Ch#23
“Phew.”
Indeed, there was nothing like qi circulation to calm an unsettled mind.
Though my racing thoughts had disrupted my sleep last night, completing a full cycle of qi circulation instantly left my body feeling refreshed.
And that wasn’t all.
“Wow, this ointment is truly miraculous.”
Just as the Elder Divine Physician had said, after a single night’s sleep, my wounds had completely healed.
Not a single tiny scar remained on my face as I looked in the bronze mirror.
“It would have been such a hassle to explain it to everyone I met. This is amazing. If I sold this on the market, I’d become rich in no time.”
If I were greedy, I would have pocketed it for myself.
But it was far too precious an item to suit a mere maid’s status.
Keeping it might only invite unwanted suspicion.
Even the gold-leafed container holding the ointment was bound to be worth more than my entire annual salary.
“I should go return it right away.”
As soon as the morning assembly ended, I headed straight to the Demonic Medical Pavilion.
“Seol-ha, what brings you here at this hour? Are you unwell?”
I had only intended to drop off the ointment quickly, but somehow, I ended up face-to-face with the Elder Divine Physician again.
I had merely shown the ointment to the guard at the entrance, and the warrior had dragged me straight here without a word of explanation.
“No, Elder. I came to return this.”
When I pulled the ointment from my sleeve, Pyo Jin-yang let out a sigh of relief.
“What a relief. For a brief moment, I feared I had made a mistake yesterday.”
“A mistake? From you, Elder Divine Physician? That is impossible. The ointment was so miraculous that my wounds have vanished completely.”
“It is quite effective, isn’t it? Even I was impressed by my own creation. Yes, indeed.”
“Thank you so much for lending me such a precious item.”
“Think nothing of it. I would happily give you far more than this, Seol-ha. A trifle like this is nothing.”
Was he serious?
We had barely met, yet he was already calling me by my name so familiarly?
I had noticed it yesterday too, but his kindness toward me was almost excessive.
Even if I was his nephew’s personal maid, this level of treatment was definitely strange.
“Have you perhaps met me before, Elder?”
“Met you?”
“Yes. I keep getting the feeling that you already know me…”
“Well, now. It is true that yesterday was the first time I set eyes on you, but… hoho.”
But what?
If you’re going to start a sentence, you should finish it.
Leaving me in suspense, Pyo Jin-yang merely trailed off with a soft chuckle.
I wanted to press him for answers, but pushing any further would be overstepping my bounds.
Even this audience was entirely due to his goodwill.
I could never forget that my place was that of a maid.
“Then, Elder Divine Physician, I shall take my leave.”
Now that I had returned the ointment, it was time to fulfill the duties I had neglected yesterday.
Recalling the breakfast menu I had planned for Jeok I-geon overnight, I hurriedly made my way to Jamigwan.
Preparing the food was a breeze, as always.
At my request, the Jamigwan unnies happily whipped up the dishes, and I carried the meal using only one hand.
Would I be able to carry this with telekinesis (Heogongseopmul) one day?
Of course, I won’t be here by then.
Ever since I began practicing martial arts, my body felt light as a feather, frequently sending my mind drifting into wild daydreams.
Though I was still a complete novice who had never even sparred, let alone fought in a real battle, my heart swelled with excitement the more I thought about it.
Just recalling the Mahuang Bicheon-gong I had performed on the back mountain yesterday made me feel absolutely ecstatic.
To be honest, I wanted to run out and practice it again right this second.
But to do that, I needed Jeok I-geon’s permission.
If not for yesterday’s mishap, I might have tried my luck, but right now, I was too afraid to ask.
If I rubbed him the wrong way and provoked his wrath, I would be the only one suffering.
I had to behave myself for the time being.
And maybe soften the mood with some delicious food.
Doing my best to maintain an innocent expression so as not to betray my hidden motives, I stepped through the gates of Geonyeonggak and headed toward the inner chamber where Jeok I-geon would be waiting.
“Are you only arriving now?”
But to my surprise, Jeok I-geon was not alone.
“I greet the Heavenly Demon!”
For some reason, the Heavenly Demon himself was sitting there with him so early in the morning.
“Come closer.”
At his command, I rose like a machine and stepped toward him.
“Ho, the Divine Physician’s skills are indeed exceptional.”
The Heavenly Demon smiled with satisfaction upon examining my face.
“Do you have any idea how startled I was to hear that you were injured?”
“I am deeply sorry! It was entirely due to my own inadequacy and carelessness. Please forgive me.”
To have startled the Heavenly Demon was a grave offense in itself.
Fearing he might fly into a rage and punish me, I pleaded for forgiveness in a hurry.
“I am not scolding you. If anyone deserves a scolding, it is this fellow.”
The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue and turned his gaze to his son, Jeok I-geon.
“I trusted you and sent her with you, yet where on earth was your mind that you couldn’t even prevent a simple accident? Is this truly the limit of your skills?”
“I apologize.”
Excuse me, but…
I was the one who messed up, so why are you taking it out on your son?
And Jeok I-geon, why are you apologizing?
When you do that, it makes you look like my guardian!
“Pathetic fool. Your negligence in your training has finally come to light. Did I not warn you against complacency?!”
“…”
“How can I possibly continue to leave Seol-ha in your care like this?”
Leave her in his care?
I’m just your son’s personal maid, you know?
“I will ensure nothing like yesterday ever happens again.”
“How can you guarantee that? A mistake made once is bound to happen twice.”
Is this how you’re going to play, Heavenly Demon-nim?
Just yesterday, you were acting like a benevolent Daddy Long Legs, so why are you so desperate to pick on an innocent person today?
Are you going to take responsibility if your son loses his temper?
Do you want to see a bloodbath?
His icy gaze and tightly pressed lips spoke volumes about Jeok I-geon’s current mood.
I prayed fervently that the Heavenly Demon would stop talking nonsense before his son exploded.
But that was merely a wishful hope on my part.
“This won’t do. I must take Seol-ha to the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.”
Huh? What?
You’re taking me where?
“That cannot be!”
Jeok I-geon sprang to his feet, protesting firmly.
“Seol-ha is my maid. Even if you are my father, you cannot dispose of her as you please!”
Yes, Jeok I-geon, tell him!
At the Heavenly Demon’s thunderbolt of a statement, I was on the verge of fainting, even if I managed to keep from screaming out loud.
While escaping Jeok I-geon was a welcome prospect, I had absolutely no desire to become a maid at the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.
What kind of terrifying place was that to set foot in?
I had heard that only specially trained maids were allowed inside the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, and once you entered, you could never resign of your own free will.
In other words, if I was dragged off there, my retirement dreams would go down the drain.
“Do you dare defy my command—the command of the Heavenly Demon?”
At his son’s defiance, the Heavenly Demon’s eyes instantly flared with fierce anger.
The atmosphere turned deadly cold in an instant, enough to freeze the very air.
“I will gladly accept any punishment you deem fit. But you cannot have Seol-ha.”
“Haha, you will accept punishment?”
The Heavenly Demon laughed, amused by his son’s childish bravado.
And within that laughter, I sensed something hidden.
I didn’t know exactly what it was, but it was definitely nothing good.
“P-please retract your command!”
Seized by a chilling dread, I threw myself to the floor, bowing deeply as I pleaded with the Heavenly Demon.
“This lowly maid has an ailing grandmother. If I am sent to the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, it will be difficult for me to visit her as I do now. Please, have mercy and consider my situation.”
“Is your grandmother’s health truly that poor?”
“Yes. Given her advanced age, she desperately needs my care.”
Our Madam Sin-geum was actually in perfect health, but I desperately lied as if it were the absolute truth.
“Ahem, then it cannot be helped. And here I was, wishing to keep you close so I could look after you.”
“Your kind words alone are more than enough, My Lord.”
As expected, the “sickly grandmother” card was a highly effective excuse.
The Heavenly Demon’s gaze, which had been glaring at his son as if ready to kill, softened into pity.
“I will be watching you.”
After staring at me with pity for a long moment, the Heavenly Demon left Jeok I-geon with a warning-like remark before vanishing in a flash.
Phew!
That was a terrifyingly close call.
Only then did my violently trembling legs slowly regain their strength.
Just this morning, I had thought being his personal maid was quite manageable, only to nearly plunge into the abyss a moment later.
The moment you let your guard down, you’re finished.
Talk about a butterfly effect. To think a single slip-up during a lightness technique could lead to all this was utterly baffling.
Sigh, the breakfast must be completely cold by now.
Just as I was about to move to fetch a fresh meal—
With a sudden, firm grip, Jeok I-geon grabbed my wrist.
Was he holding a grudge because he got scolded by his father on my account?
Since I wasn’t entirely free of guilt as the cause of this mess, I was prepared to take a hit if he decided to strike me.
I might as well use this chance to build up my physical resilience.
It was an ambition only possible because my body was no longer what it used to be.
But what came my way was not a fist, but an order to travel.
“We leave for Sichuan early tomorrow morning. Pack your things.”
