“Is this…… for me?”
“Kkyuu!”
Yeoul proudly puffed out its chest as though it had been waiting for me to ask.
“Are you congratulating me for passing the Ip-gwan Examination?”
“Kkyu! Kkyu!”
“Ahaha! Thank you.”
I carefully held the pebble in my hand and stroked Yeoul’s head.
“Our Yeoul picked out the prettiest one, didn’t you?”
“Kkyuuu.”
Yeoul seemed extremely proud of itself as it vigorously rubbed its head against my palm.
“……”
But strangely, it was quiet beside me.
I turned my head and saw Ryujin glaring at Yeoul with his lips pushed out in a pout.
“What’s wrong?”
“I made a cheering sash all night and prepared snacks from early this morning, too……”
Ryujin’s gaze shifted to the pebble in my palm.
“But that guy gives you one little rock and gets all the affection.”
“Kkyu!”
Yeoul bristled indignantly.
“Why! It is a rock!”
“Kkyuuu!”
“Lady! He just got mad at me!”
“I guess it’s because you called it a rock.”
“What else am I supposed to call a rock?!”
“Kkyuuuuu!”
……Apparently, to Yeoul, it wasn’t just a rock.
“You two, really……”
I eventually burst out laughing.
Ryujin also beamed at me before spreading out all the snacks he had brought.
“Now, now, hurry up and try some of the snacks I brought. These are really delicious!”
Ryujin quickly picked up a piece of confectionery and popped it into my mouth.
Crunch.
A sweet flavor spread across my tongue.
“Good, right?”
“Mhm!”
“See? I specially picked out only the tastiest ones! Oh? Does an otter eat confectionery, too?”
“Kkyu-kkyu.”
I glanced to the side and saw that Yeoul had somehow picked up a piece of confectionery and was nom nom-ing on it.
Then it squeaked as though it found it delicious, scrunching up its little nose.
I burst out laughing again.
“Hey, don’t eat that. That’s Lady’s. Eat yours.”
Ryujin kept pushing fruit and sweets toward me.
Then, suddenly, he pouted.
“But, Lady.”
“Hmm?”
“I really thought my heart was going to drop out yesterday.”
“Why?”
“When the patient suddenly went limp!”
Ryujin clutched his chest.
“I really thought something terrible had happened……”
“I was surprised, too, at the time.”
“Liar.”
“I’m serious.”
“Still, you didn’t show it at all.”
Ryujin said it with an expression of pride, as though it had happened to him personally.
“You were so cool!”
“Kkyu! (That’s right! Ryeonghwa is the best!)”
Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I picked up a large piece of confectionery and a small one and popped them into Ryujin’s and Yeoul’s mouths respectively.
“J-Just stop talking and eat this, both of you.”
“Mmph!”
“Good?”
“M-Mm……”
Ryujin nodded with his cheeks puffed out.
“Kkyuk!”
Yeoul also nodded vigorously, scrunching up its bead-like eyes.
The sight was so funny that I burst out laughing again.
And so, we spent a long while sharing fruit and confectionery.
It was the first time since the Ip-gwan Examination that I had laughed and chatted without worrying about anything.
‘That’s right. I should put away Yeoul’s present somewhere safe so I don’t lose it.’
I opened the mother-of-pearl box to put the pebble inside, and the needle case I had placed there caught my eye.
‘This time, I’ll definitely give it to him.’
I passed the Ip-gwan Examination, too.
It was a good day to thank Grandfather for believing in me and allowing me to take the examination.
I quietly made up my mind as I picked up one of the remaining pieces of confectionery.
I would go see Grandfather tonight.
That night.
When the people in the detached quarters had gradually retired one by one and the surroundings had grown quiet,
I held a small wrapped bundle I had prepared earlier against my chest.
Inside was the needle case I had bought at the market some time ago.
I carefully opened the door and peered outside.
The corridor was quiet.
‘Good.’
I quietly slipped outside.
The cool night air brushed against my cheeks.
In truth, there was no need to choose such a late hour.
I could have gone to the main residence at any time during the day.
But ever since the Ip-gwan Examination had ended, there had been a constant stream of people around Grandfather.
From family members who had come to offer their congratulations to the Elders and physician trainees.
Grandfather, as the Family Head, had apparently been surrounded by people all day long.
I didn’t like the idea of handing him a gift in such a setting.
I didn’t want it to look as though I were trying to curry favor with the Family Head in front of everyone, either……
Above all.
‘Because this isn’t that kind of thing.’
I gently hugged the bundle against my chest.
I simply wanted to convey my gratitude, as his granddaughter, to Grandfather for believing in me and watching over me all this time.
‘This time, I definitely will.’
I quietly made my way toward the main residence along the corridor bathed in moonlight.
A little later.
When I arrived near the clinic in the main residence, a faint light was leaking through the crack in the door.
‘He’s still here?’
It was already quite late.
Yet a low voice continued to come from inside.
“Your pulse is deficient, so don’t overexert yourself for the time being.”
It was Grandfather’s voice.
I stopped walking without realizing it.
“I’ll prepare three days’ worth of medicine for you. If there’s no improvement after that, come back.”
Soon, I heard the patient and his family repeatedly thanking him.
‘He’s been seeing patients this late into the night.’
Although Grandfather couldn’t return to the family often, whenever he did, he was always busy examining patients in the clinic.
I quietly stood beside the door and listened to the voices drifting out from inside.
“Don’t worry too much. For now, the most important thing is to make sure you eat well and get plenty of rest.”
His voice was calm yet firm.
A moment later, the door opened, and a man came out, repeatedly bowing.
There was a hint of relief on his previously tense face.
I stared blankly at him.
‘As expected, Grandfather is amazing.’
It wasn’t simply that his medical skills were outstanding.
He had the ability to make patients trust him and put their minds at ease.
That was not something one could easily acquire just by reading a few medical texts.
‘I also……’
I gently touched the bundle in my arms.
‘Someday, I want to become a physician like that.’
A physician a patient could think of first in moments of pain and fear.
Someone they could entrust their life to.
Perhaps the image of a physician I had vaguely drawn in my mind had resembled Grandfather’s from the very beginning.
That was when—
“What are you doing there?”
“……!”
I looked up in surprise.
Grandfather, who had apparently finished his consultation, was standing by the door and looking at me.
“It’s Ryeonghwa. If you came, you should have said something.”
“It’s just……”
I hugged the bundle tightly against my chest, like someone who had been caught doing something she shouldn’t.
“Will you come inside?”
“Hmm?”
“I happen to be taking a short break.”
It was an unexpected offer.
“I’d like to talk with you for a while. It’s been a long time.”
For a moment, I was stunned.
Then I answered with a bright smile.
“Yes!”
I hurried after Grandfather into the clinic.
A faint medicinal scent brushed against the tip of my nose.
Books, medicinal herbs, and acupuncture equipment were neatly arranged, while the area for examining patients was separated from the inner room by a door.
‘So this is…… the main clinic.’
My eyes sparkled without me realizing it.
In my previous life, I had briefly examined patients in Yeon Dopyeong’s place, but that had been a small clinic attached to the detached quarters.
It mainly treated patients with minor ailments, so the space was small and there wasn’t much equipment.
This was my first time entering such a proper space dedicated to treating patients.
As I looked around frantically, Grandfather chuckled.
“Is it really that fascinating?”
I nodded sheepishly.
“Yes…… It’s my first time in the main clinic.”
“Now that you’re a physician trainee, you’ll have plenty of reason to come here.”
“Really?”
“Of course. You’re a physician trainee now. Won’t you have plenty of reasons to come in and out of the clinic?”
It was an obvious thing to say, yet my heart fluttered for some reason.
Until just moments ago, it hadn’t quite felt real.
But now, I am finally beginning to feel it.
I really became a physician trainee of Yakryeong.
Grandfather sat down and asked,
“So.”
“Yes?”
“How does it feel to have become a physician trainee?”
“Well……”
I thought for a moment before grinning.
“I don’t really know yet.”
“You don’t know?”
“Yes. I’ve only just started, after all.”
Grandfather’s eyebrow lifted slightly.
“So there are so many things I want to learn from now on.”
“Ho.”
“I want to get better at reading pulses, learn about more medicinal herbs, and properly learn acupuncture.”
As I spoke, more and more things I wanted to learn came to mind.
“And later……”
Just as I was about to say something more—
Bang!
The outer door of the clinic was roughly thrown open.
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