Surviving as the Villainess’s Servant in a Martial Arts Novel - Chapter 39

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 39

 

After the promise with the Master.

 

The Master truly kept his promise. He did everything to treat Mother’s illness.

 

First, the Master sent Physician Jeong to examine our mother. I had some hope. Physician Jeong was famous for his excellent skills even within the Seo Family Estate.

 

But Physician Jeong could only shake his head.

 

‘…I’m sorry.’

 

In the end, he couldn’t figure out the cause of the illness.

 

It wasn’t just Physician Jeong.

 

After that, the Master introduced me to various physicians. Among them were famous physicians whose names even I had heard of.

 

But…

 

“Hmm, how could such an illness…”

 

“In all my life, this is the first time I’ve seen such symptoms.”

 

“No matter what methods we try, there’s no improvement at all, so we have no choice but to give up…”

 

None of them could cure Mother. No new treatment methods or precious medicinal herbs could heal the illness.

 

Rather, it only got worse.

 

‘Why?’

 

Later, I even began to resent heaven.

 

If the Young Miss’s illness was cured, shouldn’t our mother get better too? What was lacking that our mother had to keep suffering? What had I been struggling for all this time…

 

That fact was so unfair that I cried quietly.

 

I was sobbing while Mother was sleeping, but the sound seemed to wake her up. Mother looked at me crying and whispered quietly.

 

“Dan-a, it’s okay.”

 

“…”

 

“Mother is really okay.”

 

Then she took my hand and smiled faintly.

 

“Everything will be fine, so don’t be too sad, my child.”

 

What could I do in front of such a mother?

 

I could only suppress my overwhelming emotions and hold Mother’s hand in return.

 

After that, Mother’s sleeping hours increased.

 

As if she felt relieved after saying those words, as if she wanted to rest peacefully now. The time she spent sleeping became longer than the time she spent awake.

 

Naturally, the time I spent talking with Mother also decreased significantly. Whether when I left for work or when I returned home, I often found Mother sleeping.

 

But rather than being discouraged, I chose to act as usual.

 

“Mother! Did you have a good day today? Nothing happened, right? Nothing special happened to me either, but there was something a little funny, and what that was…”

 

I would chatter away alone by Mother’s side.

 

Of course, Mother was still asleep and wouldn’t even answer me. But I didn’t mind and eagerly chattered about what had happened that day.

 

I wanted to tell my sleeping Mother about the world, and if I treated her normally like this, it seemed like when Mother woke up later, she would naturally respond with ‘Is that so?’

 

“…So that’s how it happened.”

 

Having finished today’s story as well, I caught my breath for a moment.

 

A heavy silence descended. Mother was still asleep, and the surroundings were eerily quiet.

 

“Mother.”

 

As I quietly gazed at Mother, I suddenly got up and put my ear to Mother’s heart. Thump… thump…. Hearing the faint beating, my body finally relaxed.

 

I got up and sat back down in the chair. Then I watched over Mother and leaned down beside her, murmuring like I was talking to myself.

 

“I miss you….”

 

* * *

 

“Yaaawn.”

 

I yawned as I entered through the Seo Estate Main Gate.

 

Perhaps because I had fallen asleep while leaning over yesterday, my body felt stiff and I was in a bad mood.

 

On days like this, something always seemed to happen….

 

I rubbed my tense shoulders as I walked. I saw a familiar figure approaching from the opposite direction.

 

“A-so!”

 

“You’re here? I actually had something to tell you….”

 

Watching A-so quickly approaching, I tilted my head. Regardless, A-so grabbed me and started rambling incomprehensibly.

 

“You’re obviously going to the Namgung Family Estate, right? I also begged Lady Ma to let me go, but her lukewarm reaction made me a bit anxious, so I thought you….”

 

“Wait, hold on. What?”

 

I asked with my mouth agape in confusion.

 

“Namgung Family Estate?”

 

A-so tilted her head and asked instead.

 

“What, you… don’t know?”

 

What I heard next was quite shocking.

 

Soon, the Master would be taking the Young Miss and departing for the Namgung Family Estate.

 

Nominally, since the Young Miss had recovered her health, they were going to take a tour that they hadn’t been able to do before, but A-so said that in her opinion, it seemed like they were going to work with Namgung Jeong to find subsequent treatment methods.

 

“They’re planning to tour various places, so they want to take only a small number of household members. Do you know how competitive it is? Since there’s no other opportunity like this, everyone’s making a huge fuss trying to go….”

 

“….”

 

“Ahem, anyway, if they’re going, I naturally thought you’d be going too. You’re the only one who serves the Young Miss…. Did you really not hear about it?”

 

I hadn’t heard.

 

Not only had I not heard, I had never even imagined it. Going to the Namgung Family Estate? Wasn’t I supposed to live here for the rest of my life?

 

“Well… we might see each other soon.”

 

Only now did I understand what Namgung Jeong had said.

 

I had wondered if he was planning to return to the Seo Family Estate soon, but he had said that assuming the Seo Father and Daughter would be coming to the Namgung Family Estate from the beginning. If the Young Miss went, I would naturally follow along.

 

Of course, that’s true but… still, I didn’t know about this? Could it be that the Young Miss knows?

 

“I knew about it.”

 

“What?!”

 

When I looked at her with an aggrieved expression, the Young Miss spoke as if she couldn’t understand.

 

“Is there any need to even mention it? You’re the only one who can attend to me anyway, so of course you have to go.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“Well, I might as well tell you now. We’ll be leaving for the Namgung Family Estate in a month. The journey is quite long, so pack your luggage in advance. We’ll prepare what’s necessary on our end, so you don’t need to pack anything elaborate.”

 

“…”

 

“Understood?”

 

I should have said ‘Of course’—but strangely, the words wouldn’t come out. I hesitated for a moment and could only manage to say this.

 

“By any chance… will we be staying there for a long time?”

 

The Young Miss looked at me strangely before answering.

 

“Probably.”

 

Probably. A very vague word. It could mean we might stay long, or we might not.

 

But this was a journey all the way to Anhui Province. To travel a distance of over 3,000 li would take no ordinary amount of time. And she even said we’d be staying there.

 

It might take at least a year or two…

 

‘A year or two?’

 

Then, what about my mother?

 

Would my mother be able to hold on while I was away at the Namgung Family Estate? If I returned and mother had passed away forever…

 

‘No, I absolutely must stay by mother’s side.’

 

Then what should I do? Should I take mother with me? Would the Master allow me to bring mother along? Even if he permitted it, would mother be able to endure such a long journey?

 

I spent several days wavering and agonizing over this. And finally, I had no choice but to make a decision and stand before the Young Miss.

 

“Young Miss, about that trip to the Namgung Family Estate…”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I don’t think I can go.”

 

The Young Miss’s eyes widened.

 

“What…?”

 

I stammered as I explained to the rarely flustered Young Miss.

 

Though it was just a lengthy explanation of ‘I can’t leave because mother’s condition is poor,’ the Young Miss, who knew my situation, couldn’t say anything.

 

Only after a long silence did the Young Miss speak.

 

“I’ll… I’ll speak to Father about it. If I ask Father, we should be able to bring your mother along too.”

 

“…”

 

“The journey won’t be too difficult either. I’m weak myself, so we can’t push too hard anyway. Physician Jeong will be coming along too, so it’ll be easier to care for her, and if it gets too hard, we can stop and rest…”

 

“…”

 

“You understand, right? I’ll go speak to him right now…”

 

“Young Miss.”

 

I bit my lip and spoke.

 

“Mother is very ill.”

 

“…”

 

“She hasn’t been able to open her eyes for quite some time now. I don’t know if it would be alright when we don’t know when she’ll wake up. Taking mother along would only be a burden to you, Young Miss. Rather than that…”

 

I paused for a moment. Then, unable to look at the Young Miss’s face as it grew paler and paler, I bowed my head deeply.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“….”

 

The Young Miss remained silent for a long while.

 

She just stared at me intently, then let out a long sigh and said only one thing.

 

“Next time, let’s talk about it again.”

 

After that, the Young Miss didn’t bring up that topic again.

 

But I knew.

 

No matter how many times we talked about it again, the conclusion would be the same. I would end up saying the exact same thing to the Young Miss.

 

‘Why did it turn out this way?’

 

I felt a bit melancholy. Just when the Young Miss had finally opened her heart to me, just when it felt like we had grown a little closer, we had to part ways…

 

I quickly shook my head. No, you never know what might happen. The situation could miraculously improve, and then I could visit the Namgung Family Estate later to see the Young Miss, couldn’t I?

 

Even if I didn’t go, if I waited here, the Young Miss would return eventually…

 

‘Right, that would be enough.’

 

I tried to soothe my bitter feelings.

 

The Seo Family Estate was bustling with activity after a long time. Preparations for the journey to the Namgung Family Estate were proceeding rapidly, and those accompanying the journey moved busily while looking strangely excited.

 

I could only watch them from afar. In fact, I didn’t have time to pay attention to them.

 

Because shortly after, Mother had opened her eyes.

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