Chapter 24
The young lady cried.
I was bewildered.
‘Why?’
I stared blankly up at the ceiling.
Actually, when the young lady had asked me if I didn’t want to do something to her, I had been a little surprised, but I quickly understood.
Well, with a face like that, what did it matter if she was full of herself? It was understandable.
So I tried to treat her as normally as possible. I joked around like usual, and although I was flustered when she laughed, I acted as though it were nothing special.
But when she hugged me, I couldn’t do that.
‘Wh-what is this?’
I couldn’t describe how flustered I was.
Even more surprising was something else.
All of a sudden, the young lady started crying.
I don’t even know what my face looked like at that moment.
I was simply concerned by the small warmth in my arms, and I didn’t know what to do as her crying gradually grew louder and her body trembled more and more.
In the end, without realizing it, I pulled the young lady into my arms as well.
Then I flinched, worried that she might get angry, but instead, the young lady burrowed even deeper into my embrace.
The feeling I had at that moment was…
‘…Huh? Why am I like this?’
Just thinking about it made my heart stir again.
Unable to put that feeling into words, I merely clenched and unclenched my fists.
In the afternoon, some unexpected people came to visit.
“How are you feeling?”
It was the Chief Steward and… the Manor Lord.
I was genuinely surprised when the Manor Lord came. It was unheard of for the head of a family to come visit an ordinary servant who was sick. I tried to spring up from my seat, but the Manor Lord said with a good-natured smile,
“Your leg is injured, so stay lying down. I heard you shouldn’t move for the time being.”
“B-but, I’m in front of the Manor Lord, so how could I…”
“Tut, must you not listen to me?”
Though he pretended to be stern, the Manor Lord looked quite pleased.
Indeed, his complexion was brighter than before. It seemed that he was relieved because the young lady had safely made it through her seizure.
“If I have burdened you, I apologize. But how could I make a benefactor uncomfortable?”
“A-a benefactor?”
As I stared at him in bewilderment, the Manor Lord smiled brightly.
“Yes. You have done something truly remarkable.”
According to the Manor Lord, this was what had happened.
The Nine-Leaved Purple Lingzi I had brought had definitely helped. And it hadn’t merely helped; it had actually treated the illness to some extent.
“We had been trying to resolve Ari’s problem by replenishing the yang energy in her body. Since her yin energy kept scattering the yang energy, we had been putting in even stronger yang energy to make it last.”
“Yes.”
“But when we tried scattering the yin energy instead, just as you suggested, it really did have an effect. However, a temporary measure is still only a temporary measure.”
“…….”
“Even after the energy was scattered, that much yin energy would build up again. Eventually, there were signs that another seizure was coming, and we had no choice but to call Great Master Yeong-ro. I was already resigned to the thought that perhaps we had to give up, but then…”
The Manor Lord spoke in a deeply moved voice.
“You brought back the Nine-Leaved Purple Lingzi.”
After saying that, the Manor Lord turned toward the Chief Steward beside him.
The Chief Steward smiled brightly and continued what the Manor Lord had said.
“I can’t tell you how fortunate it was that I happened to find you. Seeing how unusual you looked, I checked on you and found you clutching what appeared to be some sort of medicinal herb. It had such a fragrant scent that I immediately brought Physician Jeong over.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
“I was worried because I passed out without being able to explain what it was, but fortunately, the Chief Steward figured it out.”
“It was thanks to Physician Jeong more than me. Physician Jeong remembered the conversation he had with you. So after hearing what Physician Jeong said, I hurriedly called the Manor Lord, and we discussed the matter. Since every moment was critical, we decided to have her take the Nine-Leaved Purple Lingzi.”
“So…?”
When I looked at him expectantly, the Manor Lord smiled and nodded.
“The effect was extraordinary. As the energy of the elixir spread through her body, a large amount of yin energy dispersed and began harmonizing with the yang energy. When Great Master Yeong-ro guided the energy of the elixir, the yang energy naturally settled into her body, restoring the balance.”
“Ah…”
“Even her weakened body became healthy in an instant. It truly was nothing short of a miracle. Where did you find such an elixir?”
“Th-that…”
I scratched my head.
I hadn’t prepared an excuse, and I couldn’t exactly tell the Manor Lord, ‘I suddenly remembered something from a book I’d read before.’
So I gave him a rough excuse.
“I have a sick mother as well, so I’ve been looking around in various places for medicine. Back then, I heard a rumor that there was a sacred medicinal herb on Mount Nabu, so I searched for it. I couldn’t find it at the time, but this time I happened to be lucky…”
Since I had actually fallen down that mountain before, I was able to make my story fit reasonably well.
Still, it was a rather flimsy excuse, so the Manor Lord and Chief Steward looked skeptical. Even so, perhaps because everything had ultimately worked out well, they didn’t press me any further.
I deliberately changed the subject and asked,
“Then, has the young lady completely recovered now? Has she finally been cured…?”
“No.”
“Huh?”
The Manor Lord smiled bitterly.
“It is miraculous compared to before… but it isn’t complete. Even now, the yin energy inside Ari is gradually increasing, and there is no telling when even the yang energy that has managed to settle within her body might disperse.”
“…….”
“But it is also true that there is hope. Since she is healthier than before, we can try various methods and find ways to consume the yin energy. If Ari can make it to adulthood like that…”
Suddenly, the Manor Lord grabbed my hand.
“It is all thanks to you. Thank you, truly.”
I was startled and tried to pull my hand away. But the strength of the Manor Lord’s grip was no joke.
“Our father and daughter owe you a tremendous debt. I don’t know how we could ever repay this kindness…”
“N-no, it’s fine! Really! What have I even done? I’ve received more than enough kindness from the Xiao Family myself!”
“Even so, can that compare to what you have done for us? Yes, let’s do this. You saved a life, so it is only right that I repay you with a life as well. You said your mother was ill?”
“Huh? Ah…”
I instinctively knew.
‘This is it. Right now.’
This was the very moment I had been waiting for so desperately.
I answered without hesitation.
“Yes. She has been ill for quite a long time, but we still haven’t been able to determine the cause. Perhaps we could find out if I summoned a better physician, but I don’t have the means to do so…”
The Manor Lord spoke with genuine sympathy.
“I know well the sorrow of watching a family member suffer from illness. Hmm…… then how about this?”
“Yes?”
“I will provide everything necessary for your mother to recover. Not only a skilled physician, but all the precious medicinal ingredients she needs as well. The Xiao Family will do everything in its power until your mother’s illness is cured.”
“Manor Lord…!”
I hurriedly tried to get up. But my injured foot simply wouldn’t cooperate, and the Manor Lord stopped me as well, so I had no choice but to sit awkwardly on the bed and bow halfway.
“Thank you, thank you! Your kindness is as vast as the sea, Manor Lord. If my mother regains her health, this Seo Dan will devote her loyalty to the Xiao Family for the rest of her life!”
“Haha, that’s enough, that’s enough. I am merely repaying a kindness myself, so you needn’t offer such excessive gratitude. However, if you really want to show your sincerity…”
“Yes.”
“Just stay by Ari’s side for a long time. That child has been alone for so long.”
I looked at the Manor Lord with a touched heart.
As expected, before being the head of a family, the Manor Lord was a father. More than anything else, he was thinking of his daughter first.
Just as I was about to answer energetically…
“Ari will probably want that more than anything.”
‘Huh? The young lady does?’
I stared at the Manor Lord in bewilderment. But the Manor Lord merely smiled without saying anything.
I tilted my head and muttered inwardly.
‘That doesn’t seem right…’
Hadn’t I been grappling and fighting with the young lady just a few days ago?
The events from back then were still as vivid as yesterday.
No matter how grateful she was to me, could her attitude really change in an instant?
She’d probably behave herself for a few days, then start bouncing off the walls again once I began fooling around. But I couldn’t say something like that to the Manor Lord, so I obediently answered,
“Yes, I will!”
As I said that, I thought to myself,
‘Really, though?’
***
I quickly got back on my feet.
Partly thanks to my monstrous recovery ability, but more importantly, because there was nothing wrong with the bone in my ankle.
I had been worried that I might have broken my ankle when I fell from such a high place, but fortunately, the bone was fine.
My ankle had been badly swollen, but after I refrained from moving it for several days and applied cold compresses, the swelling quickly went down.
In fact, after eating and resting well for several days, I became even healthier.
I headed toward Sonangwon for the first time in a while, grinning to myself.
‘Should I bicker with the young lady for old times’ sake?’
“Miss, I’m here! May I come in…”
“You’re here?”
“Huh?”
What?
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