Genius Physician CH 10

“I heard your maid had been mistreating you in secret.”

Grandfather’s voice was calm, but something seemed to weigh heavily upon his heart.

“The wound on your hand was caused by that maid as well, wasn’t it?”

“Ah…”

I looked down at my bandaged hand.

With nothing else to say, I quietly nodded.

Grandfather could not conceal his anger.

The sight of him reacting that way felt unfamiliar and astonishing to me.

“…This happened because I, the family head, was away from the estate.”

After suppressing his emotions, Grandfather apologized in his usual calm and rational tone.

“I will ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. You need only concentrate on recovering your health. Do you understand?”

I could not answer immediately and remained silent for a moment.

Uncle Sotaek might have deliberately prevented Grandfather and me from meeting, but deep down, I had always believed that Grandfather did not welcome me as his granddaughter.

After all, someone who placed the family above everything else would naturally consider me his greatest nuisance.

Don’t misunderstand his intentions.

I forcibly suppressed the strange warmth beginning to tickle my heart.

He’s only angry because House Yakryeong’s absolute law was violated.

There was no possibility that Grandfather genuinely worried about someone who had brought the family to such a state.

After failing repeatedly throughout my previous lives, I had learned a painful lesson.

If I wanted to earn someone’s goodwill, I could not rely on baseless affection.

I needed to prove my usefulness.

When I was sick and useless, I had ultimately been abandoned and killed.

That was why I would not trust anyone in this life.

“Ahem.”

When I continued sitting there without answering, Grandfather cleared his throat and added,

“Now that you are awake and able to move around, I should send word to the Young Patriarch.”

“…To Father?”

“Yes.”

A sharp ache passed through my chest.

Whenever I thought of Father, complicated emotions filled my heart.

Longing, guilt, and sorrow.

There was also the fear that he might begin hating me at any moment.

During the final moments of my previous life, Jeok Yeonhu had told me that Father worried about me until the very end.

But the person who told me that was none other than Jeok Yeonhu—the man who had smiled while claiming that he personally killed Father.

He was the person I trusted least in the entire world.

That was why I could not completely believe his words.

He might have lied to torment me further or for some other unknown reason.

When my expression darkened, Grandfather spoke with emphasis.

“The Young Patriarch should know about your condition before anyone else.”

His words were firm, but strangely, they seemed to carry another meaning.

You are not alone.

But even if we inform Father about my condition… he won’t reply anyway.

Throughout my previous lives, I had sent Father letters countless times.

Uncle Sotaek had clearly disliked it, but perhaps because he could not openly prevent a daughter from writing to her father, he would summon the messenger and hand over my letters directly in front of me.

“I have granted your wish. If the Young Patriarch happens to return, you must remain as silent and obedient as a dead mouse, just as you always do. Understood?”

Every time I sent a letter, he made me feel guilty for doing so.

But not a single reply ever returned.

“You see? Did I not tell you that your father finds you bothersome?”

“He only bothers with your treatment because failing to cure his only daughter would damage his dignity as the Young Patriarch. You are nothing more than a burden to him.”

In the end, I came to believe Yeon Sotaek’s claims that Father found me troublesome.

“They say that if you meet the Young Patriarch’s eyes, he might drag you into the underworld!”

“I heard he becomes excited when he sees blood.”

“That’s why he volunteered to leave for the battlefield!”

Moreover, while I went so long without seeing Father, people around me spread all manner of rumors about what an extraordinary and terrifying person he was.

To me, Father had become someone I deeply missed but also found intimidating and impossibly distant.

Regardless, this is Grandfather’s decision. I should follow it.

I quickly lowered my head.

“…Thank you.”

Grandfather released a faint sigh before slowly addressing the main reason for his visit.

“I came here today to examine your condition, but there is something else I wish to ask.”

His green eyes seemed to pierce directly through me.

“About the medicinal pill you gave me. Can you create other medicines as well?”

“Yes.”

I answered without hesitation.

“Are you saying you developed such skill merely by reading a few books while confined to your bed?”

Of course, the truth was that I had done far more than simply read books.

But I could not reveal everything.

“I read books… and sometimes watched my cousins while they were studying.”

I hurriedly added,

“As for the medicinal pill… I’m not certain, but I simply felt that combining the ingredients that way would work.”

A talent said to appear only once in a generation, even within House Yakryeong.

Those born with it could instinctively understand the properties of medicinal ingredients without ever being taught.

And I had decided to exploit that belief completely.

“…”

A brief silence followed my lie.

Tense, I cautiously glanced up at Grandfather.

He stared at me for a long time with unreadable green eyes before finally speaking.

“I see. That is truly remarkable.”

It was a compliment, yet there was something strangely ambiguous about it.

“Then did your condition suddenly improve because you prepared medicine for yourself?”

It was a question I had anticipated.

And I had already decided upon my answer.

“…I’m not certain.”

“What do you mean?”

Grandfather raised an eyebrow.

“Cousin Dopyeong asked me to sort some medicinal herbs, so I tasted a few of the broken pieces.”

I fidgeted with my hands while carefully watching Grandfather’s expression.

In truth, I had mentioned this because there was something else I wanted.

“Perhaps one of them helped me. But I don’t know exactly which herb was which…”

“…”

“If I could study with my cousins, I might be able to identify which ingredient it was…”

I cautiously peeked up at him.

“…?!”

A chill seemed to spread through the air.

Contrary to my expectations, Grandfather’s expression had turned glacial.

“Dopyeong… ordered you to sort his medicinal herbs?”

Then he asked a question I had not expected.

Why does he keep asking about something so insignificant?

Still uncertain, I carefully told him the truth.

“Yes. He gave me an opportunity to handle medicinal herbs.”

“I see. How long have you been sorting them?”

Like an ordinary child, I curled my small fingers inward one at a time as I counted.

“One, two… Hmm. Three years.”

“Good heavens. Then you have been doing it ever since your father left…”

Grandfather could not finish his sentence.

Instead, he firmly pressed his fingers against his deeply furrowed brow.

Then, as though another thought had suddenly occurred to him, he grabbed my shoulders.

“Wait. Did you say you ate medicinal herbs without even knowing what they were?”

Nod, nod.

When I merely nodded, Grandfather’s eyebrows drooped sharply.

“You reckless little thing! What would you have done if you suffered a dangerous side effect? I thought you were nothing but meek, yet it seems you have quite an audacious streak!”

“I-I’m sorry, Grandfather…”

When I hunched my shoulders beneath his sudden scolding, he abruptly extended his hand.

“Your hand.”

Still bewildered, I placed my hand in his.

He carefully checked my pulse before gesturing again.

“Come closer.”

I cautiously shuffled toward him on my knees.

“Open your mouth and show me your tongue.”

“Aaaah? Like this?”

“That’s right.”

Grandfather examined my mouth and tongue, then carefully listened to the sounds from my abdomen.

Only after finishing did he nod, appearing relieved.

“Your qi and blood remain distorted, but they are circulating more freely than before. Your condition has certainly improved. The heavens must have helped you.”

In truth, I had only discovered how to temporarily improve my condition after suffering through nine regressions…

But I merely nodded without saying anything.

“Regardless, this is fortunate. If your condition remains this stable, you should be able to spend slightly more time outside than before.”

The moment I heard those words, a thought occurred to me.

Perhaps even this request might be possible.

“In that case, Grandfather…”

I clasped both hands tightly against my chest and gathered all my courage.

“There’s something I would like to ask of you.”