Ch#22
“Please take a look at this child. She might have sustained internal injuries.”
“Internal injuries?”
Pyo Jin-yang’s eyebrows, which had been twitching with a strange look ever since we entered, knit together deeply.
He didn’t say a word, but I could feel it clearly.
Yes, you must find this utterly ridiculous.
I’m sorry. I apologize on his behalf.
I offered an awkward smile, silently apologizing for having the audacity to call upon the Divine Physician for something like this.
To be honest, I was so embarrassed I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide, but since I was still cradled in Jeok I-geon’s arms, I couldn’t even budge.
Why on earth won’t this guy let me go?!
“There is no need to even take her pulse. Far from suffering internal injuries, she is perfectly fine.”
“Her face is in this state, and you call her fine?! If she’s left with scars, will you take responsibility, Uncle?”
“…!”
At Jeok I-geon’s sharp retort, I finally understood why he had been looking at me with such a terrifying expression.
My face must look like an absolute mess.
Fortunately, I hadn’t sustained any internal injuries, but tumbling through the branches had left me with quite a few cuts and scratches.
Ugh, it stings!
Perhaps because the tension had finally dissipated, the pain I had forgotten about rushed in all at once.
As I grimaced, trying to bear it, Jeok I-geon yelled once more.
“Uncle! Are you just going to keep standing there watching? Seol-ha is in pain!”
“…Seol-ha?”
Pyo Jin-yang tilted his head, studying me.
Then, locking eyes with me, he asked,
“Are you, by any chance, the Seol-ha who became this rascal’s personal maid?”
“Yes, Elder. But… how do you know me?”
“Of course! I was already curious about the granddaughter, and here I get to see you!”
Eh?
Granddaughter?
“Lay her down here for now. Let me take a look.”
Before I could even process Pyo Jin-yang’s words, Jeok I-geon laid me down on the bed.
“Let’s see. Where did I put the ointment? Ah, here it is!”
It was an ointment with a rather pungent smell.
Pyo Jin-yang applied the ointment to my face with extreme care.
“I-I could have done this myself…”
A mere maid being treated directly by the Divine Physician.
Even to me, this made absolutely no sense.
Moreover, it wasn’t as if I had broken any bones; it was just applying some ointment.
Feeling uncomfortable, I tried to sit up, but Pyo Jin-yang shook his head and stopped me.
“This ointment is highly effective; it can completely heal any wound within a single day. It is an extremely precious medicine.”
“How could someone like me receive such a thing…”
“Because it would break my heart if a scar were to ruin such a pretty face.”
“Pardon? Why would you, Elder Divine Physician…”
“Men are simply that way. I cannot let him be saddened by something like this.”
It was another cryptic remark.
I was the one who was hurt, so I had no idea who he thought would be grieving.
“But how did you get hurt? Did you perhaps fall from a cliff?”
“Not a cliff, but I fell from a tree. I was lost in thought…”
“It is a relief it was only that. Looking at the situation, I assume that fellow saved you.”
“Yes. I survived thanks to the Young Master. I was so disoriented earlier that I couldn’t even thank him properly. Thank you for saving my life.”
Since I couldn’t get up, I managed a slight nod from where I lay to show my gratitude.
Jeok I-geon stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking down at me. His gaze was, if anything, even more menacing than before.
Is he glaring like that because he’s worried I won’t be able to prepare his meals?
Hah, what does he take me for?
“I will make sure this doesn’t interfere with my duties. I am truly sorry for causing you worry.”
If I go as far as to say that, couldn’t he at least give a simple nod?
Always so full of himself.
Honestly, staring at me like that doesn’t even scare me anymore.
In truth, my heart was hammering in my chest, but I did my best to maintain a composed expression.
“That will do. I have applied the ointment to all the visible wounds, so take the rest with you and apply it yourself. It is highly unlikely, but if you feel anything unusual later on, come find me at the Demonic Medical Pavilion.”
“Thank you, Elder.”
To think I’d get this kind of special treatment just for being Jeok I-geon’s maid.
Maybe being his personal maid isn’t so bad after all.
Having acquired such a precious ointment, it turned out to be a rather lucky day.
Unlike when I had entered the Demonic Medical Pavilion, I walked out proudly on my own two feet.
Though my body felt a bit stiff from colliding with the tree branches during the fall, a single session of qi circulation would be enough to shake it off.
“Then, this servant will go and prepare dinner.”
Before I knew it, the sun was beginning to set.
I intended to feed Jeok I-geon something delicious as soon as possible to improve his mood.
However, Jeok I-geon blocked my path as I tried to head toward the Jamigwan.
“No need.”
“…Pardon?”
“Just go back to your quarters and rest today.”
“But I must prepare your meal, Young Master…”
“What work do you expect to do in that state? Have you already forgotten that you almost died?”
“Of course I haven’t forgotten. I couldn’t thank you enough even if I did so a thousand times.”
“If I had been even a moment later, you would have been gravely injured. What on earth were you thinking about to make such a mistake? Were you, by any chance, thinking of Yang So-baek?”
“What? No! Absolutely not!”
Why is Yang So-baek suddenly brought up here?
“I was simply wondering how I ended up with sixty years’ worth of internal force, and I made a mistake. I was arrogant and careless. At a time when I should have been focusing, I let my mind wander. I will never do it again!”
Terrified that Jeok I-geon might stop teaching me the Mahuang Bicheon Art, I pleaded desperately.
Of course, I could technically practice it on my own in secret.
After all, I had already received all the mnemonic formulas.
But martial arts were forged through disciplined practice.
And having a grandmaster guide you was the ultimate blessing.
I had to seize this opportunity while Jeok I-geon was willing to act as my teacher.
“I will be watching.”
That meant he was letting it slide for now.
Overjoyed, I bowed deeply to express my gratitude.
“Then go and rest. And don’t forget to apply the ointment.”
He really wants me to rest?
I stared blankly at Jeok I-geon’s back as he walked away without a backward glance.
He’s being really strange today.
First he overreacts about internal injuries, then he worries about scars on my face…
Is this really the Jeok I-geon I know?
In truth, someone of Jeok I-geon’s caliber could tell whether I had internal injuries just by looking at me.
The Divine Physician had found it absurd precisely because he knew that.
For a man who had to eat four meals a day, including a late-night snack, to be satisfied, to skip dinner just to let me rest…
Wow, it feels like I’ve become an incredibly important person to him in just a few days.
Taming a psychopath isn’t that hard, is it?
Pfft!
Feeling inexplicably cheerful, I giggled to myself as I headed back to my quarters.
I couldn’t even remember the last time I had returned so early.
“So-ok!”
In the room I expected to be empty, So-ok was packing her things.
“You didn’t go to the Jamigwan? Isn’t this your busiest time?”
“What about you, Seol-ha? It’s been so hard to see your face lately.”
“Think of it as a short vacation. Anyway, I was told to rest.”
“Really? That’s great. You’ve been looking so tired lately.”
“But where are you going? You’re dressed to go out.”
Only then did I properly notice So-ok’s attire.
Her face was flushed with excitement, and she didn’t even look at me, busy moving around in a flurry.
I had been worried about what to say if she asked about my scratches, so this was a relief.
“My parents are here. It’s their first time visiting in five years!”
“Oh, really?”
I had heard that So-ok’s parents were extremely busy with farming and taking care of her younger siblings.
That was why So-ok usually went to visit them instead, but it seemed they had somehow managed to find the time this time.
“That’s wonderful. They’ll love it if you show them around the Main Fortress.”
“What are you talking about? Show them around the Main Fortress? How could my parents ever get in here?”
“Huh? Can’t you just invite them? Or get a visitor’s pass?”
“Seol-ha, are you a rookie? Did you forget all the training we got at the beginning? No one can just walk in here. Maybe for high-ranking officials, but for people like us, it’s completely out of the question.”
But that’s not true.
My grandmother came in.
And she did it twice.
“Anyway, I’ve got to go. I got two days off, so you should take this chance to get some good rest, Seol-ha!”
So-ok hummed a happy tune as she rushed out the door.
On the other hand, I couldn’t even bring myself to lie down on the bed as doubts began to swarm my mind once more.
How did Grandmother manage to come see me?
Between that and the elixir in my body, there are too many suspicious things.
Just what is our Madam Sin-geum’s true identity?
