The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 61

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He approached me in big strides before I could even avoid him. Then he bent his knee to match my eye level.

“Have you been well, young lady?”

I couldn’t adapt to his familiar attitude for a moment, as if he knew me well. I’m sure it’s not a familiar face. If he calls me young lady, it seems he’s from the Yeoran family.

Did Giyun send this person instead of himself?

“The master wanted to come himself, but unavoidably, I came instead. Please don’t be too disappointed.”

That’s what he said, but it was still difficult to trust him right away. No, his impression was untrustworthy to begin with. Anyone can see he has a face that says ‘I have ulterior motives’.

When I said nothing, the man made a disheartened face.

“You truly don’t remember me?”

“……”

“I am Jisu, a servant who does odd jobs at your family home.”

Even more suspicious. Giyun sends a servant who does odd jobs in the imperial palace to substitute for him?

I didn’t know how to deal with this. I didn’t know the man before my eyes, and I couldn’t shake off the assumption that he might be an assassin.

And really ominously, he smirked.

“Ah, that’s right. You probably don’t remember.”

This should be listed in the dictionary. A person smiling with squinted eyes is ominous!

‘It’s a good thing I prepared in advance.’

“Now, young lady. Focus here.”

He took a step closer to me, then flicked his fingers with a snap in front of my eyes. With that sound, my mind momentarily became hazy.

“You truly don’t remember? I am Jisu, a servant who did odd jobs at the Yeoran family.”

My mind, which had been full of thoughts, turned blank. The man’s voice transformed into text and became engraved in it.

Jisu, a servant who did odd jobs at the Yeoran family, Jisu.

Right. I know him. So that person is…

‘Who is he?’

When I questioned the fact that no memories came to mind, I was startled awake. Seeing me like that, the man clicked his tongue.

“You regain your senses quickly. I used a weak one because my power was lacking, as expected.”

The man was no longer trying to hide his true intentions.

Damn it. I thought you couldn’t use abilities.

‘You used it!’

Anyone can see that my momentary loss of consciousness just now was the doing of that man. Fortunately, I’m not alone right now.

I hid the small bell in my hand so it wouldn’t be seen. When I went to see Noel, I gave him a simple and basic order.

‘To guard me all day long.’

I thought it might be a bit tough to watch over me 24 hours a day, but I figured they would rotate shifts on their own.

Above all, protecting the imperial family. That was the most basic task for them, the hidden swords of the imperial family. But conversely, it was also the most important task.

I told them in advance that ringing the bell meant I was in danger. As someone whose life was more precious than anyone else’s, I was about to immediately ring the bell again and take action.

But one question caught my ankle.

‘…Is the ability brainwashing?’

If he’s an assassin, why did they send someone with that kind of ability?

‘He could make me commit suicide by brainwashing.’

Oh, that’s true. I pondered for a moment. Then it was a dangerous situation. But it didn’t seem like it would be dangerous in that way.

‘Is it because he’s acting too suspicious?’

If I ask while pretending to be scared, it seems he’ll answer everything. I eventually asked him without ringing the bell.

“…Who sent you?”

At my question, he chuckled. His attitude was leisurely.

“Your father sent me. A father who agonizes over whether his daughter loves him.”

Is that true?

“It won’t hurt.”

“Wait a minute!”

It doesn’t matter if you die painlessly at once, right!

The man who was about to flick his fingers in front of my eyes again made a puzzled face.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“The young princess is saying scary things.”

He reacted exaggeratedly and gave me an eye smile.

“I’m just going to engrave a tiny fact in your mind, my lady.”

“Make me commit suicide?”

“…The young lady from a noble family knows some terrible things.”

At my interrogative tone, the man’s voice changed as if disgusted. It seems he really doesn’t intend to kill me.

“It’s not something scary, why are you so frightened? It’s very simple.”

“……”

“Right, if you had shown more respect and love for your father on a regular basis, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Ah, right. It seems it really was sent by Giyun. And I actually learned one more thing.

‘I’m being suspected.’

The man made a villainous face and took another step closer. As I was about to take a step back, I saw something behind him and smiled bitterly. Well. I don’t think that will happen.

“My lady, here- Ahhh!”

When the man raised his hand, someone standing behind him grabbed that hand. I watched without taking my eyes off as he screamed in a panic.

A light green energy rippled from the grabbed wrist and headed towards the man who stopped him. The one who stopped the man was a man with long navy blue hair and blue eyes. He was tremendously tall, so I had to look up quite a bit, and his build was also large.

In the moment I was about to ring the bell, I saw someone approach behind the man. It wasn’t a familiar face, but the reason I didn’t doubt him was thanks to the dragon hairpin twisted in his hair.

Only the imperial family could wear the dragon hairpin, and not many among the consorts had received it as a gift. In other words, he was Yehwa’s person.

“Were you very startled?”

A serene baritone voice resonated through the space. It was a solemn voice like reading a book.

I nodded and looked at the wish-granting jewel adorning his head. The original color of the wish-granting jewel is black. Both of the ones I have were like that. But the wish-granting jewel attached to that man’s hairpin was light green. The same color as the energy I saw earlier.

“Be, be, benefit…!”

I was startled by that voice while lost in thought for a moment. Right. That guy’s ability!

“We need to cover his mouth!”

I shouted urgently, but the man laughed as if it was nothing.

“It’s alright.”

I felt a bit embarrassed after making a fuss for a moment. Even though Jisu seemed to have a large build, he couldn’t stand up to the navy-haired man.

Seeing him struggling with a perplexed face, I finally turned my gaze to him. It really seems to be okay. I don’t know why, but,

‘We can’t just let him go.’

“Thank you for your help. You’ve done me a great favor.”

When I first thanked the navy-haired man, he lightly responded with an eye greeting. Seeing how he readily helped, he doesn’t seem like a bad person. Anyway, he’s an imperial family member.

“If you have some time, could you help me a bit more?”

When I asked cautiously, his eyes widened slightly as if surprised. But he didn’t look displeased.

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

After quickly thanking him, I went behind the man. And I kicked the back of Jisu’s knee.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

As soon as I kicked him, he fell to his knees. He seems weaker than I thought. Did he become an assassin with just one ability?

Coming back to the front, I took out a pouch from my bosom. Inside the pouch were dasik that I couldn’t bear to eat or throw away.

“Open this guy’s mouth.”

“You, what are you trying to- Mmph!”

“Now you can close it.”

I quickly threw a dasik into his opened mouth and made eye contact with Jisu, whose mouth was blocked as he mumbled.

“Chew and swallow. Otherwise, I’ll block your nose too.”

He resisted for a moment, but when I really blocked his nose, he chewed the dasik as if suffocating. I only released my hand after his Adam’s apple bobbed a few times.

“Wha, what did you feed me, cough!”

I struck his epiglottis with the blade of my hand before he could finish his words.

“Use honorifics.”

“…What did you feed me your highness!”

He really does it when told to.

“Well, I wonder what it was.”

At my meaningful words, Jisu’s face gradually turned pale. I leisurely pondered and then spat out the words.

“Answer my question first, and I’ll tell you.”

“…Speak.”

“Did my father send you?”

A brief silence followed my straightforward question. He rolled his eyes and asked me.

“…Will you kill me if I don’t answer?”

“Yep.”

“Princess. Do you even know what dying means?”

“I know your mouth is hastening your fate.”

“How could you kill me?”

“Don’t you remember what you just ate?”

The mask of composure he had been wearing shattered at my words.

“Answer truthfully. I’ll think about whether to let you live or die when the time comes.”

“Yes, that’s right! Your father sent me!”

Oh, a quick betrayal.

“To do what?”

“My ability is brainwashing. He told me to make you recognize that following and loving your father more than anyone else and doing anything for him is the way to be filial to your father.”

Ah, right. He’s truly a cunning person.

I let out a deep sigh. I acted diligently to some extent, but it seems my attitude last time was suspicious.

“Anything else?”

“No. Really!”

Jisu shook his head vigorously. Seeing him quite desperate, it seemed to be true.

“…Will you let me go now?”

I quietly looked at him with a subtle expression. Seeing how he tried to brainwash me into thinking he was a servant of the Yeoran family, he seems to be a professional hired from elsewhere. He’s also very cautious.

Being easily fooled, naive, and physically weak are flaws, but the ability to brainwash is useful. The flexibility to not be stubborn when he needs to yield is not bad either.

So he’s quite…

‘Usable?’