Chapter 64
The possibility was high.
In novels, it was common for the mastermind behind the scenes to plant spies in each of the various clans, and if they were members of the Demonic Cult, it would also explain why they had joined forces with the masked men.
Then, did Namgung Jeong know about this?
Could the young lady… be safe in the Namgung Clan?
Would the spy within the Namgung Clan really leave the young lady alone? What if something had already happened to her…?
‘No.’
From then on, all I could feel was impatience. Outwardly, I tried to act as though nothing was wrong. It had always been the thing I was best at.
But even while laughing and chatting with Pyeonghyeon and talking with Eom Papa, my insides were burning black with anxiety. Knowing that my recovery was slower than Eom Papa had expected only made it worse.
Even so, I somehow endured it. I ate when I was told to eat, slept when I was told to sleep, and endured acupuncture when I was told to receive it.
And when half a month had passed…
“I’m leaving.”
At my declaration, the two of them each reacted differently.
Eom Papa frowned fiercely, but he looked strangely calm, as though he had expected this.
And Pyeonghyeon beside her…
“Already… already?”
I swallowed a sigh at the sight of Pyeonghyeon’s face.
“Unni, can’t you think about it again? It’s too soon. Your body is still in pretty bad shape.”
“I’m fine. I’ve gotten a lot better. You saw it yourself, didn’t you? I can walk on my own now without you supporting me. This is enough…”
“It’s not enough at all!”
Pyeonghyeon’s voice rose.
“Do you think I don’t know? Unni, you’re overdoing it right now. You’re still in pain, but you’re forcing yourself to endure it!”
“No…”
“How is that not true? Every time you walk, you hesitate with each step because of the pain. Sometimes it hurts so much that you can’t even breathe and just stand there…”
“…….”
“You really thought I wouldn’t notice?”
I was secretly surprised. Everything Pyeonghyeon said was true.
‘How did she know?’
My body hadn’t improved all that much after only half a month of recuperation.
Honestly, I was flustered. In the past, even the physician had marveled at me, saying, ‘I’ve never seen someone this healthy before.’ Yet, as though making a mockery of that reputation, I simply wasn’t recovering.
Of course, Eom Papa had been indifferent, saying that it was only natural, but I couldn’t help becoming more anxious.
‘At this rate, it might take longer than a month.’
From then on, I forced myself to practice walking.
It would be a lie to say it wasn’t painful. Getting out of bed alone was already difficult, so what else could I expect from suddenly trying to move around?
Every single step was agony, and even after walking only a little, pain would surge through me as my chest tightened. I was relatively fine when walking slowly, but sometimes, if I put my strength down incorrectly, the pain was so severe that I nearly fainted.
But I gritted my teeth and endured it. It was partly because of the young lady, but also because Pyeonghyeon was always beside me, watching me with a worried expression.
I didn’t want to make her worry. That was why I hid it, but…
“You even fell while walking alone with your cane last time. I saw everything. You couldn’t move at all, but when you thought I was coming, you hurriedly got up. And then you smiled in front of me as though nothing had happened…”
“Pyeonghyeon…”
“Do you know how I felt then? Do you know how upset I was?! I pretended not to notice because I thought Unni would be even more upset than me…”
“…….”
“…Unni, please think about it one more time. I’m not saying you can never leave. At least go after your body has recovered enough. If you leave, then…”
“Pyeonghyeon.”
I interrupted her.
Instead, I stared at Pyeonghyeon, who was looking at me with wet eyes, then reached out and took her hand.
I spoke quietly.
“There are so many things I’m grateful to you for.”
Truly.
Pyeonghyeon had always treated me well.
“I’ll nurse you until you get better, Unni…”
Perhaps she hadn’t been saying those words lightly, because Pyeonghyeon cared for me exactly as she had promised… or rather, even more devotedly than she had promised.
To the point that there was hardly ever a moment when she wasn’t beside me.
She stayed with me all day and attended to my every need, to the extent that Eom Papa even sarcastically remarked that she was practically a maidservant.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t a little burdened by it, but it was still all right because Pyeonghyeon kept me company and drove away many of my dark thoughts.
“…I’ve lived disguised as a man since long ago. So even now, men’s clothes are more comfortable. Come to think of it, you misunderstood me once too, didn’t you?”
“I-I’m really sorry about that, Unni… But nobody else noticed that you were a woman?”
“No one did? Ah, exactly one person knew. I have a friend named Aso. Other than her, not really… But how did she know? I’m so plain-looking that she shouldn’t have been able to tell.”
“W-What do you mean, Unni is plain! You’re not plain at all. In my eyes, Unni is the prettiest, pre-pre…”
“Pre-what? Preposterously ugly? Predictably unpredictable features? A face devoid of proper manners? Ha, seriously, that’s too much…”
“W-When did I ever say that…!”
How would I have endured without you?
If it weren’t for what had happened to the young lady, I might have stayed a little longer. I might even have followed Pyeonghyeon to their family home altogether.
But the reason I couldn’t do that was…
“I’m sorry.”
“…….”
“I made a promise to my family. No matter what happens, I promised to return to their side. Even if we can’t meet right away, I promised that we would find each other and stay together until the very end.”
“…….”
“And perhaps… if I miss this opportunity, I might not be able to find them for a very long time. I have a feeling that’s what will happen. So…”
I couldn’t bring myself to finish. Because Pyeonghyeon had begun shedding tears.
A bitter feeling settled somewhere in my chest. But I couldn’t say anything and could only hold Pyeonghyeon’s hand tightly.
After a moment, Pyeonghyeon shook her head and pleaded.
“Then, then…”
“…….”
“Then I’ll go too. I’ll go with you, Unni! I can’t send you off alone like this. What if something happens to you while you’re traveling alone…!”
“Hyeona.”
A stern voice came from beside us.
Eom Papa, who had been quietly watching us until then, stepped forward.
Eom Papa and Pyeonghyeon’s eyes met. The two exchanged an unreadable look for a moment.
Then Eom Papa quietly spoke, her eyes dark.
“You know, don’t you? What you’re carrying on your shoulders…”
“…….”
“And you, child.”
Eom Papa turned toward me.
“I believe I told you clearly. You need at least a month of rest, and if your condition worsens during that time, there may be no turning back.”
“…….”
“If you leave now, I cannot guarantee your life. Even so, will you go?”
Eom Papa said again.
“Think carefully. Whether you will die on the road and never see your family again, or whether you will reunite with your family in good health even if it takes longer. Think about which is the wiser choice.”
“I……”
I knew it too.
I knew I was being impatient. That this might be a bad choice. That I might regret it for the rest of my life because of this.
Even so…
“I’m going.”
“…….”
“I’m sorry. You went through all that trouble to save my life, and yet I’m making such a foolish choice…”
“Do you realize it?”
Eom Papa let out a disbelieving laugh.
“It’s an incredibly foolish thing to do. It’s the sort of choice only truly ignorant and foolish people would make! Trying to throw away your own life like this… people can always meet again, but you only have one life…”
“…….”
“…But I suppose it was precisely because you’re foolish that you were willing to risk your life to protect Hyeona. Fine. That’s enough lecturing for now. I’m saying you can do as you please.”
“Eom Papa, thank you so much…”
“I told you to forget the thanks! Hah… Anyway, once you survive, meet your family, and settle everything, come back and visit. You can bring your family too.”
“Excuse me?”
At my bewildered expression, Eom Papa snorted and spoke gruffly.
“We still have to deal with that Han-Dok of yours, don’t we! Right now, I’ve blocked your acupoints, so you’re barely hanging on, but I don’t know how long that will last. Normally, I have a rule that I never treat someone who has once refused my treatment again, but since we’ve developed some rapport, I’ll make an exception just this once…”
I smiled faintly as I watched Eom Papa pour out an endless stream of nagging.
Eom Papa had always been like this.
Even while pretending to be strict, she was secretly very affectionate. Whenever I complained that the medicine was bitter, she would threaten me to be quiet, yet the next day she would quietly bring me some candied fruit.
Sometimes, Eom Papa reminded me of Uncle Hwang.
And my mother too…
For some reason, I spoke with a feeling of longing.
“Thank you.”
“…….”
“For everything up until now, and for everything to come.”
Eom Papa didn’t answer. She simply turned her head away sharply. But in that silence, I could read Eom Papa’s acceptance.
I looked back and forth between the two people before me.
Pyeonghyeon, who had treated me so kindly, and Eom Papa, who had been quietly kind despite never showing it openly.
For some reason, I felt sad. Although it hadn’t been a long time, it hadn’t been particularly short either. Without realizing it, I had grown quite attached to the two of them.
But someone once said that where there is a meeting, there is a parting, and where there is a departure, there is a return.
“Truly…”
I rose from my seat.
I felt the gazes of the two of them turn toward me.
I walked in front of them and knelt down.
I could hear Pyeonghyeon shouting, but I paid no heed. I respectfully bowed and spoke.
“Thank you so much for everything you have done for me. I will never forget this great kindness for as long as I live.”
With all sincerity.
And then I thought…
I would never be able to forget these two for a very long time.
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