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Chapter: 17
“Father!”
Baek Eunho shouted in shock.
I, too, could only blink in bewilderment.
“We can’t give up the purifier we finally found! And what about the dark spell that’s been cast on you, Father?”
“Baek Eunho.”
Chairman Baek’s voice was gentle, but his tone was firm.
“If Miss Go doesn’t want to, we can’t force her to fight the Fallen. Especially not in something this dangerous.”
Eunho, who had been about to argue, tightly shut his mouth at those words and quietly looked at me.
“……”
My heart pounded. My thoughts were in turmoil.
Maybe this was my chance to return to an ordinary life.
But… could I really be happy if I abandoned Baekmyodang, abandoned these people, and ran away just to save myself?
Besides, there was something I still had to uncover.
‘What on earth happened to Mom?’
Ever since I was seventeen, I had lived believing that my mother had abandoned me.
When I was burning with a fever and home alone.
When I celebrated my birthday by myself.
When school events came around and everyone attended with their parents while I stood alone.
When I worried about living expenses and university tuition…
Every time, I resented my mother for leaving me without a word.
But my longing for her was just as great as my resentment, and those conflicting emotions had nearly driven me insane.
‘But what if Mom had her own reasons?’
Go Yeonhee. Could you really keep living while burying that question forever?
…As soon as I asked myself that, the answer came.
No.
Unless I untied the knot buried deep inside my heart, I would never truly be happy.
‘That’s right. The war has already begun anyway.’
I clenched my fists.
I could run or hide, but that wouldn’t make the problem disappear.
Rather than avoiding it, I wanted to grow stronger with my own hands, protect both myself and Alfred, and uncover the truth behind my mother’s secret.
‘If I keep accumulating more spiritual energy, I’ll be able to suppress whatever dark sorcery they throw at me.’
In the end, I had to solve my own problems.
If anyone was going to restore peace to Baekmyodang, or uncover the truth behind my mother’s death, it had to be me.
My resolve gradually solidified.
I slowly steadied my breathing and spoke firmly.
“I won’t hide or run away. I want to become stronger. If it’s to protect the people and things precious to me, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Chairman Baek quietly contemplated my words before giving a slow nod.
A faint look of admiration crossed Eunho’s eyes.
Alfred lightly tapped the back of my hand as though cheering me on.
‘I have to become stronger. Strong enough that the Fallen will never dare stand before us again.’
The moment I spoke my resolve aloud, I strangely felt much lighter.
I was afraid, but I promised myself that I would never run away again.
The next morning, after getting ready for work, I headed downstairs to the dining room.
To be honest, my body still felt unbelievably heavy, as if my arms and legs were made of lead.
Even so, I really didn’t want to take the day off. Back in school, I had never missed a single day and had always received perfect attendance awards.
‘The patients will be waiting. I’d rather keep moving than stay in bed worrying.’
As I entered the dining room, the gentle morning sunlight streamed through the large windows, brightening the interior.
A neatly arranged traditional Korean breakfast had been set out on the spacious wooden table.
At a glance, the meal reflected both elegance and careful preparation.
“Oh, Miss Go. You’re awake.”
Chairman Baek appeared to have already finished eating. Sitting at the end of the table with a newspaper spread before him, he leisurely sipped his coffee.
The room was filled with the subtle aroma of fresh coffee.
He lowered the newspaper and looked at me.
“After everything that happened last night, you’re really not going to rest?”
“My patients will be waiting. Grandma Jeomsun with her aching back, Grandpa Gilyeong who can barely walk because of his sore knees… Thinking about all of them waiting for me makes it impossible to relax, even if I stay home.”
Smiling, I took my seat.
“And besides, you said the more people I treat, the more my abilities gradually improve. If I keep working every day, I’ll become stronger much faster.”
Chairman Baek’s eyes softened for a moment.
He looked genuinely proud.
“I wish our Eunho were even half as much like you.”
He folded the newspaper completely and laughed heartily.
“To me, he still looks like an immature boy who’s too proud for his own good.”
“Haha…”
I laughed awkwardly.
His gaze drifted to his coffee cup before returning to me.
“Still, it’s fascinating. Whenever he’s with you, Eunho seems much more at ease. He used to be such an adorable, friendly child… but after that incident, he never truly opened his heart to anyone again.”
I stopped with my spoon halfway to my mouth.
“That incident?”
“Ah… well…”
Chairman Baek immediately realized his slip and closed his mouth, his expression tightening slightly as though he had said something he shouldn’t have.
Just as the atmosphere was about to become awkward—
“Good morning.”
As if on cue, Baek Eunho himself walked in.
Dressed in a black suit, with neatly styled hair and his sharp jawline accentuated, he had returned to his usual expressionless self.
Chairman Baek and I immediately fell silent at the same time, as though we had planned it.
‘Something must have happened to Baek Eunho in the past.’
As I took a spoonful of soup, my thoughts wandered.
Now that I thought about it, his reaction yesterday when I collapsed had been far too intense.
Even someone like Baek Eunho, who seemed to have everything anyone could want, must have a painful secret he couldn’t tell anyone…
Just as that thought left a bitter taste in my heart, Chairman Baek warmly addressed his son.
“You should eat as well. Are you planning to stay with Miss Go at Baekmyodang again today?”
“Of course. After what happened yesterday, we need to strengthen security even more.”
Eunho casually dropped into a nearby chair.
“They probably won’t launch another reckless attack immediately after encountering an unexpected variable. But there’s always the possibility.”
He paused briefly and looked toward me.
His gaze held both responsibility… and a trace of guilt.
Picking up his chopsticks, he quietly continued.
“Miss Go Yeonhee can restore damaged spiritual energy, remove corrupted energy, and even neutralize dark sorcery. In this war, she’s become the undisputed key figure… so we absolutely have to protect her.”
My face grew warm.
Being praised so directly in front of everyone was embarrassing.
So I deliberately joked.
“Oh, so I’m basically a strategic stronghold now? What an honor.”
Eunho slightly raised an eyebrow and answered in an unusually serious tone.
“Would that strategic stronghold consider skipping work for once?”
“Nope. You’re busy, Mr. Eunho. Why don’t you just leave a few bodyguards behind and go take care of your important business?”
“I already told you. Nothing is more important than this.”
While the two of us bickered back and forth, Chairman Baek stepped in to calm things down.
“Miss Go. Living here and having Eunho constantly by your side must feel stifling, but please bear with it a little longer. Once we’ve observed the situation and are confident it’s safe, you can return to your normal life.”
“Oh, yes. I didn’t mean I disliked it. If anything, I’m grateful.”
I hurriedly waved both hands.
Chairman Baek’s eyes curved into crescents as a sincere smile spread across his face.
“Personally, I’m happy you’re here. Not only do I receive treatment from such a skilled doctor, but thanks to you, the atmosphere in this house has become much brighter.”
“Ah…”
Feeling unexpectedly shy, I lowered my head.
At that moment, sunlight poured even more brightly through the large windows.
Although I had decided to throw myself into the middle of this war…
At least for this morning, I could still remember what peace felt like.
The day’s consultations at Baekmyodang were coming to an end.
My final patients today were Jeong Rabit and Ma Yoonsang.
“Unni Yeonhee!”
The moment Rabit entered the director’s office, she threw herself into my arms.
Her eyes were red from crying, and her long rabbit ears trembled anxiously.
“Because of me… because of me… your identity was exposed, and something so terrible happened to you…!”
Her small shoulders shook violently with every sob.
I hugged her tightly and gently patted her back.
“There, there. Don’t cry. As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
“Sniff… but still…!”
Meanwhile, Ma Yoonsang followed her inside, his face completely pale.
His usual quiet composure had vanished.
“Yeonhee noo…! I-I mean, Director! I was really shocked.”
“Oh?”
I narrowed my eyes with a smile.
“Hmm? Were you about to call me ‘Noona’ just now?”
“Th-that’s…”
Yoonsang scratched the back of his head and avoided my gaze.
His face instantly turned bright red.
