“Lady Tang, this child doesn’t have much time left.”
Gasp!
The words that came from the guard unit were negative news about Hwa-rin’s condition.
“What do you mean? Wasn’t it said that eating Joseon ginseng would help him regain consciousness?”
Hmm…
One could see why the Kang family would become one of the wealthiest in Joseon, given the effectiveness of Joseon ginseng.
“Raising one’s vitality to awaken the child’s mind is different from the thousand-year-old poison invading his marrow.”
So, it’s like an unconscious cancer patient regaining consciousness, but still having cancer?
“Can’t we just use the poison of the man-faced tree?”
“Of course, the man-faced tree’s poisonous substance can be negated by the positive energy of the thousand-year-old poison.”
“Then isn’t that a solution?”
Saying we could treat it with the poison of the man-faced tree was misleading, wasn’t it?
The guard unit shook his head in response to my question.
“The reason this child has been unconscious so far is not because he lacks the ability to harbor poison in his body. It’s just that he can’t control the amount of positive and poisonous energy with instinct, so his whole body has fallen asleep to manage the poison.”
It sounds like hibernation the guard unit mentioned.
“So, if Hwa-rin can harbor poison in her body, does this mean she just doesn’t have enough martial arts capability to control both energies at the same time?”
The guard unit nodded at my summary.
It’s like a computer that can run a single program but crashes when trying to run two simultaneously.
“To resolve this situation, we must awaken the child’s mind and consume the man-faced tree’s poison to eliminate positive energy, leaving only pure poison. That way, the child will only have to manage the poison, which will lessen the burden.”
“Then that’s settled?”
“If it’s just poison, the child can handle it. But we’re dealing with the poisons of two spirits. It’s miraculous enough that one human body can contain the thousand-year-old poison, and now we’re adding the man-faced tree’s poison. While the positive and negative energies negate each other, we have to turn the poisons of both spirits into one, and whether this child’s body can withstand it remains a question.”
The guard unit looked at Lady Tang with a troubled expression.
Handling both positive and negative energies is currently beyond Hwa-rin’s martial arts capability. While she might be able to manage both spirits’ poisons, it’s uncertain if her body can endure this.
There’s a chance for survival, but that doesn’t guarantee she will live.
“Is there another method or anything else you can do?”
“There’s no time. If she regains consciousness, she needs to consume the man-faced tree’s poison within half a day to have a high chance of survival. Since the Tang Family Head and the Elders’ Council have given their approval, it would help to teach her martial arts related to poison. However…”
“Seems like you can’t give an easy answer.”
Even with a miracle after a hundred days of prepping for an exam, a half-day miracle doesn’t exist.
“We just have to do our best. And if this child becomes a true poison wielder…”
The guard unit looked at me with a sense of pity.
“Why do you say that?”
Is it that I still have lingering hopes? Do I think I could become the Deputy Head of the Family with Hwa-rin’s support once she becomes a complete poison wielder? I don’t need that.
“Sigh… No, that’s not it. If this child awakens, I’ll make time for both of you. Just in case, when that happens, make sure to greet her then.”
I appreciated the guard unit’s consideration, but those last words weighed heavily on my heart.
———————
I heard the news that Hwa-rin had awakened three days later.
I wanted to rush in immediately, but I had to wait for my turn until the very end.
To control Hwa-rin’s raging poison, the guard unit members had to enter first, followed by those who looked like seasoned experts in handling poison to pass on the martial arts knowledge to Hwa-rin.
Additionally, many experts in herbs and poisons entered her room first.
I stood at Hwa-rin’s door like a hospital patient waiting in an endless queue for my turn.
“Get ready to go in.”
Tap, tap!
Has it really been that long? The guard unit approached me, who was staring vacantly at the door Hwa-rin was behind.
“Is it time to go in?”
“I’ve already discussed things that needed to be said. As soon as you go in, she must consume the man-faced tree’s poison, so stick to hopeful and encouraging words.”
“I know that much.”
Positive words can help severe patients, after all.
“And…”
Uh-oh…
The guard unit looked at me with a complicated expression, as if feeling sorry.
“And?”
“I can’t give you long, but if there’s anything you need to say, make sure to say it so you won’t regret it.”
This could be our last conversation alive.
I understood what that meant, so I nodded gravely and stepped into Hwa-rin’s room.
—————————–
Upon entering the room, I almost gasped.
Hwa-rin wasn’t unconscious; she was sitting up in bed, eyes closed, murmuring something fervently.
Is she reciting martial arts formulas? I made a subtle sound as if trying to get the attention of a bus driver at a stop, but Hwa-rin showed no sign of opening her eyes.
I want to talk quickly.
I wish I could tell her she looked like a high school girl mumbling English vocabulary minutes before an exam and that I was truly worried she might never wake up.
Wait a moment.
I can’t disturb her. Once Hwa-rin finishes our conversation, she needs to consume the man-faced tree’s poison. I decided to hold back that urge and just watch Hwa-rin regain her senses.
Hwa-rin’s face was pale yet slightly flushed. Looking a little lower, I noticed her baggy, comfortable clothing.
The perfect attire for a patient. Normally an unattractive outfit, but how much it changes depending on who wears it!
The fabric cascaded down over her breast, defying gravity even in sickness, only to dramatically spill over like a waterfall that could support the flat Earth theory.
To me, who has always found it faintly appealing when frail girls are weak, Hwa-rin’s sickly enchanting appearance was giving birth to a new preference.
“Have you come?”
In the moment I was absorbed in the black hole of Hwa-rin’s gaze, she suddenly opened her eyes and spoke with a bright yet slightly weakened voice.
“Are you feeling a bit better?”
I sat beside her on the bed, and with a worried expression, I asked.
She probably didn’t notice, right? Beside my concern, it’d be hard to avoid looking.
“Physically, I feel heavy as if I had drunk a strong liquor, but my mind is clear.”
Well, she has poisons inside of her that are far worse than alcohol.
What should I say?
I have things to say to Hwa-rin. But seeing her smile weakly makes it hard for me to speak.
“I dreamed about a cat.”
How do I even start? While I was choosing my words, Hwa-rin began to tell me about her dream while she was unconscious.
“A dream?”
“I was a cat in my dream, but I got trapped in a cage. Right in front of me was a fish I had carefully brought, but I couldn’t eat it at all.”
“You must have been angry.”
Before saying something important, I decided to go along with Hwa-rin’s rhythm.
“That wasn’t really what got me angry. There was something else.”
Hwa-rin, despite her pale complexion, pouted her unusually reddish lips slightly as she spoke.
“What was it?”
“There was a fish that I hadn’t even touched yet, and another cat came and took it away! Can you believe that?”
In a somewhat indignant voice, Hwa-rin shared her frustration with me.
“Now that’s just too much.”
Seriously…?
I can’t believe I’m hearing this. I chuckled softly in response.
“Things like that happen.”
As I stared at her in disbelief, Hwa-rin petted my cheek as if she were caressing something precious.
Her warmth after a long time made me feel emotional, making me wonder if I had gone through so much suffering just to feel this.
Hehe…
I sat there, spellbound, feeling her tender touch until Hwa-rin pinched my cheek lightly.
—————
When Hwa-rin finished her dream story, there was a moment of silence.
This could be our last conversation. There’s something important I need to say to Hwa-rin. But how do I say it?
“You, hey…”
Hwa-rin suddenly called me, looking a bit shy.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t you have something you want to say to me?”
“Huh?”
“Are you not going to say anything?”
Hwa-rin pressed me after I responded, confused.
“What do you mean?”
Yikes!
“About what happened with the Elders’ Council. I heard everything!”
Uh-oh…
Hwa-rin turned her head shyly as she spoke.
“Aha…”
So she heard me say she was my girl. How embarrassing.
“Aha? You should’ve said that to me first! Not to everyone else! Why mention it in front of people?”
Hwa-rin shot me a glare with the intensity of a dagger.
“Hahaha…”
I’m embarrassed.
It feels as embarrassing as that time I drunkenly asked a girl with whom I had a crush if she had a boyfriend and received a look that screamed, “Who do you think you are?”
“Don’t just laugh!”
So, what am I supposed to say aside from just laughing? It feels like I’m walking around a minefield.
“Yoon Ho, hurry up and tell me how it feels to have disrupted someone’s love life!”
Hwa-rin spoke to me while looking sideways, her head still turned away.
What should I even say? I glanced at Hwa-rin. She looked angry, but her lips were twitching in a way that seemed almost playful. Her pale face seemed oddly rosy.
This doesn’t feel entirely like walking on a minefield.
“Did hearing the news upset you?”
I’m not sure how to move forward in this situation. Playing it safe, I put on an exaggerated sad face as if to say that I was deeply regretful.
“No, it’s not that! I mean, I’m rather—! Uh, no…”
Hwa-rin jumped in surprise, trying to sit up, but lost her balance.
“Hwa-rin!”
I hurriedly caught her, trying to steady her as she teetered.
Her body was like a furnace. Was she pretending to be fine while pulling such stunts?
Surprised, I locked eyes with Hwa-rin. We were so close that if she lifted her chin slightly, we would bump noses.
I aimed to lay Hwa-rin back in bed, but she unexpectedly held onto me.
The mingling scents of a woman and a lingering medicinal aroma intoxicated me.
“Yoon Ho, say it… don’t keep dodging…”
Hwa-rin’s voice carried a hint of frustration and defensiveness.
Is this the opportunity?
Do I have the chance to say those words?
There won’t be a better moment than this.
“Hwa-rin.”
I didn’t avoid Hwa-rin’s pleading gaze, ready to get the words I had prepared since entering this room out.
“Yeah?”
“Would you like to kiss me?”
“Uh…?”
“Let’s kiss.”
“Wha- what?!!!!!”
