One of the examinees selecting medicinal herbs nearby widened his eyes when he saw the Hwangjeonggeun in my hand.
“Hwangjeonggeun for a patient with abdominal pain?”
I heard the low voice but paid no attention.
If my only goal had been to relieve the pain, it would have been an unnecessary medicinal herb.
But considering the patient’s condition, it was absolutely necessary.
‘I can’t let him lose any more strength.’
Scrape, scrape.
I peeled the bark of Jamokcho thinly and sliced it into pieces of even thickness.
I did not completely crush Heukryeonsil, merely scoring the outer shell.
This was to prevent its medicinal properties from spreading too strongly all at once.
I put the Hwangjeonggeun into the medicinal pot first and steeped it thoroughly over low heat.
A short while later, when a gentle sweet fragrance began to rise, I added the Jamokcho.
I increased the heat slightly and waited until the decoction had fully taken on its color.
Finally, I added a small amount of Heukryeonsil.
Beneath the heavy, gentle scent of the roots, the warm fragrance of Jamokcho spread, with the faintly bitter smell unique to Heukryeonsil mixed in at the end.
I examined the color and fragrance of the decoction.
‘Done.’
I lowered the heat and used a small ladle to scoop the decoction, straining it through a clean cloth.
Moving an adult-sized medicinal pot in its entirety with my current body would have been too much.
If I tried to carry it by force and spilled it, I would have to start all over again.
It was better to choose the method I could perform most accurately with my own body, even if it took a little more time.
One ladle.
Then another.
The clear decoction slowly filled the bowl.
Watching me, Elder Ju Yeonseok narrowed his eyes.
“She isn’t trying to move the medicinal pot despite the strain.”
Heo Unbaek’s gaze followed the movements of my fingertips as well.
“It seems she considered a method suited to her physique from the beginning.”
Ju Yeonseok gave a small nod.
“Even though time is running short, she isn’t rushing recklessly. She knows what can be reduced and what must be preserved.”
“An impressive calmness for a seven-year-old.”
But I, standing before the preparation table, could not hear their conversation at all.
I was concentrating all my attention on the sensation in my fingertips and the decoction falling into the bowl, so the sounds around me had already faded from my ears.
‘Just a little more……!’
Before I knew it, cold sweat had gathered on my forehead.
The moment the decoction from the final ladle passed through the cloth—
Plop.
The ash hanging from the end of the incense used to measure the time fell to the ground.
“Done……!”
I let out a small breath.
That was close.
At that moment, the examiner’s voice rang across the courtyard in front of the main residence.
“Examinees who have finished preparing their medicine, bring it to the verification table!”
I held the completed bowl of medicine with both hands.
A faint wisp of steam rose before my face.
As I carefully made my way forward, the gazes of those who had whispered about me when they first saw me followed the bowl of medicine one by one.
But I did not look around.
After reaching the verification table, I set down the bowl and bowed.
“I determined that the patient’s digestive qi was obstructed due to acute indigestion combined with cold qi. I used Jamokcho to warm the stomach and Heukryeonsil to relieve the obstruction, while prescribing Hwangjeonggeun to replenish his strength because his pulse lacked force.”
Elder Ju Yeonseok lifted the bowl and smelled it.
He examined the color of the decoction, then checked the strained medicinal herbs and the way they had been prepared, one by one.
A moment later, a faint look of satisfaction crossed his previously stern eyes.
“Why did you use so little Heukryeonsil?”
“His pain was severe, but his pulse lacked strength. If I increased the amount, the obstruction might be relieved more quickly, but it could drain the patient’s strength along with it.”
As soon as I answered, Ju Yeonseok looked toward Heo Unbaek.
Heo Unbaek also examined the bowl of medicine and the remaining medicinal herbs before slowly nodding.
“Both the diagnosis and prescription are sound.”
His gaze turned toward me.
“You may administer it to the patient.”
A brief approval was given.
I accepted the bowl with both hands once again.
“Thank you.”
Then I immediately headed toward the third tent.
The patient was still leaning against the bed, clutching his stomach.
But when he noticed me returning, he raised his head as though he had been waiting for me.
“Little Lady.”
The wariness in his voice was lighter than before.
I set the bowl of medicine down in front of him.
“You’ve been waiting a long time, haven’t you?”
“It’s all right.”
“The Elders verified it too. You can drink it slowly now.”
The man lowered his gaze to the bowl.
A dark brown decoction was visible through the steam.
After hesitating for a moment, he accepted the bowl with both hands.
“It’s warm.”
“Your stomach has become cold, so it’s better to drink it before it cools too much. But don’t drink it all at once.”
“Yes.”
The man gave a small nod.
He brought the bowl toward his lips.
Then, just as he brought it close to his nose, as though checking its medicinal scent—
“Ugh……!”
The man hurriedly covered his mouth with one hand.
His shoulders heaved violently.
His throat convulsed repeatedly, and his upper body bent forward as though he were about to vomit at any moment.
“Patient!”
The attendant standing nearby stepped forward in alarm.
Several examinees watching the situation from beyond the entrance of the tent all turned toward us at once.
The tent entrance had been left open so that everyone could observe the final administration of the medicine.
Thanks to that, the sight of the man doubling over and dry-heaving immediately drew the attention of the entire examination grounds.
“Look at that. He’s dry-heaving.”
“If the patient can’t even take the medicine, what good is a correct prescription?”
“Could there be something wrong with the medicine?”
The whispers quickly spread.
Then someone muttered mockingly under their breath.
“Maybe he never wanted to take it in the first place. Even that patient probably wouldn’t have wanted to willingly take medicine made by a terminally ill Little Lady.”
“Exactly. As expected……”
Clicks of tongues could be heard from all around.
The doubts that had quieted down moments ago began to raise their heads again.
The atmosphere atop the main hall also hardened in an instant.
Father leaned forward as though he might rise from his seat at any moment, while Grandfather watched this way with his brows drawn tight.
The gazes of all four Elders turned toward the patient at once.
There was a tense feeling in the air, as though any one of them might step in the moment they judged his condition to be abnormal.
And a little farther away from them—
Yeon Hwi-cheon was silently watching this way.
His cold, lowered eyes showed no trace of agitation.
……As though he had been waiting for something like this to happen.
But I did not hurriedly snatch the bowl of medicine away.
Nor did I cry out in surprise.
I supported the man’s back so that he would not bend over any farther and first checked his breathing.
“It’s all right. Put the medicine down for a moment.”
“Ugh……!”
“Don’t force yourself to hold it in. Take slow breaths first. Here. One, two—”
I slowly rubbed the man’s back until his dry heaving subsided.
Once.
Twice.
Soon, his rough, broken breaths gradually became longer.
The spasms in his throat also slowly subsided.
Only then did I wipe the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand and let out a small breath.
‘As I thought.’
There was no reason to panic.
No, this reaction was close to what I had expected.
I turned toward the attendant beside me and said confidently,
“Please bring me some warm water! And just a little honey, too.”
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