The Precious Baby of the Bandit Leader Chapter 111

Tuk. At Kim Ganghyeon’s words, Eunseol shut her lips. She could not deny it.

 

After entering the palace as the Crown Prince’s consort, she was the only person who had accidentally witnessed Kim Ganghyeon being secretly abused. 

 

“Please, please do not tell anyone…! Please…!”

 

Kim Ganghyeon had begged her until his knees were worn, and feeling pity for that sight, she had no choice but to ultimately keep her silence.

 

After that day, whenever he was hurt or sick, she would bring medicine and look after him with great care.

 

Because she believed that was her duty as the Crown Princess.

 

But had she known he was the person who would execute the Crown Prince and be enthroned as king… she would never have harbored such sympathy.

 

While she remained unable to say a single word due to her tangled emotions.

 

Kim Ganghyeon quietly continued speaking.

 

“There is no time. Even I cannot stop the Prime Minister. If you are caught now, Sister-in-law… you will not be able to preserve your life.”

 

“…..”

 

“Go to Unjeong Temple. It is a temple at the peak of Mount Unhak. The terrain is rugged and difficult to access, so it should be an ideal place to hide.’” 

 

“…Your Highness Prince Yeonjeong.”

 

She knew he was a person who had lived solely according to the Prime Minister’s will.

 

That was why Eunseol could not bring herself to criticize him any further, nor spit out words of worry. She merely looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

 

‘For now… I have no choice but to follow.’

 

Ultimately, as she was led by his hand and boarded the palanquin, she suddenly opened her mouth.

 

“W-wait a moment. There is something I must take. The norigae His Highness the Crown Prince gave me…”

 

“There is a bundle inside. I have packed the things you hold dear in advance, so please check it on the way.”

 

He shouted.

 

“Listen here! Depart immediately. You must break through under the cover of night. Do you understand!” 

 

“Yes. Your Majesty!”

 

At the title directed toward him, Eunseol’s heart ran cold.

 

The fact that he was being addressed as ‘Your Majesty’ already meant… 

 

‘His Majesty… has passed away.’

 

Her husband’s father, who had by now become the Former King. It meant that he, who was benevolent and upright in character, had ultimately lost his life at the hands of the Prime Minister.

 

“Heuph, he-eup, sob…!” 

 

She covered her mouth with both hands and cried soundlessly inside the palanquin.

 

‘Even my husband is gone… is it right for me to preserve my life so hollowly?’ 

 

She felt the texture of the silver dagger tucked inside her embrace, but she couldn’t bring herself to grasp it.

 

‘No. I must live. Because I have to protect…’ 

 

She slowly placed her hand on her belly.

 

A life no one in the world knew of yet. A child was right inside here.

 

She was with child.

 

With a firmly hardened expression, she lifted her head.

 

She would survive without fail and protect this child.

 

As she made that vow. 

 

* * *

 

“We have confirmed that His Majesty kept the Crown Princess alive and sent her to Unjeong Temple.” 

 

But the Prime Minister wasn’t an easy man to deal with. He had already seen through the entire situation.

 

Thud—!

 

The one kneeling before him was Lee Seohoo.

 

“Shall I pursue her immediately and bring the woman back?” 

 

“There is no need for that.”

 

Surprisingly, the Prime Minister cut him off softly. A slight glint of surprise appeared in Lee Seohoo’s eyes.

 

“To try and save her so desperately. This surely means he harbors other feelings.”

 

“….!”

 

She was none other than the Crown Princess. Moreover, was she not his brother’s woman?

 

Hearing that he harbored feelings for such a woman, Lee Seohoo’s eyes wavered subtly.

 

‘To harbor feelings for… Her Highness the Crown Princess, the wife of His Highness the Crown Prince of all people.’

 

He felt as though he had heard something he never should have heard.

 

“It is a good thing. His Majesty will continue to grow from now on… and there is no telling if he might harbor other intentions.”

 

The Prime Minister swallowed a laugh and continued.

 

“As long as she doesn’t have a child, she will not become a great source of trouble. Rather, she can be used as a means to control His Majesty.”

 

“Yes. I shall obey your command.”

 

Having accurately grasped the Prime Minister’s intentions, Lee Seohoo replied by bowing deeply.

 

“However, surveillance is necessary. Since I have Jo Mujin by my side, you shall monitor her near Unjeong Temple. Do you understand?”

 

“I shall receive your command.” 

 

But about 15 months later, the situation eventually erupted.

 

The news that she had given birth to a child had finally reached the Prime Minister’s ears.

 

And Kim Gangdu’s bloodline, at that.

 

“Are you certain? You’re saying that gumiho-like wench didn’t bewitch another man and commit fornication?”

 

“…I apologize. I have confirmed there is a mark of royalty on the top of the foot.”

 

“Huu… Even if it is a girl, she might become a source of trouble. It is not as if there were no queens in history.”

 

When this unexpected event occurred, the Prime Minister grew extremely enraged and began to run rampant.

 

“How could this happen!! Bring that woman and child before my eyes at once! Hurry!”

 

However, it was already too late.

 

Whether someone had leaked the information… by the time the private soldiers stormed Unjeong Temple, she had already vanished. 

 

“Search! She has a child with her, so she couldn’t have gone far!”

 

After a long pursuit, she was chased all the way down to Jehan, the southern extremity, and was ultimately driven to the edge of a cliff.

 

“N-no…!”

 

She blocked them desperately to protect the child, but the swaddling clothes were yanked by a warrior’s hand.

 

Whoosh—!

 

After a physical struggle, the child plummeted straight down the cliff.

 

Not toward the flowing water, but down a sheer cliff filled with rugged rocks.

 

“Aaaah—!”

 

And immediately following, Eunseol was also pushed down into the river where violent rapids swirled.

 

That was, as far as they knew, the end of the Crown Princess and Kim Gangdu’s daughter.

 

* * *

 

“Back then… I should have captured that child and that woman without fail.”

 

The Prime Minister let out a low sigh, as if steeped in remorse.

 

Back then, he had not anticipated that catching Kim Gangdu would take such a long time. 

 

To think that what he had considered merely the loss of one common piece. 

 

That was the Prime Minister’s misjudgment.

 

“What will you do now, My Lord? Will you return to the palace?” 

 

As one of the warriors bowed his head and asked, the Prime Minister answered with a sigh.

 

“Yes. Since His Majesty went as far as to show up personally, we shall return to the palace for now. However, we shall pursue Kim Gangdu’s whereabouts to the bitter end.” 

 

Through this incident, he had lost quite a few soldiers as well as his support base.

 

All because he had wasted too much time solely to catch Kim Gangdu.

 

“Lee Seohoo.”

 

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

 

“You shall personally find the location of the next mountain fortress Kim Gangdu will move to. You can do it. Do you understand?” 

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

Lee Seohoo bowed deeply and received the command.

 

However, the eyes of the man with his head bowed held a profound gleam.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, at the same time.

 

At the secret base, stories of what had happened were being exchanged.

 

“…And that is how we came back.”

 

Unfolding the events each of us had experienced, we sat in a circle centered around a large rock. 

 

Gaon—from the pursuit and battle that occurred at the civilian houses, the slaves who joined them, to the help of the pirate captain.

 

He reported everything to the chief without leaving anything out.

 

“Hah.”

 

The Chief fell silent with surprised eyes for a moment, then soon let out a short groan, sighing as if blaming himself.

 

“Yeongie almost…”

 

A heavy regret laced the end of his words. Unconsciously, strength entered the hand wrapping around my shoulder.

 

Though Gaon had spoken while filtering out as much as possible… in reality, I had gone through a situation where my life was in jeopardy. 

 

As if the mere thought was agonizing, the chief exhaled a heavy breath, squeezed his eyes shut, and opened them again.

 

“…I apologize.”

 

Gaon lowered his head and quietly apologized. As if to say I was alright, I lightly patted the back of the Chief’s hand.

 

“Dad, don’t worry. I’m not weak like before anymore. And…”

 

I subtly turned my head and looked at Damho sitting opposite me.

 

Then the captain next to him, and finally Jeon Bongjin, in order.

 

“Everyone helped me together, so it was fine!”

 

As I smiled radiantly, Damho met my eyes and revealed his even teeth, breaking into a wide, beaming grin.

 

“Yes! Father! Don’t worry anymore! Because I will protect Yeong!”

 

Leaping up, Damho thumped his chest with his fists and showed off his bravado.

 

However.

 

“…Fa…ther?”

 

At Damho’s words, the chief stared at him with a somewhat stiffened face.

 

His expression had grown so dark it couldn’t even be compared to a moment ago.