The surviving princess {Liskook}

Chapter 8

“They say she looks just like His Majesty.”

“Well… I only saw His Majesty from a distance, a long time ago,” Ji won murmured, still not taking her eyes off the princess.

“She’s supposed to be twenty years old,” Edil added.

“Yes, that’s right,” Ji won replied, lapsing into silence.

The room fell quiet. The princess, having successfully removed her socks, crawled over and began to play with the hem of Ji won’s skirt.

Edil expected her mistress to slowly rise and leave the room. Though ji won would not swift away the innocent touch as if it were dirty, she would not usually let someone treat her skirt as a toy, either.

But ji won simply watched her son’s wife in silence.

After some time, she spoke again, “They say she witnessed more than half of the royal family being brutally slaughtered at such a young age. It must have been unbearable, enough to drive anyone mad. And now, being used in such a manner…”

“Madam?” Edil was startled by the unexpected compassion in the Margravine’s voice.

“So pitiful. Such a beautiful child,” Ji won continued.

“Beautiful?”

“Her features, her eyes… such a lovely shade. She just needs to be properly cared for.”

Edil was perplexed. When had Young mistress noticed such details? She bent down to take a closer look at the princess’s face, obscured by her bowed head.

The sapphire brown of her eyes did remind her slightly of the young mistree’s own daughter, Rosie, who had passed away young. Perhaps this resembled explained the young mistree’s sudden change in attitude. Edil observed her mistress with a puzzled expression.

***

The next day, the princess seemed to take a liking to Ji won and sought out the living room once more.

“Lisa, come in.”

Ji won’s greeting carried a touch more genuine warmth than the day before.

“Oh, is this the…?”

Two ladies, who were already seated in the living room, stood up simultaneously. Their faces twisted with a mixture of curiosity and unease, having already heard about the princess.

“Yes, our discussion is over, so I won’t be seeing you off,” Ji won said, dismissing her guests with a gentle smile. She then gestured to the princess.

“Lisa, come over here.”

The princess, distracted and limping slightly, wandered over, her hair a tangled mess.

Raising an eyebrow, ji won signaled for her maid to bring a hairbrush. At that moment, Mrs. Dialle, the royal maid, mumbled an unsolicited explanation.

“Even if we brush her hair, it doesn’t stay neat for long…”

Ji won nodded and responded politely. “I see. It must be quite a challenge.”

As she took the brush and started to untangle the princess’s hair gently, the princess grumbled but soon became quiet when Ji won handed her a piece of pie.

“Oh, she’s calmed down… No, she’s staying still now,” Edil, the maid from the Jeon estate, remarked in surprise. Ji won smiled faintly as she carefully worked through the knots.

The princess, distracted by the pie, sat still. Ji won’s mind wandered to the last time she had brushed someone’s hair. As the princess’s hair became more presentable, ji won’s smile grew.