Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: A Father's Duty
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I didn't mince words with the man. I was still furious.
“What do you fink patients awe? You don't desewve to be a physician.”
My words must have been the final blow.
Jeok Yunha handled the rest with ease.
Jeok Yunha's group took Peiman and his disciples into custody.
The patient who was in on it, after coming to his senses, confessed that he had been paid to give false testimony.
Finally, the remaining apothecary, Su Jaeheon, after struggling like Peiman, admitted to taking the money.
“We plan to send them to the Administrative Office.”
This country has an organization that manages medicines and licenses official physicians and apothecaries.
There's also a physicians' association, founded by physicians themselves.
Both are very powerful institutions in this country.
“I'm also going to file a formal complaint with the physicians' association to get him expelled, one way or another.”
Well, getting him expelled won't be easy.
‘He was under the protection of the Sinion family.’
The Sinions were likely to either protect or eliminate Peiman to prevent any evidence linking him to them from surfacing.
‘He can't be allowed to die so easily.’
I subtly passed this information to Jeok Yunha.
“Ack, you know things I haven't even mentioned?”
“I can guess. You'we the one who told me Kanin and Sinion joined fowces.”
Jeok Yunha flapped about in surprise for a moment...
“...Ahem, I keep feeling this, but... Physician, are you really three? You seem more mature than your father...”
“Hwuh?”
I glanced at Dad.
It didn't seem like Dad had done anything particularly immature.
“Oh my, you didn't know? Usually, if anyone says even one bad word about you nearby!”
“...Then what?”
“They say a sudden gust of wind blows the person away. It's a famous story. Oh, and! You don't know about this, do you? Once, when you were looking away for a moment...”
Just as Jeok Yunha was about to say more.
Whoooosh!
A sharp wind blew from somewhere, whipping Jeok Yunha's hair about.
Her mouth snapped shut.
“Ahem, ahem, what a gust of wind...”
Jeok Yunha coughed hastily.
She shot a sideways glance at Dad, but his face was impassive.
Jeok Yunha had no choice but to start talking again, but it was clearly not what she had been about to say before.
“Ahem, ahem, is that all? Sometimes, among the people publicly praising you, someone gets pushed to the very front by a sudden gust of wind.”
Huh? That's a bit...?
‘Isn't that cutting in line?!’
No, more importantly... he's been doing things like that while he's always by my side?
‘I had no idea.’
It was a little hard to believe.
“Daddyy, what on eawth did you do? If you act like that, youw weputation...”
“Will improve. It helps maintain order, and people learn to watch their mouths.”
“Uh...? It does?”
“Yes. When people only say good things, and that's all that's heard, the rumors can only grow more positive, can't they?”
Hearing that, I was a little tempted. No, still, cutting in line is wrong!
“Don't worry. I gave the person behind them advance notice.”
“...That wasn't a thweat? But why go that faw?”
Dad said confidently.
“Managing a physician's reputation is a warrior's duty.”
“...Don't lie. Since when did wawwiows do that kind of thing?”
Someone who does that isn't a warrior, they're a manager. In this world's terms, a strategist or an aide.
When I pointed that out, Dad changed his tune.
“It's special service.”
What kind of nonsense is this?
For now, I decided to set that topic aside and say what I'd intended to.
“About the two wemaining patients Peiman's disciple bwought.”
“Ah! Are you going to treat them, Physician?”
I shook my head firmly.
“No, have a diffewent physician tweat them.”
“Ack, why is that?”
I don't have an official license yet.
So even if we wanted to leave an official record, it wouldn't be possible if I treated them.
So I advised Jeok Yunha to make sure a record was left.
“Have a physician with a good weputation who isn't involved with you tweat them.”
Fortunately, this poison isn't hard to treat as long as you haven't inhaled its scent. The same poison will be found in both patients.
It will soon be revealed whether this was Kanin's doing alone, or if the Sinions behind them ordered it.
“Leave the fact that the same poison was found as official evidence.”
“Oh... yes. I had a similar thought. But your idea is better. How can someone so young be so meticulous? Looking at you, it's like you've been through this sort of thing often, ho ho.”
Clapping her hands, a cheerful Jeok Yunha skipped away.
I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Her joke hit the nail right on the head.’
Damn it, she poked a sore spot.
Now it was time to rest. With nothing more to see, I leaned against Dad's chest and went limp.
‘Let's see, how will the Sinions react?’
A guy like Peiman, who arrogantly relies on nothing but his reputation, is no match for me.
If my memoirs are ever published someday, I wonder if this incident would be recorded like this:
‘Spilling the tea on how I arrested a mid-level physician at age three...’
I covered my mouth and giggled, thinking what a silly thought it was.
“What's so amusing?”
“Hwuh?”
Dad lowered his head, and his long hair cascaded down, tickling my cheek.
I shook my head, sputtering a little.
“Of couwse I'm happy. I weally got 'em good.”
“I didn't think you'd find pleasure in such things.”
What are you talking about, Father? You still have a long way to go. You still don't know me at all.
“What awe you talking about? Who doesn't like seeing bad guys get what they desewve? I weally, weally, weally! wuv it.”
I've held so many grudges in my life, you see.
“So, Daddyy.”
I patted Dad's chest.
“Fank you.”
“All of a sudden?”
“Uh-huh.”
Dad's chest was very firm. Like something that would never crumble.
Maybe I'd always wished for a firm wall like this, a wall to protect me.
I took Dad's hand. It was so big I could only barely grasp his fingers.
“You kept youw pwomise. You pwotected me.”
I felt Dad flinch.
His slightly wavering eyes quickly regained their composure.
“...I did say I would protect you from the start. Was I that untrustworthy?”
How should I answer?
My hesitation didn't last long. I had decided to be honest.
“To be honest... uh-huh, yes.”
“...”
“You thweatened me when we fiwst met.”
I wondered if the expression on Dad's face now held regret. Just for a moment, I hoped it did.
Though if it didn't, there was nothing I could do.
“And ouw pwomise has no contwact, no seal, not even an oath bound by powew. It was just vewbal. It's a pwomise that wouldn't be stwange if it was bwoken at any time.”
I hate betrayal. That's why I didn't leave a record.
No matter if this is my fourth life, if Dad abandoned or betrayed me again, I felt the shock would be even greater.
After a moment's hesitation, Dad spoke.
“Have you not considered this?”
“Considewed what?”
“The thought that because I am your father, it is only natural that I should protect you, my daughter.”
“...”
I tilted my head innocently, as if I found that strange.
“Why is that a given?”
I know.
There are parents in the world like my eldest uncle, who devotedly care for their children despite being ill.
But on the other hand.
“Thewe awe also pawents who don't wove theiw childwen.”
“...”
“Thewe awe pawents who abandon them as soon as they'we bown.”
There are people like you.
I didn't mean to blame him.
I smiled sweetly.
“I'm not saying it's youw fauwt, Daddyy. You wost youw memowies, so you don't know why you abandoned me, and it's not youw fauwt you don't wemembew me.”
“...”
“It's just how it is. We made a deal. Wet's just fink about that.”
Keep the accounts clear.
I was about to say that much when I froze.
Dad's face had hardened frighteningly. He looked like he was angry.
At the same time, it betrayed a mix of inexpressible emotions. It was a complicated look.
Dad's hand pressed against my cheek, not hard enough to hurt. My lips popped out like a goldfish.
“Oof! What awe you doing...!”
“I don't know why. But I just felt extremely foul.”
Dad's expression turned sullen.
Sullen? Crap, what kind of word did I just use to describe this dad?
Goosebumps crawled up my skin.