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Chapter 107
The Terminal Baby Doctor Doesn’t Hide Her Genius
It seemed I wasn’t the only one flabbergasted — my uncle, clearly fuming, suddenly ruffled my hair.
“Aaah!”
With sharp eyes, he shouted,
“Hey! Your, no, your guard’s a total idiot now. You needed that guy?”
He jumped up, looking offended, and pointed at the man.
“I’ll knock him out cold for you!”
“……You even can do that?”
“I can!”
He was huffing and puffing, clearly losing his temper.
Water droplets were swirling around him in a rather threatening way.
If I said yes, they’d probably start a full-on brawl right here.
I shook my head.
“……What I’m more worried about is how to bring that uncle with me like this.”
“What? Why? He’s the one who sent me flying, that— that nameless guy!”
“Nameless? He introduced himself as Mr. Heukbihoo.”
“Is that important right now? You should be worrying about me!”
As Heukbi — no, basically an overgrown first grader — shouted, I looked at him with cool, unimpressed eyes.
‘One sends people flying and blames it on the wind, and the other… really? Was it actually the wind?’
Come to think of it, when I first met Dad, he wasn’t exactly the type to just stand there and take it either.
‘Not that it’s my fault.’
Most likely, Uncle provoked him first and the other guy just paid him back in kind.
Honestly, I’m the one who’s worried — can I really manage these three together?
A little later, in the afternoon—
I finished getting ready to go out.
‘This is what’s nice about keeping a deal open with Jeok Yunha.’
I put on a pretty outfit — a skirt mixing green and white, patterned with little leaf designs.
It was a gift from the clan head. And thanks to Jeok Yunha, I even had matching shoes that suited it perfectly.
“Do you like it that much?”
I’d been smiling down at my shoes when a voice from above made me look up.
The smile faded a little from my face.
It was that man — always making things awkward for no reason.
“Uh, yes. I like them.”
“So that’s the kind of thing you like.”
He said that while staring at my shoes, which made me self-conscious enough to pull my skirt slightly forward to hide them.
Then suddenly, someone picked me up. I didn’t even need to look to know who it was.
My eldest uncle.
“Aigoo, my little niece even has pretty feet.”
He held me with one arm and caught one of my feet with the other hand.
My small foot fit perfectly into his big hand.
“How about a lunchtime kiss?”
“……Are you crazy?”
Seriously, what’s wrong with both of them today?
I shook my head.
I understood, sort of. Both of them were just trying to comfort me in their own way.
And probably wanted to teach their brother (or in his case, his “nameless” rival) a lesson while they were at it.
But the one who was supposed to be scolded didn’t even remember what he did — or wasn’t ready for it.
Then suddenly, my uncle took off my shoes and started tickling my foot.
“Wha— aah, ahahaha! Stop, it tickles! Kyaaah!”
After laughing for a good while, I slumped weakly in his arms.
“Ugh… what are you doing, Uncle…”
“Smiling brings blessings~”
He said that, then glanced sideways meaningfully.
“And you know what, sweetie? Teasing only works when there’s a reaction.”
I sighed. I’d never understand these people. I straightened my clothes in his arms.
“I’m going to the clan head’s manor now.”
Then I turned to the sulking uncle nearby.
“Uncle, come here for a sec.”
He leaned down, and I whispered softly, after a small hesitation:
“And… I’ll give you news about Ayan soon.”
The uncle, who’d been ready to start a fight again, froze.
As I expected, I smiled faintly.
He probably already got letters about Ayan from whoever was looking after her —
but still, hearing it from me would be something else.
I waved lightly.
“I’ll be back.”
“Uh? Oh… okay…”
His dazed expression was amusing.
A total daughter-lover, huh?
Anyway, I’d already checked — he might fall asleep again today, so I told him to take his medicine and rest here.
When I also told him to “watch the kids” while we were gone,
Gyeweon oppa asked if by “kids” I actually meant him, not me —
and Uncle went berserk, of course.
‘Well, he’s not wrong.’
Finally, after waving to Raon as well, we headed for the clan head’s residence.
“Welcome, Heukbiyu Physician.”
The steward who came to greet us led the way.
We were a little late, but he was perfectly polite.
The title had changed too — a small but meaningful upgrade.
Especially considering that last time, I was nearly dragged here.
‘Social advancement, right there.’
Makes sense. I’d been too busy to dwell on it,
but solving the Cheimik epidemic so quickly was an incredible achievement.
It was no wonder the whole main house was abuzz.
Today, my escorts were both my eldest uncle and the man.
Taking only one of them seemed risky for different reasons,
so I brought them both.
As we followed the steward, I noticed how others looked differently at my uncle now.
‘People aren’t glaring at Uncle as much anymore?’
‘They’re afraid, probably.’
My uncle just grinned while holding me.
‘There are always guys who get scared when I start acting normal again. Haha, I’m popular, huh?’
He said it lightly, but I didn’t miss how his eyes flickered —
the same dangerous glint he had when his madness would flare up.
‘…I still need to be careful about Uncle’s grudges.’
He was still undergoing treatment,
and if he got too worked up, there was always a risk of relapse.
“Stop right there.”
Just as things seemed to be going smoothly,
we were halted right in front of the clan head’s hall by a group of guards.
The steward stepped forward to explain.
“They’re guests summoned personally by the clan head.”
“Yes, but until verification is complete, they cannot enter.”
The guards refused to move aside, so the steward turned to us apologetically.
“Please wait here. I’ll report to the clan head and return shortly.”
He bowed — but the look in his eyes as he glanced between me, the man, and my uncle was strange.
This whole setup… felt staged.
‘That snake-like face again.’
That steward — he’d long been the clan head’s right-hand man,
a schemer who’d do anything for his master.
Even if it meant drawing someone’s blood and tears.
Mine included — I’d know.
If it didn’t harm the clan head, he was always calculating, always composed.
So we waited outside the hall as he went in.
‘Just as I thought.’
My suspicion became certainty after about fifteen minutes.
“Hm…”
Would the clan head ever make an invited guest wait this long? Definitely not.
Yet here we were, still outside the door, and the steward hadn’t returned.
Two elite guards stood at the entrance, glaring sharply —
like they’d draw their swords the moment we tried to step in.
That alone told me plenty.
‘Such an obvious setup.’
I couldn’t help but smile a little.
