Chapter 119: The Examination
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 119: The Examination
In the darkness, In-ho’s eyes snapped open.
In the past, he would have tried to drift back to sleep in his groggy state, but strangely, his mind was so clear that further rest seemed impossible.
"……"
As In-ho slowly sat up, the blanket that had been pulled up to his neck slid down and settled at his waist. He stared blankly at the pitch-black world outside the window and scratched his neck.
"I’m wide awake."
It seemed he had fallen asleep while Emma was shaving him, lulled by the comfort of her touch. His last memory was being in the chair, so he assumed he must have been moved to the bed in his sleep.
He forced his joints, which groaned in a discordant creak, to move as he climbed out of bed. He stood before the window.
The large window beside the bed was perfect for taking in the scenery, but it seemed poorly suited for keeping out the cold air. Then again, it was unreasonable to compare it to advanced modern construction methods.
"It feels a bit stuffy, too."
The tiny drafts whistling through the cracks weren't enough to ventilate the stale air in the room.
Ahem, ahem. In-ho cleared his throat and opened the door, intending to get some fresh air.
The door swung open, and a dark hallway greeted him. He placed a candle inside a lantern—a "medieval flashlight," so to speak—and stepped out.
Creak, creak.
The floorboards groaned with every step he took. The silent mansion exaggerated every movement the old man made.
In-ho dragged his heavy legs slowly down the hallway. Just as he reached the stairs, he heard a door open next to his room.
"Master?"
Emma, dressed in somewhat casual attire, called out to him.
"Ah."
It wasn't as if he’d been caught doing something wrong, but In-ho stood still, unsure of what to say. While he remained silent, Emma approached him with quick strides.
"……"
She peered intently at In-ho’s face, illuminated by the faint glow of the candle.
"It’s you, Master, isn't it?"
It was a question loaded with meaning.
"It’s me. The one whose beard you shaved."
It didn't take long for In-ho to realize what Emma had been afraid of. He gave her a gentle smile and reached out with his free hand to pat her head.
"What a relief."
Emma let out a sigh of relief, clutching her chest.
"Did I wake you?" In-ho asked, worried he might have disturbed her sleep.
"No. I usually wake up around this time to prepare for the day. You simply woke up earlier than usual, Master."
"Ah, I see."
"Did you need something?"
"Ah... I just felt a bit stifled and thought I’d get some fresh air."
"Then could you wait just five minutes? It’s cold out."
Without waiting for his answer, Emma hurried off somewhere. In-ho, unable to go down the stairs or return to his room, waited awkwardly for about five minutes until Emma returned with a thick fur coat.
She held it out carefully, and In-ho slid his arms into the sleeves. His body was already difficult to move, and the fur coat made him feel even more sluggish, which he didn't particularly like. However, he decided not to show it, appreciating Emma’s thoughtfulness.
"Please bear with the weight. It would break my heart if you caught a cold, Master."
Emma said quietly, as if reading his mind with uncanny intuition.
"No, it’s fine. It’s nice and warm."
Startled by her perceptiveness, In-ho answered immediately and began his careful descent down the stairs.
And so, the dawn stroll began.
Since it was the season when the sun rose late, the world didn't look much different from the night. But as In-ho walked through the garden with slow steps, he could see the faint glimmer of morning approaching in the distance.
Emma followed half a step behind him, acting like a docent and providing commentary on whatever In-ho happened to look at. It seemed his reputation as a famous author in his younger days wasn't just for show, as there were quite a few items in the garden that had been received as gifts.
"The doctor is coming today, right?"
"Yes. He said he would arrive before lunch."
"Will it take long?"
"It’s been a while since your last checkup, but I don’t think it will take very long."
"It would be nice to be healthy. Right?"
When In-ho turned back with a broad grin, Emma came to a dead stop at the sight of his face.
"Emma?"
In-ho called her name when he saw her staring at him, looking dazed.
"Ah... Ah! Yes. Yes. Being healthy is best."
Emma turned her head away, her face flushing red.
*
Just as Emma had said, the doctor arrived before lunch, while In-ho was enjoying tea after breakfast. In-ho had expected an old man like himself, so he was slightly surprised to see a relatively young doctor.
The doctor carefully examined In-ho as he sat on the bed and then asked him several questions. In-ho answered them appropriately, and the doctor recorded something on a piece of paper he had brought.
In-ho tried to steal a glance at what the doctor was writing, but he couldn't understand the strange characters. Just like when he had fallen into the Murim world, he could understand the spoken language, but the written word remained a mystery.
"Not bad at all. You are quite healthy. You could even start writing a new work, couldn't you? Hahahaha."
The doctor gave a good-natured smile, and In-ho responded with one of his own. The doctor stood up, packing away his examination tools, and In-ho stood to offer his hand.
As they shook hands, the doctor mentioned how much he missed In-ho’s writing.
"My father and I are both huge fans of your work, sir."
"I’m honored."
"I’ll be waiting for your next masterpiece."
"Yes."
In-ho was about to see the doctor off with a warm smile when the man turned back at the door and looked at Emma.
"Ah, Miss Emma."
"Yes?"
"I have some simple precautions regarding the Master’s health... Do you have a moment? Somewhere quiet would be best."
The doctor glanced briefly at In-ho, and Emma didn't miss the signal.
"Follow me. Master, please excuse us for a moment."
"Then I’ll be in the garden for a bit."
"Um... then could you please stay somewhere visible from the window?"
"I will. Don't worry."
Leaving Emma and the doctor behind, In-ho headed back out to the garden. As he walked with slow, deliberate steps, he heard someone calling him from somewhere.
"Teacher. Teacher In-ho."
Turning toward the sound, he saw the man who had visited yesterday calling out to him. In-ho slowly approached the gate.
The old man and the young man faced each other across the iron bars.
"Teacher. You remember me, right? I’m Hans from the general store."
"Ah... the general store. I think I might remember..."
In-ho didn't bother lying about knowing him. The man before him was a young man with a very pleasant impression. In-ho grew curious as to why he was calling for him.
"So, what is it?"
"Well, it’s about Emma, who works at your house."
"Yes, what about her?"
"You know the village festival is coming up soon, right?"
"A festival?"
"Ah, you didn't know. Anyway, there’s a festival soon. The young people of the village pair up to dance."
"That’s a nice custom."
"Right? Ah, anyway. I asked Emma to dance with me, but she said she was too busy with work at the mansion..."
Hans kept smiling, but his eyes were darting around nervously.
"So, what are you trying to say?"
Getting a bit tired of the roundabout conversation, In-ho threw a direct question.
"If it’s alright with you... if you could lighten Emma’s workload on the day of the festival... Eek!!!"
Hans, who had been stuttering out his request, suddenly recoiled in shock at something he saw.
"Hmm?"
When In-ho turned toward where the man’s gaze was fixed, he saw Emma and the doctor standing there, Emma staring at Hans with an expressionless face.
"Master, the doctor is leaving now."
"Ah, it seems your conversation is over. Thank you for today."
"Haha, it was nothing. Please take good care of your health, Teacher In-ho."
The gate opened, and the doctor stepped out. The maid gave a polite bow to the doctor and then slammed the iron gate shut with a loud clang.
"……"
She simply glared at Hans.
Thrown into an uncomfortable silence, In-ho felt awkward and spoke up first.
"Emma, do you want to go to the festival?"
Grind.
At In-ho’s question, the sound of something grinding came from Emma’s mouth.
"No, Master. I will. Ab. So. Lutely. Not. Be going to any festival."
"Ah... really? I was just going to say you could go if it was only because of work..."
"Master. It’s almost time for lunch, so let’s head inside."
"Ah, alright. Well... Hans. It looks like you two should settle the festival matter between yourselves."
Overwhelmed by Emma’s intensity, In-ho hurriedly bid Hans goodbye and entered the mansion.
"...Emma. Um... look, the thing is..."
"...Mr. Hans."
Once she confirmed In-ho had entered the house, Emma growled in a low voice.
"If you keep hitting on me, I’ll kill you."
Before Hans could even respond, Emma turned on her heel and followed her master. Watching Emma’s retreating figure, Hans muttered to himself.
"Wow... she’s even pretty when she’s angry."
It seemed Emma’s warning hadn't quite reached Hans.
*
Back inside the mansion, Emma watched as In-ho reached the second floor and entered his room.
"...Master."
Emma called out to her master under her breath, her voice filled with sorrow. She recalled the conversation she’d had with the doctor.
'I couldn't say this in front of the Teacher, but I thought you should know, Miss Emma.'
'It’s not necessarily a good thing when a dementia patient temporarily regains their vigor and acts normally.'
'It could be the patient burning the last of their life force, so please be prepared.'
'Prepared for what?'
Emma had asked the doctor, feeling as if a heavy weight had dropped into her chest. The doctor didn't hide his grim emotions as he looked Emma straight in the eye.
'Prepared to let your master go.'
"What should I do, Master? My poor Master..."
Emma’s face, which had seemed like it would never break, crumbled in an instant like a collapsed dam.