Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 163

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 163
“Alright, that’s enough! Anyway, make us some food.”
“Pardon?”
“Your cooking is supposedly that delicious! This time I’ll make sure the Ju Wang Estate sends proper sponsorship funds, so prepare a meal for me, Yu Rang-hu, and Baek-a.”
Baek-a was an imperial granddaughter who had entered the Ju Wang Estate as an adopted daughter.
Many had worried that the Ju Wang Estate had no heir to continue its line, but no one could express how relieved everyone was when a child carrying imperial blood came to them as a daughter.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve never actually met her.’
It wasn’t as though we’d held social gatherings in this vast estate.
Since I’d simply been treating patients and keeping to myself like a dormouse, I had no acquaintance with her.
“What would you like me to prepare?”
“As expected, your eyes light up the moment sponsorship funds are mentioned.”
Baek Hwan-hu Foundation. Father is doing his best today too.
Father will earn money.
“There are many uses for it, so I must earn when I can.”
“Hehehehe. My preferences are already well established, are they not?”
Ju Wang spoke with a sly smile.
“Meat. Prepare it with meat.”
He desired meat that was easy to digest.
‘But even the Ju Wang Estate’s head chef is skilled, so will it suit his palate…’
This was somewhat concerning.
‘Very well. I can cook together with Master.’
Master Jegalling was quite skilled in the culinary arts as well.
* * *
I worked diligently with Master to prepare the food and served it to Ju Wang.
‘While we’re at it, we might as well eat a bit ourselves.’
I took a small portion of the sweet and sour sea bream that Master had prepared and put it in my mouth.
“Does it suit your taste?”
“It’s incredibly delicious!”
“I removed all the bones and spines, so you can eat it as is. I made the batter crispy to match your palate—does it please you?”
“Yes, very much!”
Master was delighted by my words.
“Eat plenty. That way you’ll gain some weight.”
Master was always concerned about my apprentice, who was growing thin from overwork.
He would often lament that though I ate well enough, he couldn’t fathom where it all went.
‘Where does it go? Into overwork, that’s where.’
Ju Wang, in good spirits, shared drinks with Yu Rang-hu.
True to her nature, the table was not formally arranged, but rather set at the level of a martial artist’s banquet—simple yet abundant with delicacies.
Yu Rang-hu drank the wine slowly, savoring her joy.
Ever since I had treated her, her complexion had improved and she was always full of smiles.
Between those two, Pung Baek-a rolled only her eyes around.
Though they appeared to be an ordinary family, Baek-a was an adopted daughter personally chosen by the Emperor.
For some reason, Ju Wang, who could not produce an heir, now had an adopted daughter to carry on his line.
‘Whether one of them was infertile or simply didn’t wish to have children, I couldn’t say….’
Prying into such a delicate matter would be tactless.
Since meeting Ju Wang, I had never uttered a word about this issue.
My Master was the same.
Getting deeply involved in imperial family matters would either end with me being dragged away to serve as a court physician—if things went well—or if they went poorly, it would result in the sort of tragedy constantly depicted in historical dramas.
Eventually, the troublesome Pung Baek-a took a seat beside me.
“I heard you’re called Seo Baek-ryong. I wanted to greet you, but the opportunity never seemed to arise.”
I offered a respectful bow.
“I’d prefer you not overthink this. My mother once said that anyone who worries too much about etiquette is invariably a fool.”
Ju Wang was raising his children according to his own principles. But whether that was genuine or simply what he had learned to do, I couldn’t discern, so I gave an awkward response.
“Ah, yes….”
“I would prefer to be called Princess Sobaek. It is the name His Majesty bestowed upon me.”
Just as Cheon Yu-rang was called Yu Rang-hu.
Pung Baek-a had also received the title of Princess Sobaek.
When she came of age, she would become a “lord” or “king,” but if she lost the struggle for power, there was a possibility she would be called by a different title.
‘Still, with Ju Wang as her parent, that shouldn’t happen.’
Despite not being connected by blood, her character was such that she would never allow her daughter to meet such a fate.
“Yes, I understand. Princess Sobaek.”
At my words, Princess Sobaek’s cheeks flushed a rosy hue.
Having lived as Ju Wang’s daughter, she had seen many men of exceptional beauty, but Seo Baek-ryong’s appearance stood out even among them.
‘…He’s quite handsome.’
My Master, Baek Rin-ui-seon, was difficult to approach—his age indeterminate and his demeanor somewhat cold—but his disciple was different.
Slightly hooded eyes and a soft, cat-like mouth.
Moreover, he seemed to have good social skills, conversing easily with people, yet subtly avoiding uncomfortable topics with consideration.
And he had apparently made half of this dish himself.
‘Hehe….’
Of course, as a princess, I couldn’t reveal such feelings carelessly.
‘It would be nice to become close with someone so handsome.’
Being friends with a handsome martial arts master would surely make the other princesses envious.
Even as I recognized how somewhat materialistic such thoughts were, I continued the conversation.
“I’ve heard that martial artists manifest their abilities through cultivation.”
“Rather than abilities, it’s martial prowess. Abilities are manifested through bloodline, while martial prowess is manifested through training.”
“Right, right. I know that.”
She nodded repeatedly, her face flushed red.
She continued.
“They say the government and the martial world are like oil and water, but even so, taxes must be collected, mustn’t they? So I’ve been studying the nature of the martial world diligently.”
‘Oh, already receiving administrative education.’
Ju Wang also constantly complained that it was troublesome, yet she always managed the basic affairs of the lands she had received.
‘So she’s thinking of me as her successor.’
If the Hua Empire continued peacefully without war at this rate, there was a high probability that ‘Princess Sobaek’ would become the next ruler.
‘Originally there were still some crises ahead, but… I’m not sure how many I’ve eliminated.’
I prevented the collapse of the Yunlong Courier Bureau and treated Yu Rang-hu, who caused Ju Wang to go into seclusion.
And though not mentioned in the novel, I even saved the Emperor himself.
Though the flow of history was strong, I hoped I had twisted it quite considerably with all this.
“The Medical Guild is tax-exempt, then.”
When Princess Sobaek asked with gleaming eyes, I replied with a guilty expression.
“Only regarding income-related matters. We still pay basic taxes.”
‘Good heavens. I hope she doesn’t later change the law and demand we pay taxes.’
Looking at the future seedling of the next ruler, sweat dripped down my back.
“I understand that. According to reports, the Baekrin Uigak’s operating profits are smaller than expected—is that truly the case?”
…This is… my Master must be cooking the books.
If my Master had heard this, she would have said, ‘Haha, Cheon-hee. This isn’t tax evasion, it’s tax reduction.’
She continued speaking.
“Especially the soap business being at a loss…”
‘Ah. So she calculated it all together.’
Fortunately, it wasn’t tax evasion.
The soap business failing was completely true, and I was still pouring money into it without giving up.
The people of this era already maintained cleanliness in their own way.
Just looking at Princess Sobaek before me, she smelled pleasant and was clean.
But surfactants were a miracle cure for killing bacteria and viruses, and in a world where microscopes hadn’t been invented, it was natural for people to resist when presented with such concepts.
“But why do you continue investing in it?”
“Because it’s better for the body.”
“It destroys toxins easily?”
Instead of the concept of bacteria, I introduced the concept of toxins.
“Yes. The foam of soap destroys toxins.”
“Hmm. That alone doesn’t appeal much.”
She fell into thought, then offered me advice.
“If it were me, I’d try adding fragrant oil to the soap.”
“Fragrant oil?”
“I know Seo Baek-ryong is intelligent and skilled in medicine. But sometimes it’s good to think about things beyond medicine. A sense of mission can cloud a person’s judgment.”
“I would be grateful if you could explain what you mean.”
“The human heart.”
“Pardon?”
“Not just the imperial family and great houses, but commoners too carry fragrance pouches in their sleeves to important places. No one wants to smell bad. Everyone knows that when someone smells good, you naturally feel affection toward them. So…”
“You’re saying I should sell soap with fragrance as a substitute for fragrance pouches?”
“It may fall short of a fragrance pouch, but if soap can eliminate bad odors and be used like a fragrance pouch, it would certainly be worth the money. Try selling it with that in mind.”
“…”
I was struck speechless.
Princess Sobaek continued speaking.
“Soap saves lives and eliminates toxins. Of course, those are good reasons. But for most people, it won’t feel worth paying money for. So add fragrance. After all, no one dislikes a pleasant scent.”
Suddenly, I recalled my memories of using soap in the modern era.
Even then, soap had fragrance.
There was the distinctive soap scent, but fragrances like rose or lavender were often added as well.
Washing my hands with it made me feel better.
‘Come to think of it, that’s right. When I was young, there was even strawberry-flavored toothpaste.’
Adding strawberry fragrance to toothpaste wouldn’t increase its cleaning power.
Yet that scent was added precisely to help children become accustomed to brushing their teeth.
“That’s an excellent idea, Princess Sobaek!”
“Hehe. Do I seem a bit different to you?”
“You do seem different!”
At my words, Princess Sobaek’s cheeks flushed a rosy hue once more.
“You’re far too handsome. It’s dangerous.”
With that, she moved to sit a little distance away from me.
“…?”
Not so far that we couldn’t converse, but noticeably more distant than before.
And so one of my difficult problems was resolved with surprising ease.
* * *
The banquet ended, and it was time to depart.
Eun Wang-ya had recovered sufficiently and was ready for discharge.
My group and she would leave together.
“So you’ve agreed to visit Ju Wang’s residence periodically?”
“Yes. I’ve arranged to make house calls occasionally.”
“Then I suppose I can come along at those times.”
She needed to undergo the blood-letting procedure twice a year—an ordeal as painful as torture.
She had chosen to endure those sessions at Ju Wang’s residence rather than the imperial palace.
It was abundantly clear who she trusted most.
Ju Wang regarded her younger brother with a complicated expression.
“Just hearing about it is troublesome.”
With that, she sighed.
“I’ll take that as your permission, Sister.”
“What do I care.”
Her grumbling demeanor suggested she would ultimately help.
‘No matter how I look at it, she seems to have forgotten all the resentment from when Mother passed away… but Eun Wang-ya doesn’t realize that.’
Perhaps guilt had clouded her vision.
Even my ability to read hearts didn’t work on Ju Wang, so the day these siblings truly understood each other might never come.
But that too was their life to live.
A doctor merely heals the patient.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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