Chapter 32
Grandmother, what’s your relationship with Master Physician Pyo-jin?
Surely, it’s not that kind of… No, that can’t be, right?
Even at a glance, my grandmother looked at least ten years older.
No matter how trendy older-woman-younger-man couples are these days, this can’t be it.
Objectively speaking, my grandmother isn’t even a great beauty, is she?
Shin Seol-ha, stop overthinking.
There must be some other explanation.
“In truth, your grandmother and I were childhood friends. We even attended the same martial arts school briefly.”
“A martial arts school?”
Unexpectedly, it was Pyo Jin-yang who offered the explanation.
He spoke on behalf of my flustered grandmother, explaining the situation to me.
“One day, Shin Geum suddenly disappeared. I only found out much later that she had moved away. I was quite disheartened at the time. Decades passed, and I had almost forgotten, but a few years ago, I happened to visit a noodle shop…”
“Could that noodle shop be the one my grandmother runs…?”
“Yes, it is. I recognized her instantly at first glance. Her face hadn’t changed much.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. After decades, your memory is still that sharp!”
Isn’t this just like a movie plot?
I’m calling it Finding First Love.
“What was the name of that martial arts school?”
Unlike me, who was marveling at the story, Jeok I-geon’s eyes were full of suspicion.
His tone resembled an interrogation, making Pyo Jin-yang raise his voice again in exasperation.
“What does the name of a martial arts school matter? It’s about reconnecting with an old friend after decades!”
“Are you sure you were just friends? With all due respect, there seems to be quite an age gap between you two.”
“My grandmother looks older because of the hardships she’s endured. She raised me alone after my parents passed away.”
Even though my grandmother did look older, hearing Jeok I-geon say it annoyed me.
She dedicated her life to raising me.
She wakes up at dawn to open her noodle shop and is the last in the neighborhood to close her doors.
And she’s done this for 17 years without a single day off.
She’s physically strong for her age, but living like that for so long couldn’t have been easy.
Every time I see her wrinkled face, I miss Korean dermatology clinics.
Who could understand my wish to smooth out those wrinkles with modern medical technology?
“Grandmother, you must’ve had a hard time because of me. Don’t worry anymore. I’ll spend my life repaying you.”
“Yes, that’s right. You’re all I have, my dear.”
For the first time, my grandmother, who had been intimidated by Jeok I-geon’s questioning, smiled warmly.
“Grandmother, you’ve been to the Demonic Cult’s base before, right?”
“Hm?”
“So-ok mentioned that ordinary people can’t enter, but you’ve come twice just to see me. I’d been wondering about it, but now it makes sense.”
Something that had been nagging at me was finally resolved today.
As for the elixirs, I’ll ask Grandmother when we are alone.
For some reason, it felt awkward to bring it up with Jeok I-geon around.
His sharp gaze toward her was still unsettling.
“It seems I’ve misunderstood. I apologize for my rudeness.”
What? Did Jeok I-geon just lose his mind?
Just moments ago, he was full of suspicion. Now, why is he suddenly apologizing?
And with honorifics, no less.
Is it because she’s his uncle’s friend?
No, Jeok I-geon isn’t the type to show respect just for that reason.
There’s definitely another motive behind this.
“No need to apologize. It was a situation that could easily lead to misunderstanding. Besides, I may have been friends with Physician Pyo-jin in our younger days, but I’m just an ordinary old woman running a small noodle shop. Please, Young Master, speak casually.”
Even my grandmother seemed uncomfortable with Jeok I-geon’s sudden change in demeanor.
She kept bowing her head to him like a guilty party.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave. I need to prepare for my shop.”
“I’ll visit your noodle shop soon.”
“Yes, Master Physician Pyo-jin. Seol-ha, see you soon.”
“Okay, Grandmother. Take care.”
After saying her goodbyes to Pyo Jin-yang and Jeok I-geon, my grandmother quietly left the Medical Wing.
I already miss Shin Geum.
As I stared wistfully at the spot where my grandmother had been sitting, Jeok I-geon made an unexpected suggestion.
“Seol-ha, why don’t you take the day off and rest at home?”
“…Can I really do that?”
“Remember, it’s only for today.”
“Thank you! Second Young Master, thank you so much!”
Not expecting such a rare break, I expressed my gratitude twice and hurried to follow my grandmother.
“……”
“……”
After Seol-ha left, silence filled the room.
Neither Jeok I-geon nor Pyo Jin-yang spoke. They simply stared at each other in silence.
How long did this go on?
“Who is she?”
It was Jeok I-geon who finally broke the silence.
“Let’s not talk about the martial arts school anymore. Surely, you don’t think I’m naive enough to believe that story.”
“She is indeed my friend.”
Pyo Jin-yang didn’t expect Jeok I-geon to let this matter go so easily.
His nephew was famous within the Demonic Cult for his exceptional martial arts skills, but his sharp intellect was equally noteworthy.
“Is it a disguise?”
“……”
“If someone has such a close relationship with my uncle that they have private meetings, they can’t possibly be an ordinary person. And yet such a person runs a noodle shop? What are they hiding from?”
Though Pyo Jin-yang didn’t respond, Jeok I-geon continued speaking.
“What are they afraid of that they’ve spent 17 years living in hiding? Tell me.”
“…That is not something you need to know.”
“That would be true if it didn’t involve Seol-ha.”
“What do you mean?”
“She is Seol-ha’s only family. My uncle’s ‘friend’ happens to be the grandmother of my maid. So don’t I have the right to know?”
At first glance, his reasoning seemed unclear.
When had Jeok I-geon ever shown concern for a maid’s affairs?
To outsiders, he was known as the polite and respectable Second Young Master, but Pyo Jin-yang knew better than anyone that his nephew was a cold-blooded man.
“Is Seol-ha safe?”
“Is that your primary concern?”
“Yes.”
It wasn’t mere paranoia.
He should have realized this when Jeok I-geon brought the girl in, claiming internal injuries, despite her only having minor external wounds.
The boy had clearly fallen hard.
“Haha! Hahahaha!”
Pyo Jin-yang burst into laughter, something he never thought he would do in front of Jeok I-geon.
How could the passions of men be so similar?
And yet, this was a strange kind of shared sentiment.
The boy had fallen for the granddaughter, while someone else had feelings for the grandmother.
“What a pitiful situation.”
“Are you saying Seol-ha is pitiful?”
“Enough. As long as you keep your mouth shut, Seol-ha will be safe. So, don’t ask further.”
“Will you truly not tell me about Seol-ha’s grandmother?”
“In time, you will understand.”
“Uncle!”
“It’s a long story. One I cannot share recklessly.”
Pyo Jin-yang’s tone was resolute.
Realizing he couldn’t pry further, Jeok I-geon reluctantly stepped back.
“Then promise me one thing.”
“What is it?”
“If a situation arises where Seol-ha’s safety cannot be guaranteed, tell me first. I cannot remain in the dark.”
“Fine.”
“You must promise.”
“I won’t repeat myself.”
“One more thing.”
Jeok I-geon finally revealed the real reason he had come to the Medical Wing.
“It’s about the strange energy flowing through Seol-ha’s body. You must already know, but that’s not something just anyone can do. Currently, Seol-ha has internal energy surpassing a full cycle. To hide such a massive amount of medicinal energy without detection, one must be either a highly skilled physician or a martial artist of the highest caliber.”
“Or both.”
Pyo Jin-yang responded calmly, without a hint of surprise.
“…You knew?”
“I’ve only heard about it.”
“Heard about it? From whom?”
Jeok I-geon tilted his head in confusion before suddenly straightening up as if realizing something.
“It’s Seol-ha’s grandmother, isn’t it? Who exactly is she…?”
“That’s enough. Don’t think or speculate beyond this point.”
“I’ve understood one thing.”
“……”
“She is far more significant than I imagined.”
Even though they had been in the same space, he hadn’t detected her presence at all.
That could only mean one thing—Seol-ha’s grandmother was an immensely skilled master with an overwhelming inner force that Jeok I-geon couldn’t even begin to fathom.
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