Chapter – 38
Evidence Is Always at the Scene
In psychology, there were two well-known laws:
Murphy’s Law and Sally’s Law.
The law where bad things happen consecutively, and the law where only good things happen.
Which of the two was better?
If someone asked, there was nothing to say.
Because…
“There’s no right or wrong to it.”
People feared Murphy’s Law and loved Sally’s Law.
Naturally—who would want to experience misfortune?
Especially misfortune that strikes over and over!
‘Sounds like my life, honestly.’
Ever since transmigrating, Amang had been forced to begin counseling while constantly having her life threatened. Just when she thought life might finally improve, she became entangled in another mess and even fell ill from exhaustion.
Still, Amang was not discouraged.
Because the truth behind those two laws was something else entirely:
<What is meant to happen will happen one way or another.>
The Meteor Palace was silent.
Lady So’s face had gone stark white, her hands trembling.
“Ma-ma, please be calm. Everything is under control now.”
“Y-yes…”
The frail, timid Lady So breathed deeply, slowly regaining her composure.
Amang glanced at Myeong, who was pacing anxiously nearby.
‘Why are YOU panicking?’
If she wanted to reassure her mistress, she should calm down first.
Honestly, palace workers…
Amang, on the other hand, stayed quite composed.
‘I’ve seen this plenty.’
Turn on the TV and there were crime reports everywhere.
She had even seen people collapse in the subway multiple times.
People rushing to perform CPR, calling emergency services—chaos every time.
‘Still, it’s lucky they responded quickly.’
Amang exhaled, recalling what had happened a moment ago.
If they hadn’t moved the palace maid who had collapsed—foaming at the mouth and convulsing—who knew what might have happened.
‘So sudden.’
Laughing and chatting earlier felt like a distant memory now.
Her gaze shifted sideways.
Gumjin wore a grim expression, while Nan kept furtively watching Amang’s reaction.
‘Should I step in?’
She had anticipated something might happen; nothing in life was only sunshine.
But she hadn’t expected trouble to hit the Meteor Palace so soon.
“Ma-ma, who was that palace maid?”
“A maid I knew long ago. Our relationship grew distant after I became a concubine, but recently… His Majesty kindly allowed me to take her back.”
“As far as I know, all the maids who bullied you have been removed.”
“S-she wasn’t from Zayeom Palace!”
Lady So waved her hands frantically.
“I met her… in the laundry.”
“The laundry?”
“It’s nothing suspicious! She’s always been sickly. This must simply be a coincidence.”
“You seemed very startled.”
“That’s because…!”
None of this lined up.
Lady So was from Zayeom Palace—why was the laundry suddenly involved?
‘Where does the lie start?’
Most of all, her pupils were shaking violently.
That was the look of someone desperate to hide something.
“Princess, that’s not the important part right now.”
“Huh?”
“The maid has already been sent to the physician.”
Amang carefully followed the direction of Lady So’s gaze.
Lady So wasn’t looking at her.
She was looking at Nan, the maid standing loyally by Amang’s side.
‘Right.’
Lady So had become a concubine when Amang was young.
Before that, she’d been a palace maid of Zayeom Palace—equal in status to Nan.
Maids, all servants under someone else.
Yet now, Lady So feared Nan.
Why?
What happened between them?
‘No, stop. Don’t overthink.’
As Nan said, digging into the maid’s background was irrelevant to the current incident.
‘I just asked because I was curious.’
Amang stayed silent for a moment.
Her earlier serious expression vanished, replaced by the innocent curiosity of a ten-year-old.
“Ma-ma! Do you think the maid collapsed because there were too many gifts delivered to Meteor Palace recently?”
“That’s not possible! Even if we received many gifts, a maid wouldn’t collapse from that!”
“Really? Hmm. But her symptoms were strange.”
Okay—bait successfully thrown.
“Strange? Princess, could you explain more?”
“Foaming at the mouth and collapsing… that’s not a normal fainting spell.”
“That’s true. How did I not realize that?”
In truth, Amang didn’t know either—she wasn’t a doctor.
But everything could be nudged through psychology.
‘If I make it sound mysterious, they’ll pay attention.’
And with that, she could draw out the rat hiding in the Meteor Palace.
Even if the maid’s illness had been someone’s scheme.
Maybe someone had plotted against her for rising from a laundry maid to her current position.
Survival was the ultimate goal in the palace.
To survive, they tore each other down without hesitation.
“May I take a look over there?”
“Princess, no! It’s dangerous!”
Amang jumped up and ran toward the spot where the maid had collapsed.
As she bent down toward the patch where white foam had fallen, Gumjin grabbed her.
“It could be a contagious disease.”
“A contagious disease?”
“Yes. I heard such illnesses have been spreading among the common folk.”
Myeong hurriedly held a handkerchief over Lady So’s mouth and nose.
Gumjin looked deadly serious.
“You know things like this?”
“I only heard it from my grandfather. The physician will know more.”
Oh? Quite useful, actually.
“In any case, there’s nothing to worry about! Once we get the physician’s diagnosis, we’ll know how to treat it.”
“…Strange things have been happening lately.”
“What?”
A chill ran down Amang’s spine.
Lady So spoke in a trembling voice.
“Behind the Meteor Palace… every day, dead rats have been appearing…!”
“D-dead rats?”
“At first I thought it coincidence. But when it happened the next day… and the next… I realized it wasn’t. Someone is doing this intentionally. Or… this palace is cursed!”
Why did that have to be true.
“N-no way. Good things have only happened here. Why would such things occur? Now that you are expecting a child, nothing bad will—”
“No, Princess. Ever since I conceived, those things have kept happening.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I was investigating, but…”
Dead rats appearing daily, a maid collapsing with foam at the mouth.
Unsettling, to say the least.
But that had nothing to do with Amang.
‘Am I a doctor?’
She wasn’t a detective either—just a princess. Why should she handle this?
Psychology was her only interest!
So this whole mess had nothing to do with her!
“I’m curious too. So many strange things happening in Meteor Palace—no wonder Ma-ma feels stressed. It hurts my heart. But the truth always reveals itself, so cheer up!”
After offering that soulless comfort, Amang was about to slip away when—
“Princess knows everything!”
“Her Highness?”
“She has always possessed insight! Why not entrust this to her? If the Princess agrees, I will assist with everything I have!”
“Is that true, Princess?”
“Absolutely, I guarantee it.”
Why was he guaranteeing things for her?
“Last time the storage room door jammed, the Princess solved it immediately! Thanks to her, we returned to Yeonyeong Palace without delay! Without her wisdom, we might have been trapped!”
…It wasn’t that serious.
The storage room naturally unlocked the next day.
And even if it hadn’t, Nan or the maids would have come to open it.
‘I just wanted to lie down on my bed quickly!’
Gumjin looked at her like she had discovered a new continent.
…Meanwhile, Amang felt like the native who had just lost her land.
“If the Princess would help me as before… I would repay this debt someday!”
“Uh… well…”
“Since entering this palace, I’ve trusted no one. The palace is terrifying. If this matter is resolved and my fear fades… I would be so grateful.”
Please stop. Please.
“Would you not help me?”
Lady So gently held Amang’s hand.
Tears glistened at her eyes like jewels; her lower lashes reddened.
A tragically beautiful damsel—complete.
‘Why do these trials keep happening to me alone?’
This was driving her insane.
Amang bit her lip.
These palace people expected too much from a ten-year-old.
“…Ma-ma, do you trust me?”
“Of course. I conceived because of you, His Majesty visits because of you—everything is thanks to the Princess. Without you, I would still be alone in this palace.”
“And even if I cannot uncover the truth… will that remain the same?”
“Of course. No one in the palace ever steps forward for another. Even if nothing is resolved, I will remember your kindness.”
Amang silently swallowed.
She didn’t have time to identify the emotions stirring in her chest.
In Lady So’s eyes, Amang looked genuinely moved.
Goodwill.
Lady So valued it deeply.
‘I might fail.’
People often embellished their words out of desperation.
The innocent believed them, only to feel betrayed later.
Blind trust—where did it come from?
Amang didn’t know.
‘Still… still?’
The only thing she could do was read the psychology and give the appropriate response.
She couldn’t handle this like a proper detective.
Amang clenched her little fists.
“I’ll do it. I’ll help you, Ma-ma!”
