I froze for a moment.
My mother, who had passed away from an unknown illness when I was very young.
My memories of that time were hazy.
Only fragments remained: my mother always lying in bed, and my father standing guard beside her with a terrifying expression on his face.
Father continued speaking very slowly.
“I thought she would get better if I stayed by her side and encouraged her. A patient’s will is important when it comes to overcoming an illness.”
“……”
“But I was wrong. Even as your mother was dying right before my eyes, I could do nothing. Even though I was a physician.”
Father clenched his teeth as though trying to suppress his emotions.
“That was when I realized. Simply being by someone’s side cannot save them.”
He forced a smile.
But the smile was bitter, as though it might crumble at any moment.
“So this time, I couldn’t afford to waste even a single day. Because I never wanted to regret it again.”
Father’s gaze fell upon me.
“To save you.”
I couldn’t say a word.
The reason Father had never returned was not because he had turned his back on me.
While I had been desperately struggling to survive here, Father had also been fighting desperately to save me.
“…I see.”
Only after hearing it directly from Father did it finally sink in.
He truly had never resented me.
He had not abandoned me, nor had he forgotten me.
Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my cheeks.
“Ryeonghwa.”
Father carefully opened both arms.
“Come here.”
I couldn’t bring myself to move right away.
Those broad arms.
A place I had always believed had never belonged to me.
Even though I had lived through countless lives, I had never once been held in my father’s arms.
I didn’t even know where to put my hands or how close I was allowed to get.
I took one step toward him, then stopped, but Father did not urge me on.
He simply kept his arms open, as though he could wait as long as necessary for me to come to him on my own.
I cautiously took another step.
Then, very awkwardly, I leaned into his arms.
Wham—!
In an instant, those large arms wrapped around me.
He was warm.
Much warmer and sturdier than I had imagined.
When I rested my cheek against Father’s chest, I could hear the slow, powerful beat of his heart.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
It was the sound of a living person.
The sound of the father I had missed so desperately, now right beside me.
It felt strange.
It was comforting yet painful, joyful yet unfair.
Why had it taken countless lives for me to finally know the warmth of these arms?
In the end, I could no longer hold it in and cried silently.
Once the tears began, they refused to stop.
Father silently stroked my back slowly.
He did not urge me to stop crying, nor did he try to pull me out of his arms.
How much time had passed?
“Young Family Head.”
A cautious voice came from afar.
I turned my head from beyond Father’s arms and saw a servant approaching at a hurried pace.
He seemed to have rushed over in a hurry, panting for breath, yet he did not dare come any closer and only watched Father’s expression nervously.
Father did not answer immediately.
He continued patting my back until my sobs subsided, then asked in a low voice,
“Ryeonghwa, are you all right now?”
I took several breaths before giving a small nod.
“Yes……”
Only then did Father turn toward the servant.
“What is it?”
The servant finally approached and bowed deeply.
“The Family Head has summoned the two of you.”
I tried to wipe the corners of my eyes with my sleeve.
But Father raised his hand first and gently wiped away the remaining tears.
His touch was clumsy, but tender.
“We can stay a little longer before going.”
I shook my head.
“No. I can go.”
Father held out his hand.
This time, I placed my hand on it without hesitation.
His large hand firmly enclosed mine, as though promising he would never let go.
***
As soon as we entered Grandfather’s quarters, the faint scent of medicine brushed against the tip of my nose.
“You’re here. Sit down.”
Grandfather tapped the cushion with his cane.
Father plopped down first, and I sat demurely beside him.
Once the servants filled our teacups, Grandfather took a sip of the green tea before looking me over.
“Ryeonghwa, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
“Fine, my foot. Your complexion is so pale. How did you come looking for the letters yourself in that condition?”
Speaking as though he were scolding me, Grandfather cooled a cup of sweet quince tea slightly before handing it to me.
“Drink this. It should give you some strength.”
“Thank you, Grandfather.”
When Father waved his hand beside me to cool the tea, Grandfather clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
“A great many things happened today.”
The commotion that had just taken place in the main reception hall flashed before my eyes again.
Yeon So-taek and Yeon Dopyeong being dragged away, and the physicians and elders murmuring among themselves about what needed to be done next.
“There is a mountain of things that need to be dealt with, but before that, we should address what happened in the marketplace. Baekgang.”
“Yes.”
Feeling that what I had been dreading had finally come, I tightly wrapped both hands around my teacup.
‘Is he going to say that I violated the family rules because I treated a patient even though I’m not even a physician-in-training?’
Just then, Grandfather placed a hand on top of my head.
“Ryeonghwa. Straighten your shoulders. You did well.”
“Yes……?”
“I heard it was an excellent treatment.”
“But I’m not even a physician-in-training yet……”
“The patient comes first.”
Grandfather spoke firmly.
“Isn’t that the very first family rule of Yakryeong?”
I blinked for a moment, then nodded firmly.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
At Father’s nonchalant remark that followed, Grandfather sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“The problem is you, Yeon Baekgang. I hear the Young Family Head of Yakryeong subdued someone by pressing their acupoints like some street thug?”
“They were saying whatever they pleased about my daughter. Was I supposed to just stand there and do nothing?”
Father gave a sinister grin.
“Come to think of it, this isn’t something that should end here. I should properly collect what that family owes us……”
“You’re going to cause trouble again!”
Grandfather grabbed the back of his neck as though his blood pressure were rising.
When my own face turned pale along with his, Father belatedly withdrew the murderous intent from his expression.
“Surely I’m not going to beat someone up again. I have that much sense, too.”
“You must never overreact. The reputation of Yakryeong is at stake, so keep that in mind.”
“Yes, yes. I understand.”
Father answered halfheartedly before abruptly turning his gaze toward me.
“But, Ryeonghwa. What on earth happened to your body?”
“Pardon?”
Father grabbed my wrist and felt my pulse.
His playful expression immediately became serious.
“I checked while you were asleep, too, but you really have improved. Your pulse is much better than before.”
“She isn’t completely recovered yet. Her qi and blood are still disrupted.”
At Grandfather’s words, Father nodded.
Then, still holding my hand, he asked,
“Do you really not know exactly what medicinal herbs Ryeonghwa used?”
“I don’t. I checked all the assignments Dopyeong had pushed onto her, but Ryeonghwa was the one who made the medicine. There could have been something else mixed in among the herbs, so we’ll have to examine them ourselves.”
“There are thousands of different medicinal herbs alone. When are we supposed to check all of them?”
“That is why I called you here.”
Father’s eyes widened slightly.
He fell into thought for a moment before immediately speaking.
“As soon as day breaks tomorrow, I’ll go to the central medicinal herb repository with Ryeonghwa.”
This time, my own eyes widened in surprise.
I hadn’t expected to get the chance to enter the central medicinal herb repository so quickly……!
Going to the marketplace and meeting Father there had been a coincidence, but I felt that I had really done the right thing by going there.
I cautiously glanced at Grandfather, wondering if he might object.
“Do that.”
Unexpectedly, Grandfather gave his permission right away.
“Check the medicinal herbs Ryeonghwa took one by one and make a list of them. And you, Ryeonghwa, look at the herbs yourself and tell us in detail what you remember.”
“Yes!”
It seemed that with Father, the Young Family Head, I could enter the central medicinal herb repository.
I was so happy that I wanted to leap out of my seat right then and there.
But Father didn’t stop there.
“And since Ryeonghwa’s health is recovering, how about having her formally take the entrance examination?”
“…?!”
My mouth fell open.
What?
Father, isn’t this way too soon?
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