“I really can't get myself adjusted to that bell ringing.'

Kanghyok got annoyed from early morning.

What's strange was Dolsok was already standing in the doorway when he woke up.

As usual, Dolsok was hold a washbasin with warm water.

“Are you awake, master?”

“Oh, yes. Just put it down there. Let me wash my face later.”

“Yes, I'll bring you breakfast then.”

“Sure.”

With a satisfied smile he got up.

And then he searched his pocket.

‘Missing here as I expected.'

All the missing pills were placed back in the bag.

‘How is this possible?'

Tilting his head to one side a bit, Kanghyok came out of the room.

There were many things about which there was no use worrying.

The waste of time was the last thing that he wanted.

Now he began to wash his face.

Though he had no soap, he felt good when he washed it.

‘Did he say I'm 24? Yea, my skin is silky.'

When he touched his silky face skin, it was the same he felt as a school boy.

“Master, I'm bringing breakfast now.”

“No, not yet. Let me check Oksok's condition first.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You saw him this morning, right? How about his condition now?”

Kanghyok usually didn't ask. Besides, it was only an appendicitis. No matter how bad Oksok's condition was, such a find doctor as Kanghyok could easily cure it.

“Good heavens! They said no medicine could cure him, but he really looks good now. I just held him down when he often stood up to help the madam.”

“Really? He shouldn't start working yet…”

“You took the words out of my mouth. Look at him! Please tell him something, master.”

Dolsok made a big fuss, pointing to Oksok sweeping the yard with a broom.

Though he looked pale, he looked fit otherwise.

When his eyes met Kanghyok's, Oksok quickly put down the broom.

“Master!”

“Oh, it seems you're fully recovered. Let me check your belly.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kanghyok rolled up his jacket a bit and examined the wound.

‘St.i.tched very well. Though you have a scar there, I can't do anything about it.'

Given that he did the surgery in a bad condition, it was perfect.

“Very good…You can sweep the yard now. Oh, take this one”

Kanghyok put pills on his palm and said,

“Take two pills in the morning and another two in the evening. You can swallow them with water.”

“Yes, master. Thanks.”

“Please have breakfast, sir.”

“Sure. Thanks.'

Leaving Oksok alone in the yard, he and Dolsok came back to the rom.

There were only a few side dishes on the table.

Recalling the food he enjoyed at the geisha house last night, he felt it was a sumptuous feast.

‘I like this scorched rice water anyway.'

He began to enjoy it.

Side dishes were the same:pickled crabs, radish kimchi and soy sauce.

“Is anybody in?'

When he was chewing the last side dish, somebody called from outside with a strong voice.

‘That voice is familiar to me…'

Kanghyok put down spoon and chopsticks and tilted his head to one side.

Actually there were not many he met since he came to this old Korea, Chosun.

And there were only a few he got to know.

‘Ah, it looks like Makbong.'

That annoying b.a.s.t.a.r.d with a good build.

He was unusually loyal to Pyonsu, so it was understandable that he came so early in the morning.

As Kanghyok's personal servant, Dolsok was a bit higher in status than other servants.

Basically he was from a n.o.ble family.

So, it was another servant who opened the door.

“Who is it?”

“Bring me Dolsok, please.”

“Brother Dolsok? For what? He's eating now.”

“Tell him I'm waiting for him. He'll recognize me if you tell him I'm Makbong.”

“Okay. Wait here.”

“Oh my…”

Granted he was from the acrobatic team that didn't tell from n.o.blemen from commoners, the servant couldn't understand how Makbong could ask to see Dolsok rudely.

While Makbong was waiting helplessly. Kanghyok walked over to the gate.

Originally it was the rule for the master to open the door for a guest.

And he had some pills ready, too.

He said to the servant holding the doork.n.o.b.

“As I know him, open the door.”

“Oh, sorry, master. I didn't know that…”

The servant kept lowering his head, feeling sorry as if he made the master come to the door.

As he felt uncomfortable, Kanghyok waved to the servant.

“Enough. Open the door now.”

“Yes, yes.”

The servant quickly unlocked the door and opened it.

The heavy door was flung open.

Outside were standing Makbong and Yoni.

Though she put her hair up like a man, she couldn't hide her beautiful face.

“Oh, both of you are here. How about the condition of Pyonsu?”

At his asking, Yoni lowered her head and said,

“Yes, he looks alright, sir. All thanks to you.”

“Can he direct the performance?”

This time Makbong lowered his head quickly.

“Oh, yes, I'll help him, sir.”

“Okay, it's good to know he is healthy now. Take this pill for him for today.”

Yoni received it..

“Thanks so much, sir.”

But Makbong said, as if he was not satisfied.

“Can you give me some more pills?”

Kanghyok antic.i.p.ated such questions and had the ready answers, too.

Without changing any facial expression, he replied,

“I'm sorry I can't. I can make this much per day.”

“Oh, I see…”

“Yeah, this is pretty precious. This is the one and only pill in the world.”

In fact, he had plenty of pills in the back.

But he had just one at the moment.

Yoni and Makbong were embarra.s.sed and expressed thanks to him, lowering their heads repeatedly.

“Sure, we got it. Thanks so much.”

“If you are not tied up so much, can you come to our performance today?”

Yoni cautiously invited him.

Touching his lower chin, Kanghyok said, “Isn't the mayor supposed to invite people?”

“That's correct, but who can stop you if you want to come?”

Looking around dozens of servants gathered at the large yard, Yoni said.

“Oh, as my father is going anyway, I can go with him anyway,” said Kanghyok.

There was nothing to lose even if Kanghyok to make friends with the higher-ups there.

“See you again at the performance.”

“Yes, sir. We're leaving now. Thanks.”

Stepping back, both of them walked out the door.

Before they disappeared from his eyes, Kanghyok turned his head.

For Sungmun called him.

“Who were they? Looks like they are not normal.”

Given the way they were dressed and spoke, they looked shabby.

Kanghyok had a ready answer to that.

As he gave lots of lectures as a famous professor in modern Korea, he was just eloquent.

“They are the family members of a patent that I treated at the market yesterday.”

“Yesterday?”

“Yes. By the way, are you going to the acrobatic team's performance?”

“Yeah, you said you wouldn't go.”

“I'm going to go with you.”

“You, too? Hurry up now. All the higher-ups nearby come to the performance. So, be dressed up well.”

“Yes, dad.”

“As Kanghyok is coming with me, get him a horse.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kanghyok went into his room right away.

Looking in the mirror, he found his hair disheveled all over.

‘Hummm.. Can I comb it up?'

He recalled Sungmun's nice hair-do.

Taking his cue from it, he mended his hair likewise.

Obviously Sungmun was satisfied with his clean appearance.

“You look much better now. Let's go.”

“Yes, dad.”

The servants brought a horse for Kanghyok.

Sungmun got on a horse skillfully.

Kanghyok has never got on a horse, to the best of his memory.

‘Oh, maybe I did once. In Cheju Island.'

Dolsok quickly helped him get on a horse.

“Thanks, Dolsok.”

“Let's go now.”

While he was riding a horse to the performance place, he kept searching for something.

As Dolsok kept shouting ‘Paek family of Suwon,' Kanghyok knew he was in Suwon now.

‘But I don't see Hwasung Castle here…'

Wherever he looked around, he couldn't see Hwasung Castle.

That meant the old Korea, or Chosun, he was in now was before the period of KIng Chongjo's reign.

‘This must be Chosun in the 16th, or 17th century…'

While he was lost in thought, Dolsok pulled up the reigns quickly.

“We arrived at the destination.”

In the broad yard of the mayor were various acrobatic equipment installed, including the tightropes and swings.

Sungmun headed for the mayor and the governor, and Kanghyok took a seat way down.

Geishas began to sit next to the higher-ups one by one and served them.

Kanghyok looked at the acrobatic team.

In no time Pyonsu came out, who looked healthy like Yoni said.

“Your Excellency, let me introduce ourselves.”

“Sure.”

“We'll do our best to please you.”

As soon as Pyonsu finished introduction, they began to perform.

The performance itself was the same as yesterday.

As Kanghyok instructed, Pyonsu didn't appear until the end of the performance.

When he was bowing politely to them, the mayor of Suwon asked,

“I hear you were almost dead yesterday. Are you okay?”

Given that the mayor knew in detail, obviously some keisha told him about the incident last night.

“Yes, sir. I'm fully recovered now.”

“Who did treat you? Looks like he has awesome medical skills.”

Swallowing dry salivar, Pyonsu looked at Kanghyok.

“Pardon me to say this, but the n.o.bleman over there, scholar Paek has cured me.”

It was the moment that a whole new side of Kanghyok, widely rumored as a sc.u.m in the area, got recognized for the first time by the higher-ups there.