The Place Where I Was Sold as a Slave Was the Imperial Palace

＜ Baby Princess ＞

* * *

Inside the running wagon, Rudy looked at the passing building.

The concubine was a place where numerous buildings were harmonized in a vast site with no end in sight.

Beautiful lanterns illuminate the entrance of each building.

Beyond the soft lanterns, flowers and trees blended together, and the outline of a beautiful building could be seen behind them.

It was like a castle of a princess in a fairy tale.

“Outward appearance is not everything.”

Seeing Rudi’s dazed face, Buradov smiled bitterly as he maneuvered the carriage.

The place where the empress and her children live is called the empress’ palace and is said to be in a different place from the concubine.

Concubines living in the concubines could not go outside except for special cases such as the death of the emperor or the death of a servant.

Once in, most women ended their lives inside the concubines.

Originally, in the early days of the empire, bibin lived together in one or two buildings.

However, as time passed, there were cases where concubines who were favored by the emperor or supported by their parents built a new large mansion and lived separately.

As the number of such buildings increased, the concubines became like a labyrinth filled with huge mansions and castles, and became a place for women to show off their power.

Buradov’s voice as he explained about the concubine sounded very pitiful.

A certain rain lives in a large castle-like mansion, but Bin, who has no favors or patronage, dies alone in a small building in a remote area where no one visits.

Others lived together in the same building, hated each other all their lives, and died.

Buradov laughed bitterly as he steered the roofless carriage around the concubine’s estate.

“For Bibin, who lives in the concubine, this world is everything, so it becomes even more cruel.”

“Isn’t Bhimama the one I’m going to serve?”

“Okay.”

Buradov glanced at Rudy and turned around.

“Your place of work is far from other buildings. But there is no wagon in that building, so it will be a little inconvenient.”

“…”

Since the site of the concubine is so large, it is rare to move around on foot, and most of them use a carriage.

However, it is rare for maids belonging to concubines to use wagons inside concubines.

The concubine is allocated a budget that can be used personally every year, and if the emperor’s permission is obtained by following the procedure, a merchant can be called to the concubine.

Basic necessities for living were provided to each concubine several times a month in a certain quantity.

If you live frugally, that’s enough to live in here, Buradov explained.

The same goes for the food you eat every day.

Bibin’s food is prepared and served in buildings throughout the concubine site.

If it’s normal, no matter how much sponsorship is, there is no problem in eating and living, even if you are a single person.

“However, there will be a little lack of those things in the future residence. For the time being, I will provide for you.”

Buradov’s expression darkened slightly.

“The Bhimama you will serve is a princess from the kingdom of Denver. This is Nadiagra Garuridge. When you call him, you should call him Bhimama or Nadia Mama.”

There are many things I want to ask.

Why are there so many things lacking in the place where Rudy will attend, what is the reason for this, and if there is an enemy, who is it…

However, every time I asked such a question, Buradov subtly turned away.

‘Could it be because of the empress’s jealousy and bullying?’

That was the most common reason I could think of.

Since you said you lost your prince a few years ago, it must have been a problem related to the succession to the throne, or simply harassment of the concubine who gave birth to the prince.

While I was immersed in my thoughts, it seemed that the carriage had arrived at its destination before I knew it.

The carriage stopped.

Rudy blinked and looked up at the wall in front of him.

There was a wall that seemed to be eaten up by the surrounding trees and flowers.

Beyond the low wall, I could see part of a building standing tall with the black sky on the roof.

The left side of the building is shaped like a round tower, and the right side is rectangular.

Tall trees stood gloomy like ghosts around the building.

“Because the attendant is also a man, he cannot go inside this wall without permission. From here you have to go alone.”

Buradov hugged Rudy’s small body and got off.

“There are many things I want to know, but I have to be careful with my words here. I’ll send the necessary items to you in a few days. But first, there is something you should know.”

Buradov knelt down and looked at Rudy with a serious face.

“From now on, you are His Majesty’s slave. The silver necklace is proof of that. I hope you know that this was the greatest consideration the Chief Chamberlain could have given you.”

There are many slaves in the imperial palace, but most of them do odd jobs behind the scenes.

Slaves never came close to a noble person.

Also, a slave in the imperial palace is an existence that doesn’t matter if someone from the imperial family kills it for no reason.

No one will pass on their deaths quietly.

But the exception was the slave with the silver necklace.

The necklace is an item that proves that the slave belongs to the emperor.

It is an insult to His Majesty to damage or damage the property of the Emperor.

Because of this, even if she was an empress, she could not carelessly touch a slave wearing a silver necklace.

“If this country belongs to His Majesty the Emperor, then the concubine is the world ruled by the Empress Mama. We must not forget that.”

Saying that, Buradov handed Rudi a small backpack and a backpack.

“Go into that building. Come back here in three days, around noon.”

After giving Rudi a slight push on the back, Buradov climbed back into the carriage.

Leaving Rudy in the dark, his carriage vanished into the distance in an instant.

Rudy raised his back and looked at the entrance of the building.

The door was not attached.

There was just a gap between the fence and the fence.

However, weeds growing haphazardly cover about half of the entrance. The entrance seemed to be blocked by grass.

‘Does Bhimama really live in here?’

It feels like an uninhabited lung.

Rudy struggled through the grass that grew up to his neck and entered the space inside the fence.

After walking a little, the weeds became less and instead a road paved with rough stones came out.

A stone path led from the entrance to the wall to the building.

Tabaktabak, walks relying on a single lantern.

Every time the lanterns passed, the grass that grew between the stones swayed, creating shadows.

There was a rat inside the jungle-like garden, and I heard something rustling.

A little spooky.

When Rudy reached the building, he held his head high.

The building was quite tall, but smaller than expected.

There were several windows, all covered with thick curtains.

There are shutters on the windows, but some of them are broken or don’t fit, so I can’t seem to close them completely. Even though it was quite cold, the shutters were open.

Rudy grabbed the round doorknob in the center of the door and slammed it against the door, making a noise.

“…”

No one came out.

I knocked on the doorknob again, but there was no answer.

I had no choice but to push as hard as I could, and the door opened with a squeaking sound.

Go inside and close the door.

The inside of the building was dark with no lights on.

‘There must be a reason why Buradov gave me his back.’

Without the lights, nothing would have been visible.

The inside of the building was larger than it looked from the outside.

There are stairs going round and round to the circular tower, and the right side is the living quarters.

The open space, like a studio, is divided by protruding walls.

It’s dark, so it’s hard to see, but the deep space inside seems to be a bedroom.

Is there a bimama there?

Standing at the entrance, Rudy hesitated a bit.

I don’t know if I can go in like this.

There may be rules that say that slaves must sleep outside, or that they must not go inside where the concubine is.

‘What do we do?

I was standing at the entrance, hesitantly, when I heard a very small sound from somewhere.

It’s like the sound of wind blowing, or it’s like crying while saying “Hey…”.

I thought it was a ghost, so I was terrified, but that couldn’t be the case.

When I listened carefully, it sounded like a sound coming from the middle of the living space.

Step inside, being careful not to step on anything.

The sound came from behind the dark partition.

The partition was five wide, and stood with a little space from the wall.

As I got closer, the sound was a little louder.

“Hee… hee… uhh… eng…”

“…?”

The sound was small, but it sounded like a baby crying.

But I don’t know why I hear something like a baby crying in a place like this.

The partitions were placed round the wall as if to hide something, and it did not look like a baby’s bed.

When I pushed myself into the partition, a crib was placed firmly against the wall.

“…!”

Rudy forgot that he was holding his back and raised his hand towards the baby.

The lanterns swayed and the shadows danced.

“oh my god.”

Rudy said softly and put his back on the floor.

A very small baby was lying on the bed.

It’s so small that you might think it was just born.

The baby closed her eyes, breathing thinly as if in pain, and occasionally cried weakly as if she thought of it.

There is almost no baby’s characteristic plumpness. His eyes and cheeks were sunken due to his thinness.

She must have had diarrhea, and the whole crib smelled musty.

What surprised me most was that the baby was wrapped in cloth like a mummy, so that he could not move.

The baby was wrapped from head to toe in a stiff cloth like linen and tied tightly with string.

I can’t even move a single finger.

“Who did this…”

Rudy hurriedly began to untie the baby.

Tied up without diapers or clothes, the baby’s lower body was covered with excrement and urine.

The flesh is crushed because of feces and urine.

Wipe the baby by dabbing it with the clean part of the unwrapped cloth, being careful not to hurt the baby.

Every time the cloth brushed against her skin, the baby cried softly.

I feel like crying.

After cleaning the baby, Rudy hurriedly opened the package he had received from Buradov.

It contained a change of clothes and a few daily necessities.

Rudy pulled out his shirt and wrapped it around the baby.

The baby, who had been wriggling, suddenly grabbed Rudy’s finger tightly.

It’s small and thin, but surprisingly strong.

If it was hungry, the baby asked Rudy’s hand to his mouth.

Surprisingly, the baby had teeth on both the top and bottom.

I thought it was a newborn baby, maybe 10 or 12 months old.

An employee of the same company once showed a picture of a baby during a first birthday party. At that time, I think he boasted that he had four teeth on top and bottom.

How can you eat so little?

Anger arose, regardless of who it was, and my heart felt tight.

I tried to remove my finger, but the baby wouldn’t let go.

Even though milk doesn’t come out of my finger, I desperately suck my finger with all my might.

I had no choice but to hold the baby with one hand, but it was not easy.

No matter how small the baby is, it’s a little too much for a four-year-old’s short arms.

As I tried to hold the baby here and there, I heard a woman’s voice through the partition.

“···who? Your Majesty… Your Majesty has come… Your Majesty… Your Majesty… Your Majesty… I am Nadia, Your Majesty… Your Majesty…”

The muttering sound, like nonsense, came closer and closer.

‘Uh, what to do…’

If there was a baby in the concubine’s place, it would be a princess no matter how uncared for it looked.

If a mere slave, a stranger at that, put his hand on the princess’s body, wouldn’t it be inevitable even if he was beaten to death?

Rudy’s body stiffened.

＜Baby Princess＞ End