I Thought the Youngest Daughter of the Sichuan Tang Family Was Hated - Chapter 70

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

In the end, I steeled myself for a scolding and led Dang Mu-seon into the Warehouse.
“This place… he seems to be injured…”
I carefully brushed aside the straw to reveal Jin Hwa’s face.
Jin Hwa’s visage came into view, his shallow breaths escaping between lips as cold sweat beaded his skin.
“He suddenly appeared here… I was worried, so I tried to treat him.”
I spoke hesitantly, my head bowed low.
Glancing at his right wrist, I saw the bandage was wrapped neatly.
Fortunately, it seemed Dang Mu-seon wouldn’t discover the brand.
Dang Mu-seon’s eyes, which had been gazing down at Jin Hwa, suddenly narrowed.
“Huh.”
He muttered with a hollow laugh, as if astounded.
“This brat. He really did follow us all the way here.”
“Grandfather, do you know this child?”
I asked in surprise, and Dang Mu-seon nodded.
“Yes. He’s been following us since the edge of Yunnan. Yet somehow, he managed to survive and crawl his way here.”
At his words, I tilted my head.
“…From the edge of Yunnan? Could it be…?”
“Yes. From that village.”
As Dang Mu-seon answered, my mouth fell open in shock.
‘So that thief really was Jin Hwa?’
Now I understood how he could have hidden his way into this Warehouse.
Given the rumors of his thievery, infiltrating a place like this wouldn’t have been impossible for him.
Besides, the Jinbeop Order isn’t even here right now.
‘Wait… but…’
Something didn’t add up.
“Grandfather, then why did you pretend not to know? An injured child was following you.”
I asked cautiously, and he let out a scoff.
“It’s none of my concern.”
“…”
Faced with such brazen indifference, I found myself speechless.
‘It was thanks to Jin Hwa’s sorcery that we were able to meet like this.’
All I could do was glance at Grandfather with a sidelong stare.
“But aren’t you going to treat him?”
He suddenly gestured toward Jin Hwa with his chin.
“He’s dying.”
True to his words, Jin Hwa’s face was growing increasingly pale.
“Gasp!”
I startled and dropped to my knees before Jin Hwa.
“You’ll scrape your knees.”
The child was dying, and now he was concerned about my knees?!
‘He’s so gentle with me, but…’
He’s absolutely ruthless with everyone else.
Still, I felt grateful that he hadn’t cast me out.
‘From his reaction, it doesn’t seem like he’ll tell anyone about this.’
That alone was something to be thankful for.
An outsider who infiltrated the Dang Family Outer Fortress would normally be thrown into prison without hesitation.
If left there without proper treatment, even Jin Hwa couldn’t possibly survive.
“Phew….”
I exhaled in relief and finished treating the wound.
First, I poured oil over the wound and threaded a needle.
Then I carefully began stitching the flesh together.
Perhaps because my hands were small, the suturing wasn’t easy.
“Ugh…!”
With each stitch, Jin Hwa writhed in pain.
Watching him convulse and whimper in agony broke my heart.
What could he have possibly endured at such a young age to leave his body in such a tattered state?
“Just hold on a little longer. You’re okay….”
I whispered soothingly to calm his ragged breathing as I pulled the thread taut.
Jin Hwa’s hand suddenly gripped mine tightly.
It seemed he’d instinctively grabbed on from the sudden pain.
“Ugh!”
It felt like my bones would shatter.
I paused the stitching and cradled his hand in mine.
I stroked the back of his hand and whispered soothingly.
“It’s okay. We’re almost done. I’m trying to make you better….”
It’s okay. It’s okay.
As I repeated this, the tension in his hand gradually eased.
Jin Hwa’s pale lips trembled slightly.
I carefully released his hand and picked up the needle again.
After successfully stitching the flesh and cutting the thread with my teeth, I sprinkled wound salve and wrapped clean white bandages around his abdomen.
“Haaa….”
It was done. Sweat trickled down my temples from the tension.
I’d treated wounds like this hundreds of times—why was I so nervous?
I glanced at Jin Hwa’s face.
Perhaps it was my imagination, but his expression seemed a bit more at ease.
Now that treatment was finished, what he needed was plenty of rest.
In truth, this place wasn’t ideal for rest.
The only soft thing to support his back was straw, and potent medicinal herbs were scattered everywhere—his head would surely ache.
“If I had my way, I’d let him sleep in my own bed….”
But if we got caught, not just Grandfather, but Father and my older brothers would turn into demons.
“Stay here for now. I’m sorry.”
I swept back the jet-black hair clinging to his sweat-dampened forehead as I spoke.
At that, Jin Hwa’s fingertips twitched once more.
“…Haha.”
A laugh escaped me unbidden.
“Wake up soon. My savior.”
I whispered softly, drawing my knees close.
That day, I remained by Jin Hwa’s side until Dang Dam returned carrying an armful of crimson sweets.
***
“Miss! Miss! Please, just one more spoonful before you go!”
Gong Myo called out from behind, spoon in hand, hurrying after me.
“I’m fine! I’m stuffed!”
I clutched the bowl of porridge to my chest and dashed forward.
“Huff… gasp… Oh, Miss…!”
Gong Myo, struggling to keep pace, soon fell behind.
Her face flushed crimson, she called out between catching her breath.
“You must eat it when you return! You must!”
I turned back to answer her.
“Yes. I promise!”
Then I quickened my pace further.
Today marked the fourth day since I began nursing Jin Hwa.
I had strictly warned the household servants to stay away from the Warehouse.
The rumor I’d spread—that Dang Mu-seon was researching new mechanical designs—proved remarkably effective.
What had always been a quiet place now seemed devoid of even a single ant.
Thanks to this, I could treat him without worry.
“Haa. Haaa…!”
I burst through the Warehouse door and quickly locked it behind me.
Catching my breath, I walked toward the pile of straw.
“Did you sleep well?”
There was no response.
I brushed aside the straw with practiced ease and examined Jin Hwa’s face.
His complexion had improved considerably from before.
‘That’s right. Before the regression, his skin wasn’t nearly this pale.’
As his wounds healed and color returned to his face, Jin Hwa appeared far healthier and more robust than a boy his age should look.
Yet he remained unconscious.
Why? Normally, he should have recovered by now.
When I changed his bandages, I noticed the wounds had healed considerably.
‘I don’t know. He’ll wake up eventually if I wait.’
I retrieved the bowl I’d brought from breakfast and stirred the porridge with a spoon.
I blew gently on the steaming porridge to cool it, then carefully fed it between Jin Hwa’s parched lips.
I watched Jin Hwa swallow smoothly even while sleeping, and couldn’t help but smile warmly.
‘I’m not sure if I should be thinking like this, but….’
For some reason, it felt like I was raising a carp.
“Wow. He finished it all.”
After pushing the now-empty bowl aside, I gazed down at him silently.
‘…This is strange.’
Strangely enough, whenever I looked at Jin Hwa, he didn’t feel unfamiliar at all.
Rather, he felt familiar.
Really, where did I see him before my regression?
“Hmm….”
Lost in thought for a moment, I pushed myself up.
Now that I thought about it, the bandages were running low.
I wanted to stock up a bit more, but had Dang Mu-seon already left the Quarters by now?
“Hmm.”
Ideally, I wanted to sneak some when he wasn’t around.
Since I’d been preoccupied nursing Jin Hwa, it was obvious he disapproved.
“Does this old man not care about his own groaning? Sigh. When you get old, you should just die!”
It was routine for him to jab at me like this, stuck in the Warehouse all day.
He seemed to regret leaving Jin Hwa in my care.
“So I need to take them without being caught….”
Stroking my chin, lost in thought, I opened the door and stepped outside without thinking.
“What are you taking.”
And my body went rigid.
That flat, emotionless voice.
Long black hair flickering in my vision.
“….”
It was Dang Eum.
‘Ugh, why does everyone keep showing up out of nowhere like this!’
I thought my heart would stop. Seriously!
“Huh? What.”
He asked again.
Barely loosening my stiffened body, I quickly looked up.
“Yes? Taking? What do you mean?”
As I asked as if I didn’t understand, Dang Eum tilted his head through the door gap.
Bang!
“Hahaha! You must have misheard, right?”
I quickly slammed the door shut and forced out an awkward laugh.
At my words, Dang Eum, as always, looked down at me with eyes that revealed nothing.
Then he asked.
“Who’s inside?”
His eyes were filled with certainty.
The certainty that someone other than his youngest sister was definitely inside.
‘This is completely uncanny!’
But I couldn’t reveal the truth like this.
With Dang Mu-seon, I had no choice but to confess or face dire consequences, but now if I got caught….
‘Jin Hwa, you’re dead. Seriously.’
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to maintain a composed expression as I spoke.
“Inside? There’s no one here?”
“There was.”
“Huh? There’s no one?”
“There is. Inside.”
No matter how much I played innocent, Dang Eum’s gaze remained fixed on the firmly closed Warehouse door.
“Ah, there’s no one—.”
He finally pushed past me as I stood blocking the entrance, trying to get inside.
‘This can’t happen!’
I dodged his palm as he pushed me lightly, then suddenly wrapped my arms around Dang Eum.
“Ah, older brother! I’ve missed you so much.”

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