Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: New Family -3
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"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
Morning came, and Elsia came to see me alone to apologize. She must have come to check if yesterday's incident with Elin had bothered me.
"Don't worry about it. Kids make mistakes sometimes."
"No. I should have paid more attention to Elin."
"I understand how you feel. But that doesn't change anything, does it?"
Elin probably wants to do things on her own too. A mother can't do everything for her forever, and Elin likely wants to accomplish things like any normal person.
Elsia seemed to know this rationally, as she had no response to my point.
Well, it must be tough from her perspective.
I figured I'd offer her a little help. Her assistance had been invaluable during Chloe's childbirth.
"If you don't mind, could I touch Elin's body?"
"Pardon?"
At my question, Elsia broke out in a cold sweat and asked me back in a trembling voice.
"Do you have desires toward young children by any chance?"
Realizing why she thought that, I answered immediately.
"Absolutely not! That's not my intention at all!"
For a moment, I nearly looked like a disgusting pedophile.
Merchants always calculate the balance of profit and loss.
They must thoroughly weigh whether something benefits them or causes loss before sealing a deal.
However, Elsia's father lacked the talent to become a successful merchant.
He was quick with calculations, but unfortunately not cold-blooded enough. He often made poor choices in important deals due to his emotions.
In particular, Elsia believed his business failed because he always sold to his hometown of Lugeron Village at bargain prices.
Disappointed by her father's ways, Elsia strove to embody the cold precision of a true merchant more than anyone.
Though her father's failure had forced her to settle in this remote rural village, she wanted at least her own child to succeed as a merchant.
That was the reason she married a man named Garom.
Farming had limits on wealth accumulation, but owning a mill allowed for quick riches through embezzlement, and it left more free time than farming for investing in her child's education.
Plus, Garom had low self-esteem, making him easy for her to lead at home. His only flaws were his intense jealousy toward the outsider hunter Ian and his obsession with Sylvia.
Elsia had feelings about Sylvia, the village's greatest beauty, too.
She wondered if she could have amassed even more wealth without Sylvia drawing the men's favor with her bright smiles to everyone—smiles unlike Elsia's own. It made her feel somehow rejected.
But Elsia dismissed this as meaningless for a merchant.
Money was her top priority. Unlike her incompetent father, she believed she controlled her emotions.
Yet for the first time, churning emotions led her to a misguided judgment.
It was because of her daughter, Elin.
Born with a limp like her father Garom, Elin was a flaw in Elsia's eyes—a sickly child who couldn't do anything alone.
If she had been her usual cold merchant self, Elsia would have treated Elin as nonexistent and had another child. But she couldn't. She couldn't abandon the daughter she had painfully birthed, and she poured great effort into Elin.
However, as time passed, Elsia grew increasingly worn down.
There wasn't much a limping child like Elin could do, her husband and Elin's father Garom ignored his daughter and fixated only on the village's top beauty, Sylvia.
And in the end, he abandoned both her and Elin to flee.
In that desperate situation, Elsia encountered a lifeline named Sian.
"Elin, is it okay if big brother touches your body?"
"Sure."
"This isn't anything weird, okay? Just so you know."
"Yes. I trust you, Sian."
"Not Sian—could you call me big brother? I'd like to get close to you, Elin."
"Sian big brother?"
"Yeah, that's right."
Even through a merchant's eyes, this man was priceless.
His astonishing hunting skills, scholarly knowledge, exceptional craftsmanship, and the stamina backing it all.
If she had met him first, she would have used any means to marry him to her daughter Elin. His only drawbacks were his slightly plain looks compared to his adoptive father Ian and his emotional softness, much like her own father.
She had tried to join his family as a concubine, but he accepted her and Elin as true family, not as a mistress.
And now, he was spending a fortune for Elin's sake.
"Smells nice."
"It's perfume oil. You need oil for a massage."
Did he know how much effort it took to obtain that perfume oil?
Elsia tried calculating why he cared for her daughter so much, but she couldn't arrive at an answer.
Sian began massaging Elin's thighs with oiled hands.
"Eek, it's cold."
"Hang on a bit; it'll warm up soon."
"Wow, it's really warm now."
"Hmm... As I thought, her legs are unequal in length. Is this genetic? And her pelvis is tilted from bad posture."
Sian pressed close to Elin, gripping her thigh as he spoke.
"Hold still, Elin. This might hurt a little."
"Okay..."
A crack sounded from Elin's thigh. Elsia jumped in surprise, but Elin showed no sign of pain.
"Does it hurt?"
"No, it's... kind of refreshing."
"Good, then it's working. Just a moment."
Sian examined her knee next, carefully pressing and massaging it.
"Does this hurt?"
"Yes, a little."
"Hmm... Got it. Can you turn over?"
"Okay."
He massaged her lower back and hips, and another crack sounded.
"Ahh—feels so refreshing."
"Glad to hear it."
After several such massages, he pricked her left knee with something like a sharp needle. Elsia flinched, but Elin remained calm.
"Elin, does it hurt?"
"No, Mom. It stung, but it doesn't hurt."
Elin lay still for a few minutes while Sian checked her feet and began crafting something with woodworking skills.
"Phew... That's done for now."
Having focused intensely—sweatier than usual even after heavy work—Sian wiped his brow and addressed the mother and daughter.
"To explain, Elin's disability seems like a genetic condition. Probably from her biological father's side. Without proper tools, I eyeballed the lengths, but since she's still growing, the difference isn't huge. Elin, try putting this on your left foot?"
Sian handed her what he'd made, and Elin cautiously slipped it on.
Miraculously, the limping girl walked without issue.
"M-Mom, I'm walking. Walking properly."
"H-How..."
Elin started to sob at the realization, while Elsia was too stunned to speak.
"This should let you walk temporarily for now. But your left leg muscles aren't developed, so no running yet. Got it, Elin?"
"Yes!"
"One last important thing. How old are you, Elin?"
"Fifteen."
"So your growth plates are still open."
Sian pondered Elsia's answer, then took her hand.
"Combine exercise and massages, plus acupuncture to stimulate the growth plate in her left leg, and it can be fixed."
"W-What did you say?"
"Elin's disability can be cured!"
"Really?"
"Have you ever seen me lie?"
His confident words burst the dam on Elsia's held-back emotions, and she began weeping.
Seeing her mother, Elin hugged her and started crying too.
Sian watched warmly, then quietly stepped away.
'Kya, did they just acknowledge my doctor-level skills? Yeah, they did.'
Anything you learn has its uses.
That was the lesson my biological father from my previous life taught me.
And the Korean medicine my father—a licensed practitioner—force-fed me was proving useful in this other world.
It was half-baked knowledge, though, which was regrettable.
'Dad would have done it better.'
As a kid, I never dreamed of becoming a doctor.
But my father, a master of Korean medicine, taught me forcibly from childhood. The rote-learned knowledge was etched in my brain, and I still remember those days fondly.
- 'Juwan, memorize where the growth plate acupuncture points are. It'll make you money later.'
- 'Argh! Damn it, Dad! Why test it on me?!?!'
'Enough reminiscing.'
Thanks to my father's cramming, at least Elin's issue had a solution.
'Consistency is key, no problem there. And when I can, make her custom crutches from durable blackwood.'
Thinking of next steps, I told Chloe about the day's events.
"That's wonderful."
"Right?"
I couldn't be intimate with my now-pregnant Chloe for a while, but we still faced each other at night, sharing the day's stories.
Suddenly curious, Chloe asked me a question.
"How do you know all that, dear?"
"Well..."
I debated telling my wife about my previous life but decided against hiding it from my life's partner.
"The thing is, I..."
Knock knock.
Just as I was about to reveal my secret to Chloe, someone knocked.
Who at this hour?
Puzzled, I opened the door to find Elsia standing there. I thought she might want to ask about today, but her more dressed-up appearance than usual caught me off guard.
Before I could say anything, Elsia spoke first.
"Tonight, I'm here to serve you as your concubine, Sian."
I reflexively slammed the door shut.