THE KING’S SAHEONBU chapter 8
After disguising themselves as young noblemen, the two princesses and their trusted maid sneaked through the palace gates and vanished into the bustling crowds of the Hanyang market.
Guided by the maid, who knew the daily pulse of middle-class life, the royal sisters spent the morning exploring the capital.
They ate warm rice cakes at local taverns before eventually stopping at an artisan’s stall filled with polished jade and woven goods.
“How much are these ornamental pendants and jade rings?” the first princess asked, trying to sound like a seasoned young scholar.
The merchant eyed their fine silk robes and smiled smoothly.
“One hundred nyang for the pendants, young master, and thirty nyang for the jade rings.”
“Ahjussi, are you trying to rip us off?” the maid snapped, stepping forward.
The merchant scoffed.
“What do you mean by that, young man?”
“High-quality knotwork pendants sell for eighty nyang at most, and jade rings go for ten!” the maid retorted sharply.
“How would a young noble like you know about market quality?” the merchant grumbled, crossing his arms.
“These are made from rare materials by the most skillful jade carvers in all of Joseon.”
“If you refuse to sell them at a fair price, we will take our business elsewhere,” the maid replied, turning on her heel.
“Wait, wait!” the merchant called out, holding up his hands.
“Fine! Take them for your price! Aigoo, what a terrible day for business… Tell me, young masters, who are these fine gifts for? A secret lover?”
“They are for our mother,” the maid answered cleanly.
“Ah, of course,” the merchant chuckled, shaking his head.
“It certainly couldn’t be for a bride, not with the King’s nationwide marriage ban in place. Though I must say—I’ve never seen young noblemen with faces quite as beautiful as yours!”
“Well,” the maid smirked, taking the wrapped package, “it isn’t our fault we were born handsome.”
As they walked deeper into the capital’s alleys, the second princess leaned toward the maid.
“How did you know so much about the prices of pendants and rings?”
“Before I entered the palace, my mother, sisters, and I helped the local knotting and tassel masters,” the maid explained.
“I learned the trade early.”
“How long have you been in the inner palace?” the first princess asked.
“Since I was eleven, Princess. I am twenty-three now.”
“You are three years older than us!” the first princess remarked.
“We are twins, born on the same day… But tell us, what did the merchant mean by a marriage ban?”
“By royal decree, until both of you and the Crown Prince are married, no noble family in the realm is permitted to wed their children,” the maid murmured. Follow the newest chapters on novelping dot com.
Before the princesses could respond, bloodcurdling screams shattered the afternoon market.
Panicked crowds surged through the narrow street, trampling stalls as people fled in terror.
Caught in the sudden stampede, the two princesses froze, paralyzed by shock, until their maid grabbed their sleeves and dragged them toward an alleyway.
A massive Amur tiger leaped over a shattered wooden cart, landing squarely on an armed imperial soldier and tearing through him in a flash of raw violence.
The princesses fell to the dirt, terrified, while their maid shielded them with her own body.
The beast turned its blood-soaked muzzle toward the girls, rearing back to pounce.
SWISH.
An arrow tore through the air, embedding itself deep into the tiger’s flank.
The beast roared in agony, spinning toward the threat.
Before it could recover, a young man blurred past the princesses, his blade unsheathed in a single fluid motion.
With terrifying precision, he stepped inside the tiger’s reach and drove his sword straight through its neck, killing the massive predator on the spot.
Woon flicked the blood from his blade, his eyes cold and distant.
Without speaking a word, he turned and began walking away, staring at the ground.
“Stop right there!” several city guards rushed into the alley, drawing their swords.
“Who are you? Show your identity tag (Hopae)!”
Woon ignored them, continuing his slow stride.
“I said stop, peasant!” one shaken soldier shouted, stepping into his path with a raised blade.
“You should be ashamed of yourselves!” a refined voice cut through the tension.
A young nobleman stepped out from a nearby shop, glaring at the guards.
“I watched the entire thing from over there! This man just saved all your lives, and instead of offering gratitude, you point your steel at him?”
The nobleman walked up to Woon, bowing politely.
“What is your name, lifesaver?”
Before Woon could answer, the old tiger hunter hurried out from the crowd, kneeling quickly before the aristocrat.
“His name is Woon, my lord!”
The nobleman immediately reached down, pulling the old hunter back to his feet.
“Please, do not kneel. My name is Min Chae-woo, son of the Magistrate of Yeongwol.” Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
The tiger hunter bowed his head.
“May my son go now, my lord?”
“Of course,” Chae-woo smiled, looking at Woon.
“Until we meet again, Woon.”
Woon sheathed his sword with a dull click and walked away into the crowd, the old hunter trailing close behind him.
Taking advantage of the chaos, the maid pulled the two terrified princesses to their feet, slipping through the alleyways and heading straight back to the palace.
“You must not breathe a single word of this to our father!” the first princess warned once they reached the safety of the inner walls.
“Of course, Princess,” the maid replied, her heart still pounding.
“I would not dare throw my life away.”
Late that evening, inside the King’s private study, the Chief Royal Guard stepped into the candlelight and bowed deeply.
“Jeonha, I have a report.”
“Speak,” the King replied without looking up from his scrolls.
“The princesses sneaked out of the palace earlier today,” the guard reported.
“As per your secret orders, I shadowed them from a distance to ensure their safety.”
“You did well,” the King murmured.
“However, Jeonha… there was a dangerous incident. The princesses wandered into the outer district, where a stray mountain tiger attacked the market.”
The King stood up instantly, his eyes wide.
“Are my daughters harmed?”
“No, Your Majesty. They are safe. But they were saved by a young man—a peasant hunter who killed the beast effortlessly. He was young, terrifyingly strong, and showed total indifference toward the armed guards who confronted him.”
The King’s eyes narrowed.
“What are you implying?”
The Chief Royal Guard paused, his expression grave.
“I intend to investigate him further, Sire… because I recognized the fierce, quiet anger in his eyes.”
“Whose eyes?” the King demanded.
“Your late general, Kang Mu-shin,” the guard answered softly.
“I cannot be certain yet, but the resemblance in his demeanor was striking.”
The King’s hand trembled slightly against his desk.
“Investigate it. Thoroughly. And from now on, whenever my daughters sneak out, double the shadow guards. They have lived trapped within these stone walls since they were children…”
“As you command, Jeonha,” the Chief Royal Guard bowed low, stepping backward into the shadows as the candlelight flickered out.