had ordered it.

Kim Sang-hui carefully moved her steps. Soon, she arrived right in front of the Emperor. As soon as she arrived, Kim Sang-hui knelt down.

“Raise your head. I can’t see your face.”

I don’t know what it’s like from the Emperor’s point of view, but for Kim Sang-hui, this moment is like walking on thin ice. Even for the reason that she looked at the Emperor with an impudent gaze, she could be summarily executed. In this country, the existence of a woman is only that much. Maybe if it’s Freesia, it’s different, but that’s really the case for ordinary women. I raised my head very carefully. But I lowered my eyes slightly. It was to avoid looking at the Emperor’s face.

“Hmm. You’re quite a pretty girl. So. You’re Han Jin-soo’s fiancée, right?”

“It is the only comfort of a girl who is nothing but lowly.”

“Han Jin-soo is a precious talent that even the Empire covets, so it’s understandable.”

The Emperor laughed heartily as if he was in a good mood.

“Stand up.”

Kim Sang-hui stood up.

“Come closer.”

Why on earth is the Emperor doing this. Kim Sang-hui’s questions just wouldn’t go away. Why on earth would a human being as high as the Emperor call a princess from another country, make her climb these stairs, and then tell her to walk closer? It didn’t make any sense at all.

The Emperor said something shocking.

“Hit me.”

Kim Hyeong-seok, who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, shouted urgently.

“Your, Your Majesty!”

This is by no means a simple problem. She climbed the stairs because the Emperor ordered it. This much can be tolerated. But the princess hit the Emperor because the Emperor ordered it? This is a really big deal. Even if the Empire attacks the Goryeo Kingdom on this pretext -of course, that’s unlikely-, it’s a serious situation where they have no excuse.

Kim Hyeong-seok quickly racked his brain.

‘Why on earth is the Emperor…!’

There’s no way the Emperor would have done such a thing for no reason. Is it really a diplomatic issue? Or is there something else? Kim Hyeong-seok also knows about Kim Sang-hui’s abilities. But they were abilities that were still okay to have or not have. He didn’t think that the Emperor would be interested in such abilities.

‘Absolutely not. Sang-hui-ya. You stay still. No matter how much he orders you, absolutely. Absolutely don’t do such a thing.’

If by any chance, the Preon Knight moves because of this incident. The Goryeo Kingdom could also walk the path of destruction. It wasn’t an impossible thing.

At that time, Kim Sang-hui opened her mouth.

━————————–= Author’s Note —————————=

I asked you to check the notice, but the number of views of the notice is low ㅜㅜ So I moved the contents of the notice to the afterword.

◈◈◈Notice on February 28th◈◈◈

Dear readers. Something to celebrate has happened to me. It’s a happy thing for me, but it might be bad news for some readers.

‘I was born as the king’s daughter’ has met the requirements for paid serialization（Premium）, so I can now serialize it in the Premium section. The exact date has not yet been decided, but after a notice period, it will probably move to the Premium section around the beginning of March. Premium. It’s the paid serialization section.

But I can’t just be happy about this, because I keep having doubts about whether my writing is worth 100 won per chapter. If I serialize about 20 chapters a month, the amount of money a reader has to spend is about 2,000 won. If I serialize 30 chapters, it’s 3,000 won. 2,000 or 3,000 won may not be a big deal to some people, but I know that it can be a very big amount for others. （In fact, 3,000 won is not a small amount for students ㅠㅠ）

I can’t force you to say, ‘Pay 3,000 won and read my writing!’ Many people are looking at it favorably -I’m really grateful. Sob sob.━ But in fact, my writing is not that great. If you ask me, ‘Is your writing really worth 3,000 won a month?’, I honestly don’t have the confidence to answer.

I can’t claim that ‘my writing is worth paying for’, but I can say that ‘I will work harder to make it a writing that is okay to pay for’. In fact, the only thing I can boast about is my diligence. If you say, ‘A writer has to write well, what’s the use of just being diligent?’, I can only cry ㅠ_ㅠ.

There will definitely be people who can no longer read my writing because the money is burdensome. There will also be people who don’t read it because my writing is not worth paying for. Anyway, even after moving to the Premium section, I want to breathe and continue with the readers who like my writing until the day ‘I was born as the king’s daughter’ is completed. Of course, the revenue from paid serialization is also important to me. （If I don’t write, my family will starve ㅠ_ㅠ）

Ahem. Anyway, since I’m a writer who makes a living from writing, I won’t say things like ‘Please read it’ or ‘If you don’t read it, I’ll starve’. I will just write hard. I will try to become a writer who can share good times with you a little more.

Please look kindly on me. Everyone be happy. ^^

+ Oh yeah. To answer a few questions that many readers have asked,

1） How many chapters are in one volume?

→ My writing is about 15kb per chapter, and about 17 chapters can be said to be equivalent to one volume of a paper book.

2） How many chapters will it be when it’s completed?

→ For now, according to the current plan, it will be around 150 chapters. It is subject to change. It may be less or more.

3） Is Premium a rental or a purchase?

→ Premium is a purchase. Once you buy it, you can keep it forever.

4） What is the serialization cycle?

→ Except for the first week of March ━ I may not be able to serialize in the first week of March because I will be overseas ━ I will serialize one chapter per day on weekdays as a basic. I may rest on weekends ^^ About 20 to 30 chapters will be serialized per month.

5） Do you have any plans for paper books or e-books?

→ Paper books or e-books will probably come out after the completion. I will post a separate notice at that time. If you keep your pre-orders, you will be able to see the notice after the completion!

6） Is card payment the only payment method?

→ I know that there are various methods such as cultural gift certificates, mobile phone payment, card payment, etc.

Thank you ^^