Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Provocation
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His name was… ‘San Gongmin’?
“I cannot tell you here.”
Just as I thought.
“Follow me. We will proceed with the interrogation.”
As the warrior spoke forcefully, I could feel my father's body tense up.
I patted my father as if to say it was okay.
Whoa, whoa. Not yet, Dad.
“It’s stwange. Thewe awe so many people gathewed awound.”
I had no intention of feigning innocence like I did with Peiman. I stared intently at the warrior.
“But you awbitwawiwy caww me an impowstow, and now you want me to fowwow without an expwanation?”
“It is procedure. The reason cannot be disclosed here.”
“Aha, so wegawdwess of what misundewstandings the people wistening might have, it's none of my business?”
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“You sure make your job easy.”
I tugged on my father's sleeve.
‘Dad, bite!’
Having spent time with him, I realized my father was quicker on the uptake than I thought; he moved swiftly without me having to say a word.
Of course, I didn't mean for him to actually bite.
“Siw Wawwiow. I think those men need some wind.”
My father let out a short laugh.
“As you command.”
In that instant, all the warriors who had come here floated gently into the air.
The face of ‘San Gongmin,’ who had been speaking for them, crumpled. It turned red with humiliation.
“Wh-what is the meaning of this!”
“…”
“To attack the official warriors of the Heuk family! This will be considered an attack on the Heuk family itself! The main house will not stand for this!”
Bound tightly by the wind, San Gongmin's flailing limbs were clearly visible as he floated in mid-air.
I stared at him nonchalantly and gave a sweet smile.
So what?
“So?”
Physicians and apothecaries are inevitably people without combat abilities.
A multi-talented person like Heuk Ahwa isn't scheduled to appear until the female lead shows up.
And yet, in the Heuk family, and by extension, the empire.
Do you know why warriors are inevitably subordinate to apothecaries and physicians?
“My name is Heuk Biyu.”
Warriors form contracts with the family.
The contract stipulates that they must obey the orders of their assigned physician or apothecary.
They accept their lot of having to follow even unreasonable commands, stamping the contract with their own hands.
The reason for this is that this continent is inherently prone to conflict.
There are even many who profit from war, making healers a rarity.
Is that all? The incidence of disease was also extremely high due to the wars.
In this situation, warriors from the Heuk family enjoy an advantage after their contract ends.
Simply having a record of service with the Heuk family grants them priority for treatment rights.
Thus, with the number of healers being far smaller than that of warriors, and with the advantages of being affiliated with the Heuk family.
The head of the Heuk family holds the power of life and death over their affiliated warriors.
“I'm putting my own name on the sign. Whose pewmission do I need?”
Therefore, this warrior's current actions were a blatant disregard for a direct descendant.
No matter that my father and I had been abandoned.
To intentionally do something like this, it must be an order from the family head, or if not the head, someone else powerful in the Heuk family.
‘They knew who my father was, yet they still chose to attack us.’
You'd have to be a fool not to notice them constantly glancing at my father.
“…You arbitrarily put the family name on your sign!”
“Yeah. Because it's my name. So why am I an impowstow?”
Watching him fluster made me want to laugh.
How foolish.
I guess he didn't expect this situation at all, huh?
‘He must have thought we'd tremble in fear if he brought up the Heuk family name.’
I inwardly twisted my lips into a smirk.
“Hmph, you… you're an outcast, aren't you!”
San Gongmin's face contorted as he shouted viciously.
I didn't even blink. Instead, I beamed as if I was pleased to hear it.
“You just pwooved it with youw own mouth, didn't you? That I'm a membew of the Heuk famiwy.”
“…!”
Being called an outcast or whatever, it didn't affect me in the slightest. It's the truth, after all.
‘Your provocation is lacking.’
The crowd was murmuring, but what mattered to them wasn't a name, but a physician's skill.
Besides.
“Outcast ow whatevew. I've nevew been expewwed.”
I placed a hand on my chest and spoke confidently, not forgetting to enunciate clearly.
“I am a member of the Heuk family, and the fact that my surname is Heuk does not change.”
At my words, the man, realizing he had dug his own grave, was rendered speechless.
Soon, his face turned shades of red and purple.
“That's… damn it! Trying to deceive us with such words… The direct heirs of the Heuk family will not stand for this! Submit to the investigation at once!”
I tried to cross my arms but failed, tilting my head to the side.
“I'm a diwect descendwant, too. I don't know which Auntie gave you the owdew, but she can wequest things of me, not command me.”
I tilted my head again, looking at him as if bewildered.
“Ah! Awe you pewhaps... wacking in intewwigence?”
Hoo, to whichever aunt is behind this.
Thank you for looking down on us so much and sending such a foolish person?
‘The one these guys were actually targeting wasn't me… It was probably Dad.’
Of course, I must have been a nuisance to them too.
I wasn't the grandchild they were backing, yet I was doing well in a huge market, so they must have been displeased.
So it's not that they had no intention of driving me out, but…
Ever since they stormed in here, they'd been busy glancing or side-eyeing my father.
‘They were watching Dad's every reaction.’
What a relief.
‘It looked like they were trying to provoke Dad into making a scene.’
If Dad had stepped in, it would have been a headache…
And just a few minutes later, I would come to regret my premature relief.
“Ha, what does a mere child know! The daughter of a cripple, acting all high and mighty!”
*THWACK!*
I'd seen countless people sent flying by the wind, seeing stars…
But this was the first time I realized that if you hit someone with intent instead of just sending them flying, it makes such a massive sound.
*CRASH!*
A crack split across the floor.
So the wind can even crack the ground.
I froze, staring blankly. The warrior, San Gongmin, didn't even twitch.
“…How dare you.”
Why was I enveloped in wind, floating alone in the air?
I could do nothing but blink my wide eyes.
A short distance away, my father had his foot on the neck of San Gongmin, who was not just knocked to the floor but practically embedded in it.
I could only see his back, so I couldn't tell what expression he was wearing.
A moment later, my father turned his head slightly and glanced at me.
I swallowed hard.
His red eyes were shimmering ominously.
I could only stare blankly, unable to do anything.
My father spoke, still looking at me from the corner of his eye.
For someone whose eyes looked so crazed, his voice was chillingly calm.
“This isn't the kind of treatment I made a contract for you to receive…”
…A contract?
What contract? Don't tell me, the contract with me??
Anyway, wait a minute.
‘Dad…?’
You're not supposed to step in…
This isn't supposed to happen?!
* * *
San Gongmin trembled.
‘How… did it come to this?’
The foot on his neck felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Sweat poured down his face. He was out of his mind with terror. At this rate, his neck might snap…
It was a warrior's intuition.
He felt the overwhelming difference in power between him and the man before him, ‘Heuk Bihu.’
No matter what he tried, he would die helplessly.
‘Why… why did it turn out like this!’
The beginning of this affair flashed through his mind.
‘Provoke him, by any means necessary. You must confirm it.’
‘Provoke him, by any means necessary. You must confirm it.’
‘…’
‘…’
‘Whether Heuk Bihu, that damn bastard, reacts.’
‘Whether Heuk Bihu, that damn bastard, reacts.’
His master had whispered elegantly, her expression unchanging even as she uttered such harsh words.
‘Bihu, that bastard's daughter seems to be a genius. The test results… have finally reached my ears. My sister doesn't know yet, of course.’
‘Bihu, that bastard's daughter seems to be a genius. The test results… have finally reached my ears. My sister doesn't know yet, of course.’
‘…’
‘…’
‘San Gongmin, I'm counting on you. That little wench will be a useful tool. Make sure she can't practice as a physician in the market anymore.’
‘San Gongmin, I'm counting on you. That little wench will be a useful tool. Make sure she can't practice as a physician in the market anymore.’
His master had brought a hand to her lips and chuckled, ‘Huhu.’
‘Frame her as an impersonator. But if I just say that, I can already predict what my foolish warrior will do.’
‘Frame her as an impersonator. But if I just say that, I can already predict what my foolish warrior will do.’
San Gongmin flinched. She wasn't wrong. He was an illiterate warrior, so he waited quietly for his master's command.
‘I will tell you what to say at the decisive moment.’
‘I will tell you what to say at the decisive moment.’