Chapter 32.
Escape, the Archive!
Here is how everything happened.
While I had left for the royal kitchen to pick up the tanghulu, a raindrop fell onto the head of the eunuch standing guard.
“…Huh?”
“It’s raining?”
“You got an umbrella?”
“Would I have something like that?”
When it rains, the Imperial Archive must be locked and evacuated.
That was the rule all eunuchs heard when assigned here.
But—there was still someone left inside!
“Where did the princess go?”
“I saw one of the court ladies leaving a while ago.”
“Hmm. Should we check anyway?”
To avoid any possible trouble, one eunuch knocked on the archive door.
“Princess! Are you inside?”
“……”
“Guess she’s not here.”
Wrong.
At that moment, Amang and Geumjin were absorbed in reading the Secret Manual of Royal Favor.
“Should we clock out?”
“Let’s do it.”
Having no way of knowing the truth, the two eunuchs eagerly prepared to go home early.
A blissful early leave—possible only on rainy days!
Their hands moved with terrifying speed as they locked the door.
Watching the door click shut, the eunuchs left in satisfaction.
We’re screwed.
Left behind, Amang and Geumjin stared into the void.
“I think we’re locked in.”
“Huh? What do we do, Princess?”
“No idea.”
The best option was simply to wait until someone came to rescue them.
“How are you so calm?!”
The real problem was Geumjin.
He looked pale enough to faint at any moment.
“Why are you struggling so much?”
“T-that’s…!”
“Never mind. You don’t have to say it.”
Geumjin bit his lip.
“Aren’t you worried, Princess? The door is locked, and it’s just the two of us!”
“And?”
“Do not overestimate this unworthy servant! My grandfather never taught me what to do in this kind of situation!”
“Hmm, really?”
As expected, Geumjin was trying to take responsibility for everything.
He’s the type whose brain shuts down first, huh.
Seeing him panic was… slightly pitiful.
But Amang stayed completely calm.
Not the slightest disturbance. Completely unfazed.
As if something like this was nothing at all.
“I’m fine.”
Amang shrugged.
“There’s a way out.”
“!”
“The window’s open.”
Right.
Amang had already been through something like this.
Sneaking out a window to avoid the court ladies in Yeonyeong Palace… and climbing a tree to get Wuje’s attention.
If I hadn’t done all that, I’d never even think of trying this.
If Amang hadn’t been that kind of person, she wouldn’t even have this idea.
Do I call this fortunate or concerning…
Either way, it helped enormously at the moment.
Thank you, Amang.
“S-Servant has never climbed through a window!”
“Just trust me. I’ve done it many times.”
“W-why??”
A normal reaction.
“Come on.”
Under Amang’s lead, Geumjin followed nervously.
The window on the far left side was quite high.
Just looking at the height made Geumjin hiccup.
“H-how are we supposed to…?”
The height was not something a person could scale unaided.
A theory flashed through Geumjin’s mind.
Someone would need to sacrifice themselves to let the princess climb!
“Princess.”
“Yeah?”
“Step on me to climb up!”
He said it with clenched fists and a grave tone.
Geumjin had heard countless times from Grand Tutor Geum: in dangerous situations, he must protect the princess before himself.
This must be Heaven giving him his first trial.
“What are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
“There are stairs here.”
Indeed.
Right next to the window was a small step-stool used to reach high shelves.
Struck by sudden humiliation, Geumjin swayed.
“I’ll go first.”
“Yes!”
Amang, having done this a couple of times now, was calm.
And unlike her past escape from Yeonyeong Palace, this time there was a safe step-stool.
Back then, I really thought I’d die.
No steps, no ledges—nothing. Only her jumping ability saved her then, as she dangled from the railing for dear life.
Just remembering made her knees hurt.
But it won’t get worse than that, right?
Amang climbed the step-stool and grabbed the windowsill like a pro.
Behind her, Geumjin gasped in awe.
Watch carefully, kid.
You’ll be doing this often from now on.
Hanging from the windowsill, Amang looked down at Geumjin.
“I’ll catch you from below, so just jump, okay?”
“P-Princess?! How could you—!”
“Jumping now!”
Amang hopped down lightly.
It was around two meters—manageable enough.
Good thing this body knows how to fall properly…
When did she learn that?
Her body was a mystery.
“Geumjin!”
“Yes, Princess!”
“Why aren’t you jumping?!”
“I-I’m scared!”
Amang dusted off her clothes and looked up.
Geumjin clung to the windowsill, shaking violently.
“I’ll catch you!”
“N-no, I’m fine!”
“Then go ahead and live up there.”
“D-don’t abandon me!”
The height had completely overwhelmed him.
How did the princess jump from here so easily?!
And without a care!
Meanwhile, Amang watched him with disinterest.
This will take forever.
A raindrop fell onto her head.
It’s raining?
There’s a “worse than this”?
Seriously?
“Geumjin, it’s raining now. You’re going to let me get wet?”
“N-no! Of course not!”
She felt a bit guilty pressuring a trembling kid like this.
Hmm… maybe she should help him calm down.
How to soothe a frightened child…
Everything was psychological.
Geumjin simply had many first experiences. Once he managed one, he would improve quickly.
Just like with the swing.
He always feared the first step. Probably because Grand Tutor Geum raised him as safely as humanly possible.
That old man… really!
Amang recalled the tutor stroking his beard with a kindly laugh, then shook the image away.
“Geumjin! It looks super high, but it’s actually low!”
“Really?”
“Yep! And I’m here, so it’s fine!”
Relieve anxiety while helping him confront the fear.
Start simple.
“Hooo… all right. I trust you, Princess!”
Good.
His expression looked much better now.
“Jump!”
Geumjin squeezed his eyes shut and flung himself forward.
Amang spread her arms wide to catch him.
His body crashed into her.
Ugh.
Growing children… were heavy enough to crush her.
Pinned under him, Amang struggled for breath.
“S-sorry, Princess!”
“Not bad, right?”
“Yes! It felt like I was flying!”
Sure. Whatever works.
Amang brushed dirt off her clothes with Geumjin helping.
Rain was coming down harder now, forming streaks.
“It’s raining.”
“Princess! We must hurry!”
Geumjin used his wide sleeves to shield Amang entirely.
Thanks to his height, not a single drop hit her.
“Where are we going?”
“To Yeonyeong Palace of course!”
Amang looked up at the sleeve covering her.
This is… strange.
Whenever it rained, she used a big umbrella to hide herself.
Walking outside unseen felt safe.
Without an umbrella, she would just use her hand to block her head.
She did that again and again.
And now someone else is—because of me…
Amang shook her head.
No time for silly thoughts. She was Princess Amang!
The youngest daughter of a tyrant—dying anytime would be normal.
The thought oddly settled her mind.
“Geumjin, are you like this with other people too?”
She had to ask.
Pure curiosity.
“Grandfather said I must treat everyone with kindness. If I meet people with a gentle heart, blessings will return.”
“No, I mean—”
“?”
“Are you this… nice to other people too?”
AI-level kindness wasn’t normal.
“Oh! Not at all. This is only for people I’m close to!”
“…Really?”
Close? Us?
“The princess is truly a unique person. When I first saw you in lecture, I thought you were simply brave. But looking back… my whole world has gotten bigger because of you.”
…This felt like a confession.
No way.
Even a lifelong single like her could sense strange vibes.
Geumjin matched her steps and glanced sideways at her.
Don’t. Don’t say it. Don’t even think it!
At this rate, he was going to say, “Princess, I have come to love you.”
And no way—romancing a child after reincarnating? That’s a legal and moral disaster!
“I want to keep playing with you from now on!”
Ah. That direction.
“Sure. Starting today, I appoint you as my assistant!”
Amang patted his shoulder.
Not bad at all.
“Princess!”
From afar, the court ladies of Yeonyeong Palace were running toward them.
Nan was there too, carrying tanghulu in both hands.
Amang stretched her hand toward them.
“Tanghulu!”
Specifically toward the tanghulu.
“Geumjin-nim, what happened?!”
“The archive door got locked! We escaped through the window!”
“What?! How could—!”
Nan immediately looked ready to interrogate every eunuch on duty.
In any case, things had ended well.
“This servant will take his leave.”
“Geumjin! Wash up first!”
“Huh?”
He looked like a drenched rat.
Sending him home like this would definitely make Grand Tutor Geum file a complaint to the throne.
Amang glanced at the court ladies and shrugged.
“She’s right! Come inside, Geumjin-nim!”
“Yes, please warm up before you leave!”
And so, Geumjin ended up spending a few extra hours in Yeonyeong Palace.
Amang washed up and fell fast asleep.
The next morning, she woke up with a full-blown cold.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
A series of misfortunes.
