“d.a.m.n it, what do you think I am?”

Kanghyok rea.s.sured Dolsok, who was trying to stop him earnestly, thinking his master was trying to kidnap a woman during curfew.

“Please don't do it, master!”

“Just hit the sack, Dolsok. I'm not going out to kidnap a woman.” Kanghyok tried to smile at him as best as he could.

Yoni and Makbong behind him also smiled at him.

“Oh my G.o.d…”

Only then did Kanghyok tell him about his plan. “Actually, I'm about to treat a scholar's daughter.”

“At this late hour? Without informing the scholar of this?”

“Yeah, I have reason to do so. Let me explain to you later. I have to hurry up.” He shut the door behind him.

“Makbong, when is the right time to go out?”

“Not yet, sir. There are lots of patrollers on the market streets now.”

“Hmm.”

He had to wait until the patrollers were gone. He had no problem at all with waiting, but Dolsok's deep sigh inside the room bothered him a lot.

“Oh my G.o.d… I feel so bad for my lord.”

Kanghyok was about to burst into anger to hear that, when Makbong said, “It's about time. We have to run diagonally as quickly as possible and hide behind the wall.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, you run first, master!”

“Got it.” Bag in his hand, he ran fast, followed by Yoni and Makbong.

“From now on, it's easy. So, just follow me,” said Makbong. He ceaselessly moved around from one wall to another.

When he stopped, there appeared patrollers without any exception.

‘Wow, cool!'

Thanks to his frequent visits to the widows' village, he knew every place in Suwon very well.

“Is this house right?” Makbong asked.

He was pointing at a thatched house with a low wall.

Standing on tiptoe, Kanghyok could instantly recognize that it was the right house.

“Right. Looks like she is in that room.”

Yoni and Makbong couldn't see it as they were short.

“Let me climb over it first.”

Stamping her feet several times, Yoni quickly climbed over it.

As she was light, she didn't make any noise.

“Now, please come over, master.”

“Oh my… How did you climb so quickly?”

Kanghyok found the wall was rather too high for him to climb.

While he was hesitating, Makbong lowered his head to show his back.

“Just step on my back to climb over it.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, please.”

“Sure.” Kanghyok stepped on his back gently.

As he felt Kanghyok was heavy, Makbong made a slight moan.

Finally, he climbed over the wall.

And then Makbong whispered, “Now, it's my turn.”

Though he was heavier than Kanghyok, Makbong jumped over it quickly.

“I don't see a single person in this house now.”

“Maybe the owner of this house can't afford to hire a servant,” said Kanghyok.

“In fact, his clothes were filthy,” said Yoni, recalling Changkwon at the party today.

“Let's go inside.”

“Is it really okay, master? What if she screams…”

“Don't worry. She wouldn't recognize us as she would feel drowsy by now.”

The medicine he gave to Changkwon was far from ordinary.

As its sedation was so strong, even Soonsin fell asleep after taking it while undergoing the surgery.

She must have been in sound sleep because of the sedation effect of the pill.

“Still, I'm a bit concerned…”

“Don't worry at all.”

After he replied in an annoying tone, he slightly opened her door. As soon as he opened it, he heard her snoring a lot.

“Yikes! It stinks really bad.” Makbong pinched his nose with hand.

Shaking his head, Kanghyok went into the room.

“Oh, that medication I gave her wasn't as effective as I expected. Let's go inside, Yoni.”

“Yes, master.” After some hesitation, she followed Kanghyok.

“Makbong, if you notice something suspicious, let us know immediately.”

“Yes, sir. Let me keep watch!”

“Sure, let me count on you. Stay awake.”

“I will, sir. Hahaha.”

Kanghyok felt relieved as Makbong decided to keep watch outside. It's time for him to treat her seriously.

As it was dark in the room, n.o.body could recognize each other there.

‘We have to light the oil lantern.'

Hiding behind Yoni, Kanghyok whispered into her ears, “Now, it's you who has to touch and treat her at my direction.”

“Yes, master.”

“Light the oil lantern first.”

“Okay.” Yoni lit up the oil lantern placed in one corner.

“Why is it so dark?”

“Looks like she is using castor oil. You're using whale oil in your house.”

“Whale? Am I using whale oil?”

“Yes, it's very expensive.”

Kanghyok didn't know that there were different types of oil to light up oil lanterns.

All the medical necessities were supplied by his father Sungmun, including the oil lantern.

Kanghyok looked around her room.

Though the light was dim, he could still see under the castor oil lantern.

‘So many books here…'

Not only books, but also pictures were hung on the wall here and there.

She seemed to have a n.o.ble hobby.

“Now, let down your hair. Try to calm her down even if she woke up.”

“Yes, master.”

Kanghyok's hot breath tickled her ears.

Blus.h.i.+ng, she began to untie her topknot, which let down her silky hair.

‘Beautiful. I think I saw it before somewhere.'

But he could not recall.

“Much better. Let me take a look at her feet first.”

“Oh, yes…”

Yoni cautiously raised the corner of the blanket.

Disgusting odor filled the room instantly.

“Uh…..”

Turning her head, Yoni squeezed her nose.

But Kanghyok began to examine the wound carefully. ‘As expected, the wound got infected…'

She was so young, to say the least. Though her face was swollen with pain, she had such fair skin.

‘It looks like she had another disease before.'

Without any other cause, she could not have developed such an infection on her foot.

Most probably something got stuck inside it.

‘Hmm.'

He had to make a decision.

‘She will likely wake up.'

Of course, he could make some excuses in such a situation.

“Yoni, touch her forehead.”

“What? Okay. Oh my G.o.d, it's so hot!”

“I guessed as much.”

Sedated with high fever.

‘I have no other choice now. If something happens, I have to run anyway.'

Kanghyok took out tweezers and forceps.

“You see that wound on her foot, right?”

“Yes.”

“Can you pick it with this? You could find out something there.”

“What? What if she woke up…?”

“Just say something. You can do it, right? I'm invisible to her anyway. And as you untied your topknot, n.o.body could recognize you anyway.”

“Got it.”

“Good. Just do as instructed.”

“Sure.”

“Twist it to the right a bit. Good. Right there!”

Yoni cautiously began to pick her wounded foot with tweezers.

“Umm.” The woman began to twist her body as if she felt pain.

Surprised, Yoni turned back, but Kanghyok just nodded.

“Good, it's okay.”

“Whew…”

With a deep breath, Yoni pushed the tweezers inside her foot.

“Ah, I felt something inside.”

“Oh, good! Just grab it.”

“Yes, yes.”

“I think I have it now.”

“Oh, good job. I see it, too. Remove it.”

“Yes.”

When she pulled out the tweezers, a faded needle was cleanly removed.

Examining it carefully, Kanghyok found that the tip of the needle was broken.

‘That's why she was swollen like that, with a needle stuck in her foot.'

For some time, she would have to take antibiotics.

“Done, sir. Can she be cured?”

“Great job. You did really good.” With a satisfied smile, he stroked her head pleasantly.

“This is the first time I have treated somebody.”

“Well, I've never treated someone like this before.”

“Can she recover quickly?”

“Her foot doesn't look bad. Fortunately I don't need to amputate her leg.”

Now, as he succeeded, what he had to do was to get out of the place.

But the woman, who had her eyes closed until then, opened her eyes suddenly.

“Who the h.e.l.l are you?”

“Oh my G.o.d…”