I Became the Oriental Doctor for Divine Beasts - Chapter 98

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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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I had become a physician to the Divine Beasts.
#98
And so it came to pass.
Baek Eun-ho and I found ourselves at a traditional Korean restaurant operated by Hae Il-woo, the eldest son of the Hae Clan.
The car came to a stop before a traditional hanok house.
Beyond the high stone wall, a tiled roof caught the light, and an antique wooden sign hung above the main gate.
Add to that columns that looked decades old and a broad courtyard, and the place was unmistakably distinguished.
One glance was enough to know this was no ordinary establishment.
“Wow—wait, this place is run by the Hae Clan?”
At my exclamation, Baek Eun-ho broke into a quiet laugh.
“You know this place?”
“I do.”
I nodded emphatically.
“It’s quite famous. I’ve heard it’s a must-visit when you come to Jeonju—one of the major tourist attractions.”
I’d actually seen it featured on television a few times, mentioned as a restaurant of historical significance that even dignitaries visited.
A new thought struck me then.
“At this point, aren’t all of Korea’s famous people and those with abilities members of the Zodiac Clans?”
Eun-ho shrugged.
“Well, it’d be hard to deny.”
We were soon led by a staff member into a private wing of the establishment.
As we took our seats before the low table, the sound of a gayageum drifted gently from somewhere within.
‘This is exactly the atmosphere you’d imagine for traditional Korean cuisine.’
Shortly after, dishes began arriving one by one on the table.
Abalone prepared with sauce, nine-section dish, seasonal vegetables, Korean beef grilled over charcoal—and beyond that, court cuisine with names I could barely pronounce.
The table filled rapidly.
“Wow.”
I couldn’t help but gasp.
“It’s almost like a royal banquet table.”
Each dish was impeccably arranged.
The colors were beautiful, the presentation flawless—so exquisite it seemed a shame to actually eat it.
Once the table was fully set, the door opened and Hae Il-woo entered.
Dressed in traditional Korean attire, he stood as straight as if measured by a ruler.
“Are you comfortable where you’re seated?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
He bowed his head calmly in response to my words.
Then he began explaining each dish in detail.
“These vegetables were foraged from the southern slope of Jirisan. The mushrooms were brought at the time of peak fragrance, and the fish was kept alive in water until the moment of preparation, and……”
But as his explanation continued, I began to feel increasingly anxious.
‘This is difficult.’
It felt like I was attending some kind of intense lesson.
“This sliced raw beef must be eaten in this precise order. Then you’ll take some broth, and following that, the preserved vegetables—when paired this way, the balance of flavors comes alive.”
“Ah, yes, I see.”
I forced a smile.
The meal itself was certainly superb. Yet for some reason, I felt suffocated throughout the dining.
‘This must be eaten this way. That must be eaten in that order. Here I must appreciate this flavor……’
At some point, it stopped feeling like enjoying food and started feeling like I was taking some kind of etiquette exam.
Of course, Hae Il-woo meant no harm.
He was simply trying, in all sincerity, to provide the finest possible meal.
‘But somehow, something feels lacking……’
As we finished the meal and stepped outside, the sun had already begun to set. The glow of sunset spilled across the traditional garden.
Baek Eun-ho walked beside me and casually asked, “So, what did you think?”
I hesitated for a moment.
“It was delicious. But… honestly, I’m not sure.”
“Not sure about what?”
“The Hae Clan’s culinary touch.”
Eun-ho raised an eyebrow.
I strolled slowly through the garden as I continued, “From what Baek Ho-jung told me, eating food prepared by the Hae Clan allows one to gain the energy one needs. But I……”
I paused, choosing my words, then decided to simply be honest.
“I didn’t really feel that. The food certainly tasted good, but… I couldn’t sense anything special beyond the flavor itself.”
Eun-ho chuckled and spoke teasingly, “What’s this now? Have you become a food critic?”
“No, it’s just… I think I’m beginning to understand why Baek Ho-jung hasn’t yet decided on a successor.”
Eun-ho laughed briefly with genuine interest.
A silence settled between us.
Then he suddenly asked, “Did today’s treatment prove more difficult than you expected?”
“Very much so. Even as a Purifier, not every ailment vanishes in a puff like magic, you know.”
I gave a hollow laugh.
“A sickness that’s lingered for six months doesn’t disappear in a single day—that would be stranger still.”
“Fair point.”
Eun-ho readily nodded in agreement.
I recalled the mistress’s pulse and symptoms.
“Besides, I suspect her condition isn’t merely a loss of appetite. It seemed her ailment was tangled with a sickness of the heart.”
Eun-ho stroked his chin.
“Hmm. If that’s the case, it won’t be easy.”
I suddenly recalled the image of the eldest, Hae Il-woo, explaining the dishes.
And the subtle tension I’d sensed between the brothers……
A thought occurred to me then.
Perhaps to truly understand the patient’s illness, I would need to know this family a little better.
‘That’s right. The Chairman gave me a card anyway. This would be a good time to use it!’
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit the fine dining establishment that the second son operated.
And strangely enough,
I had a premonition that I might find some clue there.
* * *
Meanwhile, far from Jeonju, at the Salbbit Orphanage.
It was late at night, with only the tick of an old wall clock’s second hand breaking the silence.
After the children had gone to bed, the Orphanage Director Nun was making her final rounds through the corridor.
That was when it happened.
“Aaaaaahhhhh!”
A sharp scream shattered the quiet.
The Orphanage Director Nun’s face went rigid.
“Lee Dong-su!”
She immediately rushed toward a nearby room.
The moment she opened the door, the room was already in chaos.
Lee Dong-su was thrashing on his bed, his entire body drenched in cold sweat.
“No! Go away!”
His eyes were open, but unfocused.
“Lee Dong-su, it’s alright! It’s me, the nun!”
The nun tried to grab the boy urgently, but it was useless.
Lee Dong-su jumped from the bed and bolted down the hallway barefoot.
“Lee Dong-su!”
The Orphanage Director Nun rushed after him.
The boy running through the corridor stopped at the front entrance.
With trembling hands, he gripped the door handle.
“It’s coming……”
His voice hitched with sobs.
“It will… come soon……”
The Orphanage Director Nun felt her heart grow heavy.
But Lee Dong-su began wailing again almost immediately.
“No! No, no, nooooo!”
At the sound of his distressed cries, other children in their rooms began waking one by one.
“Not again?”
“Sniffle… I’m scared… Is Lee Dong-su going to be okay?”
The children clutched their blankets tightly, curling up, with some beginning to weep along with him.
The Orphanage Director Nun bit her lip.
‘This is getting serious. If this continues, it won’t just be Lee Dong-su who loses sleep—all the other children will too.’
Night Terrors wasn’t a condition that afflicted only one child.
It exhausted everyone who lived alongside the sufferer.
Adults could endure it, perhaps, but growing children could not.
Particularly the children who shared a room with Lee Dong-su—by day they would doze off continuously, and their immunity seemed to weaken; colds became frequent.
In the long term, it was clear his condition would harm their growth.
‘Of course, the one who suffers most is Lee Dong-su himself.’
Unable to sleep properly, terrorized by fear every night.
As a result, he grew more irritable by day, gradually withdrawing into his own world.
Watching it was unbearably painful.
“Lee Dong-su.”
The Orphanage Director Nun gently lifted the child into her arms.
“It’s alright. Everything’s alright.”
“……Sob.”
Lee Dong-su wept for a long time, his small body trembling.
How much time passed?
Gradually, his ragged breathing began to ease.
“Mom……”
A murmur escaped the boy’s lips.
The Orphanage Director Nun said nothing, only stroking his head gently.
Lee Dong-su finally fell asleep again in her arms, his small hand clutching tightly at the hem of her nun’s habit.
‘Ah……’
The Orphanage Director Nun remained still for a long time.
She felt the warmth of the child’s body.
Lee Dong-su’s frame was too small and light for his age.
The slightest pressure seemed as though it might break him.
‘What am I to do with this child.’
The nun closed her eyes quietly.
She gently stroked Lee Dong-su’s back as he slept and offered a soft prayer.
“Lord.”
Outside the window, the night wind rustled through the branches.
“Please protect this child. And……”
The face of a young physician who had visited before suddenly came to mind.
Go Yeon-hee, she had been called.
She remembered the light in the woman’s eyes as she regarded Lee Dong-su, and how she had refused to give up easily.
“Please let Go Yeon-hee find a way to help this child.”
Somehow,
she felt certain that this woman would truly find a solution.
* * *
The first Sunday after my consultation visit to the Hae Clan’s main house.
“What did you say, Eun-ho?”
I was enjoying a rare day off at Baek Myodang when I received
utterly shocking news.
“Lee Dong-su’s parents… are currently traveling overseas?”

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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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