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Chapter: 19
The place Go Yeonhee led everyone to was the herbal medicine storage room inside the clinic.
She opened the third compartment from the top in the seventh horizontal row of the large medicine cabinet.
Sure enough, it was neatly filled with white peony root!
Rabit gasped in admiration.
“Wow! Unni, did you really memorize the location of every drawer in this hundred-compartment cabinet?”
“Mm-hmm! Of course!”
“That’s amazing!”
Yeonhee proudly puffed out her chest and straightened her back, while Rabit burst into laughter and clapped her hands.
Meanwhile, the men stood a step behind, staring at Go Yeonhee in astonishment before finally letting out amused chuckles.
“A liquor spirit identifying the location of medicinal herbs in a cabinet…”
Eunho shook his head in disbelief.
Yoonsang muttered quietly,
“I still can’t believe someone like her becomes so calm and charismatic whenever she’s treating patients.”
“…”
Eunho glanced sideways at Yoonsang before speaking after a brief silence.
“…Yoonsang. I’m sorry for misunderstanding you back then.”
“…!”
Yoonsang’s eyes widened in surprise before a gentle smile spread across his face.
“It’s alright. Anyone would have misunderstood in that situation. Besides, thanks to Noona Yeonhee, my headaches are completely gone now. Nothing else really matters. She’s truly an incredible person.”
As he watched Yeonhee laughing together with Rabit, warmth filled his eyes before his expression became resolute.
“The Horse Tribe’s abilities are explosive physical strength and incredible speed. If anything ever happens to Noona Yeonhee, please call me too. I can be useful in battle.”
Hearing those words, Eunho’s gaze wavered for a moment.
His arms remained casually folded, his expression complicated, but his voice stayed calm.
“No. That situation should never happen in the first place. The Purifier… Go Yeonhee… I’ll make sure she’s protected.”
The lights inside Baekmyodang softly illuminated the faces of the four of them.
The following morning, at the Baek Tiger Clan’s main residence.
Chairman Baek Hojung’s bedroom was a perfect blend of modern furniture and the elegant charm of traditional Korean architecture.
Tap.
Tap.
Before leaving for work, I was giving Chairman Baek an acupuncture treatment.
Every time a thin needle accurately entered an acupuncture point, I could feel the previously tense muscles gradually relaxing beneath my fingertips.
“Teacher Go, thank you.”
Lying comfortably while staring at the ceiling, Chairman Baek suddenly spoke.
His deep voice echoed quietly through the room.
“Whenever I receive acupuncture from you, the pain in my chest disappears, and breathing becomes much easier. I owe you a great deal.”
“Not at all. If anything, I’m the one who’s been treated so well while staying at your home.”
I replied with a gentle smile.
After closing and reopening his eyes for a moment, the chairman casually asked,
“By the way, have you used the card I gave you?”
Ah… that.
I remembered the black VIP card he had once given me instead of a house-call fee.
“Not yet. I haven’t really had the time, and I don’t usually go shopping or out very often.”
I answered while lowering my head to insert the final needle.
“There, Chairman. We’re done. I’ll remove the needles in fifteen minutes.”
As I casually looked up while speaking, I froze in surprise.
A deep look of disappointment had appeared on the chairman’s face.
“Oh dear. You still haven’t used it even once?”
“Uh… I’m sorry…?”
Seeing how genuinely disappointed he looked, the apology slipped out of my mouth instinctively.
“Now that Baekmyodang’s barrier has been reinforced, and Eunho has given you new protective equipment, how about going out tomorrow?”
At his words, my eyes naturally fell to my left wrist.
The jade bracelet Baek Eunho had given me earlier reflected the light, glowing with a soft green sheen.
That’s right.
Starting today, I would be leaving the chairman’s residence and returning to Baekmyodang. Baek Eunho’s close personal protection would also come to an end.
“Maybe I should…”
As I hesitated slightly, the chairman made an offer that was impossible to refuse.
“Our group’s department store has a fine dining restaurant. Let’s have dinner there tomorrow evening. The food is excellent, but more importantly, you’ll be meeting a new Divine Beast patient there.”
“Huh?”
I jerked my head up.
The chairman smiled knowingly.
“You said you wanted to treat more Divine Beasts and become stronger as quickly as possible, didn’t you? After hearing that, I looked around for another Divine Beast patient I could introduce to you.”
“Ah… Thank you very much. But why meet at a restaurant? They could simply come to the clinic.”
“That person is extremely busy. Besides, they’re someone who naturally attracts a lot of attention, so they requested a private consultation.”
Chairman Baek narrowed his eyes before adding,
“I think you’ll be quite surprised when you meet them.”
My heart suddenly began pounding.
Just who could it be for him to say something like that?
I was dying of curiosity, but it felt rude to keep pressing him for answers.
Besides, the playful sparkle in his eyes suggested he wanted the meeting itself to be a surprise.
Well, I’ll find out tomorrow anyway.
In the end, I smiled and nodded in agreement.
Only then did the chairman nod back with satisfaction.
“Excellent. I’ll coordinate the schedule with that Divine Beast. My secretary will arrange the details and let you know the exact time and place.”
What kind of new connection was waiting for me this time?
And what kind of help would I be able to offer this Divine Beast?
A strange sense of anticipation slowly blossomed inside my heart.
Lunchtime at Baekmyodang Oriental Medicine Clinic.
“Phew…”
I took off my white coat and hung it on the standing coat rack inside the director’s office before letting out a long sigh.
It had been another busy morning.
Normally, the clinic ran comfortably even with just me.
Lately, however, things had changed.
The number of patients had increased noticeably, and some people were even traveling from far away specifically to visit.
It’s probably because news about Ma Yoonsang spread everywhere.
Sometimes, seeing the line stretching all the way into the courtyard made me sigh.
At the same time, though, it filled me with pride.
At this rate, I might actually have to hire a nurse.
Thinking that, I headed upstairs as usual to prepare lunch when I heard a familiar voice outside my office.
“Hey, Yeonhee~ Busy?”
“Ah! Aunt Sunmi! You’re here!”
The person who walked through the door was Aunt Sunmi—my mother’s closest friend and someone who had always been warm and caring toward me.
She also owned a traditional hanok café at the foot of Bukhansan Mountain.
“You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? I brought you something to eat.”
She placed a plastic container filled with kimchi pancakes on the treatment room desk.
“Wow! Your kimchi pancakes are the best in the universe! Thank you!”
Smiling happily, I opened the lid.
The spicy aroma instantly filled the room.
As my mouth watered, another thought occurred to me.
“I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had a chance to visit your café.”
But her reply caught me completely off guard.
“Mmm, that’s alright. You don’t have to come. What’s there to do? It’s always the same.”
…?
I tilted my head.
Normally she’d be complaining that I never came by anymore and telling me to visit more often.
Even the way she lowered her gaze looked strangely unnatural.
“Auntie… are you really doing okay?”
I asked carefully.
She quickly waved both hands and forced a smile.
“Of course! I’m doing just fine, same as always. Oh, right! Not long ago, Crimson Love was filming near our café!”
My eyes instantly lit up.
Crimson Love was the hit historical drama about a heartbreaking palace romance unfolding beneath the moonlight.
It was one of my favorite shows, and I watched it every weekend.
“Oh, that one! The lead actor is Yang Siheon, right? The hottest soft-hearted handsome actor these days.”
“That’s right! I got to see the actors in person, and my goodness—they were all so handsome and beautiful! And the lead actors’ performances were incredible.”
After that, she continued talking about the drama for quite a while.
Of course, seeing a television production being filmed must have been exciting.
But more than that…
It felt like she was deliberately changing the subject.
Hmm… She’s hiding something.
I was suspicious, but for now I pretended not to notice and simply played along.
“Really? That must have been exciting, getting to see famous actors.”
“Oh, and Yeonhee, you’ve become famous on the internet too. Hoho. Honestly, our Yeonhee is every bit as pretty as those actors.”
“Oh, come on… Where did that suddenly come from?”
“Sigh… Coming here reminds me of your mother. That foolish woman. Leaving so early when she had such a beautiful daughter.”
“…!”
The smile on my face instantly froze.
Her sudden words made my heart drop.
The single word “Mother,” spoken by Aunt Sunmi, pierced my heart like a sharp blade, leaving behind a deep, aching pain.
