Chapter 82
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: The King of Assassins
“They said managing the physician’s condition and schedule was your job, too.”
- Since when?
“Is Daddy a wiar?”
- …….
Dad deflated. I grinned.
Meanwhile, the knights looked my father over with satisfied eyes before ordering authoritatively.
“Indeed, the Heuk family’s reputation is well-deserved. Good, physician. Follow me. An important person awaits you.”
Instead of answering, Dad glanced at me. I nodded, as if to say it was okay.
‘Oh, Dad’s frowning. That’s a slightly annoyed face.’
As his memories returned, my father, strangely enough, began to show more expressions.
To others, there might not have been much of a difference, but he was definitely more expressive than when I had first met him.
“I will accompany you, Physician.”
Lord Rederick amiably tagged along.
I had wondered if he could even walk, but he was more capable than I’d thought.
What’s with his stamina?
And so, with Gyewon joining us, we set off.
We stopped in front of a respectable-looking building.
Count Rederick whispered softly beside me.
“This is the village chief’s house.”
The village chief?
“I thought the village chief was sick, too?”
“They kicked the chief out and moved in.”
Ah…
Those bastards. Kicking out a patient on the verge of death?
‘Why do all these guys who serve the imperial family act the same?’
I glared at the knights’ backs with a cold expression, then suddenly looked down.
‘…Raon?’
I’d been holding the bag with Raon inside ever since Gyewon gave it to me.
‘He’s trembling.’
I wanted to take him out right away and see what was wrong, but there were too many eyes on us.
“Brother.”
I called Gyewon over and gave him an instruction—a request to prepare a snack for Raon.
Then I sent him to Heuk Birang, whom we had left in front of the deputy chief’s house.
After that, we entered the village chief’s house.
- So, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me how long I have to pretend to be the physician instead of my daughter, real Physician.
Wow, just listen to the dissatisfaction practically bursting from his voice.
“…Why are you so angwy?”
He seemed to have taken measures so no one could hear my voice anyway, and since we were heading into a hallway, I felt safe enough to ask.
- Aren’t they ordering you around? It’s infuriating, so don’t you dare heal them in one go.
What was he talking about?
‘You’re not supposed to treat patients with personal feelings, you know?’
Well… even as I said that, I couldn’t claim to have treated every patient without bias.
“You’re such a child. Gyewon is more of a gwown-up.”
- That’s fine. I suppose I can be a father who’s like a peer to his daughter.
Why would you interpret it that way? And my mental age is that of an adult, you know?
“We’ve arrived.”
The door opened, and I entered the room with Lord Rederick. A foul stench immediately penetrated my mask, and I wrinkled my nose.
‘…An imperial envoy, you said?’
Before me was a patient who hadn’t been cared for at all.
One patient, lying down.
One man, sitting in front of the patient.
The one nursing the patient also had a haggard appearance.
He was in his twenties, with gray hair and sharp features. His clear, deep blue eyes, however, were strangely impressive.
‘…That man.’
The man nursing the patient looked familiar. He was someone I had seen in my third life, when I entered the imperial palace.
‘Imperial Records Administrator, Silvester Vook.’
He looked younger than I remembered. I slowly erased the man’s face from my mind.
“Sir Silvester…! I’ve brought the physician. What the villagers said was true. Someone really did come from the Heuk family. They say he is the physician from there.”
“Physician…? Which one?”
“Pardon? Well… this one, of course. Ah, the child is said to be his daughter.”
At the knight's introduction, the man named Silvester let out a dry laugh.
He then rummaged through his pocket and put on a pair of glasses.
“That will be all. You may leave. I’d like to have a word with the physician.”
“Ah, but… we are to be your escorts!”
“That’s enough. We’re likely to die if things continue as they are, so is that really important? Leave at once. Shouldn’t you all be begging for your lives as well?”
“Ah…”
The man named Silvester’s tone was cold and sharp, but for some reason, the knights looked moved before scurrying out.
‘For men wearing the imperial knights’ uniform, why do they seem so lax?’
The imperial knights I remembered were all stubborn, inflexible people.
They’d certainly given that impression when they barged into Lord Rederick’s room, so that Silvester must be the cause.
“I apologize for the disturbance.”
As the Emperor’s envoy, he had every right to be arrogant, but the man’s tone was polite and respectful.
The spots on his skin made it clear he was ill. Yet his eyes were clear and direct.
“So, which of you should I call Physician?”
He asked which one, but Silvester’s gaze was fixed on me.
I wasn’t particularly surprised.
I was, however, a little impressed. I merely thought, *This man hasn’t changed a bit.*
‘He guessed right in my third life, too. He always had so many questions whenever he saw me.’
When no one answered, Silvester let out a small, weary sigh.
“It seems I’ve asked a difficult question.”
“Haha… If you don’t mind, may I speak first?”
“No need. I’ve seen you before. Count Rederick, though you were unconscious from the illness at the time. Do you remember waking up midway to greet me?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Your mental fortitude is impressive. My superior here can’t even remember his own name anymore.”
Silvester gave Count Rederick a light once-over.
“Congratulations on your recovery. The Heuk family’s physician is truly something else, it seems.”
“Haha…”
“But are you sure you should be moving about? I see you’re not worried about being reinfected.”
Despite the blunt tone, Count Rederick wasn’t flustered and simply agreed.
“Yes, the physician here told me not to worry about reinfection once I’d recovered. They are a remarkable person.”
He insisted on coming even though I said he didn’t have to. It seems this was why.
“So, I would very much like to know which of you is so remarkable.”
“Haha, well…”
“Fine. It seems a proper introduction is a long way off, so I’ll introduce myself first. Silvester Vook. I am an imperial scribe. I am currently traveling as an envoy under His Majesty’s command.”
After his introduction, Silvester turned his gaze to the patient lying on the bed.
He was a middle-aged man who looked about twenty years older than Silvester.
He was clearly on the verge of death.
“This is my superior, Detlef Groth. He is the Director of the Imperial Scribes. He was traveling with me as an envoy. Though this may very well be the end of his journey.”
His last words were loaded with meaning.
The man, impossibly calm even while implying his superior’s death, continued.
“Heuk Bihu, the long-missing man who was once the Heuk family’s guard dog and the King of Assassins, is unlikely to suddenly return as a physician…”
His blue eyes turned to me.
“So, unbelievably, this young lady must be the remarkable physician.”
This, I found a little surprising.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t surprised he’d guessed my identity so quickly and without prejudice.
I was more surprised by what he called my father.
“The King of Assassins…?”