Surviving as the Villainess’s Servant in a Martial Arts Novel - Chapter 56

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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 56

 

I pondered for a moment, then casually asked.

 

“By any chance, if I can’t get treatment right away… I mean, how long can I last with the medicine I took?”

 

“With just the medicine? Well, I’m not entirely sure, but you should be able to hold out for several days at least. Uncle’s medicine is more effective than most detox medicines.”

 

‘Several days…’

 

I nodded my head.

 

“I see. Well then… thank you for saving me. If it weren’t for you, I would have been a dead person for sure. I really thought it was the end back then.”

 

“Oh, no! I just happened to have the medicine with me…”

 

“I owe you my life with that medicine. Honestly, considering what you’ve done for me, I should help you find your grandmother, but I have my own circumstances… I don’t think I can help you find your grandmother.”

 

“What?”

 

“I was thinking of taking you to a nearby village from here… how about it, would that be okay?”

 

Even as I spoke, I glanced at the child’s expression. I was worried about what to do if the child became greatly disappointed.

 

However, the child said something unexpected.

 

“That means… it’s difficult for you to receive treatment right now, right? Because you have circumstances…”

 

“Huh? Yeah, that’s about right.”

 

“Then…”

 

Suddenly the child held something out.

 

It was a medicine bottle.

 

“Please take this at least.”

 

My eyes widened.

 

“You only took one pill. When the medicine’s effect wears off, the cold poison will spread rapidly again, and it might hurt more than last time.”

 

“…”

 

“You were suffering so much earlier. If you take this medicine, it will help you a lot. There’s not a huge amount, but it’s adequate so you can hold out for a while. I don’t need it, so I’ll give it to you. And…”

 

The child said with a bright smile.

 

“Thank you for saying you’ll help me. That’s enough for me.”

 

I stared blankly at the child.

 

That smile looked so genuinely happy that I couldn’t continue speaking for a while. Belatedly, I let out a hollow laugh and muttered.

 

“This kid is making me into a shameless person…”

 

* * *

 

To cut to the conclusion, I didn’t accept the medicine bottle.

 

I hadn’t done anything yet to deserve the medicine bottle right away, and the child’s face offering the medicine bottle was so innocent that my conscience was pricked.

 

No, even if they’re young, still. How can someone be that pure? What was I doing at that age…

 

I clicked my tongue and carefully placed the medicine bottle the child offered back into their hands, saying.

 

“Hey now, put it away, put it away. You shouldn’t offer such things carelessly. Do you want to make me into a bad person?”

 

“What? That’s not…”

 

“If that’s not it, then what isn’t it? If I accept this, I’ll become a conscienceless scoundrel. You should watch what the other person does before deciding whether to give such precious things. Got it?”

 

“…”

 

The child seemed completely unable to understand what difference it made whether they gave it now or later, but when I refused several times, they finally nodded.

 

I patted the child’s shoulder, then soon knelt down in front of them. Then I turned my back and said.

 

“Get on my back. We need to get out of the mountain before the sun sets.”

 

The child hesitated, then soon reached out their hands.

 

I walked the mountain path with the child and had many conversations.

 

Through this, I learned about the child.

 

The child’s name was Pyeong Hyeon.

 

She said she was an ordinary girl living alone with her grandmother in the mountains.

 

I almost snorted at ‘ordinary’, but I held it back with effort. How could someone who rattled off such unheard-of information be ordinary?

 

This kid is really careless too. Still, I didn’t bother to point that out. Everyone has their own circumstances after all.

 

‘I have mine too.’

 

I clicked my tongue and asked.

 

“By the way, how old are you? You definitely look younger than me…”

 

“Me? I’m… ten years old.”

 

“Really? You looked even younger?”

 

“I hear that a lot… I don’t think I look that young though…”

 

I chuckled and said.

 

“Not young-looking my foot. You’re so tiny I thought you were eight years old. I thought I had to take care of you like a baby.”

 

“I’m, I’m not a baby…!”

 

“Okay, okay. Hey, don’t struggle. You’ll fall!”

 

I deliberately tilted my body slightly. Then Pyeong Hyeon, startled, hurriedly hugged my neck tightly. When I giggled, I felt a sharp gaze on the back of my head.

 

I shrugged my shoulders and said.

 

“Just kidding. Anyway, I am older. I’m twelve years old.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, surprising right? If you looked young, then people thought I was one or two years older than my actual age. Is it because I look old for my age? Do I look really old to you too?”

 

“No, it’s just because you’re tall, I think…”

 

Pyeong Hyeon and I continued our conversation.

 

Then suddenly Pyeong Hyeon closed her mouth. She seemed to have something on her mind as her responses weren’t very clear. When I glanced at her wondering what was wrong.

 

Pyeong Hyeon belatedly muttered.

 

“…Um.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“What… should I call you? I haven’t heard your name yet…”

 

“Ah.”

 

I let out an exclamation as if I just realized.

 

Come to think of it, I hadn’t told her my name yet. No wonder she kept stammering every time she tried to address me.

 

I was about to open my mouth right away but hesitated for a moment.

 

‘…Is it okay to tell her the truth?’

 

Normally I would have told her the truth.

 

But it hadn’t been long since the Seo Family was completely destroyed. The Masked Men might still be searching the area, and there might be others looking for survivors of the Seo Family.

 

Just in case, I wanted to keep it hidden if possible. But it would be awkward to give her a fake name…

 

I decided to give a vague answer.

 

“Dan.”

 

“What?”

 

“Call me Dan. You can cutely call me ‘Sister Dan~’ too.”

 

“What? Not Elder Brother Dan?”

 

“Elder Brother…? What?”

 

I was so surprised that I stopped in my tracks. Pyeong Hyeon must have been startled too as she stiffened.

 

My voice rose without me realizing it.

 

“Elder Brother? You, you thought I was a man? I’m a woman!”

 

“What? No, what?”

 

“What do you mean what? Don’t you see I’m wearing a skirt? The thing I tore to bandage your foot was also from my skirt! What did you think this was? Or… did you think I was a man who likes wearing skirts?”

 

“No, no!”

 

Pyeong Hyeon answered frantically.

 

“Your hair, your hair is short so I must have been mistaken. I’m sorry, I thought you wore the skirt as a disguise…”

 

“Who disguises themselves by wearing a skirt? Really, you even saw my chest earlier…”

 

“What?!”

 

When Pyeong Hyeon shrieked, I was startled too and turned around.

 

“Why are you so surprised? Women can see each other, what’s embarrassing about it?”

 

“When, when, when, when did I see it! I didn’t see it, I didn’t see anything!”

 

“The more you deny it, the more I want to talk about it. Don’t you remember? You discovered the Frostbite Palm mark on my chest? Who told me about it first?”

 

“That, that…!”

 

“You saw the Frostbite Palm but didn’t see my chest? You saw the sky but didn’t see the sun? You want me to believe that? Huh?”

 

“No, it’s not like that, really it’s not…”

 

When Pyeong Hyeon finally started to sniffle, I quickly said.

 

“I’m just kidding. Don’t be so embarrassed. You have them too, so what’s so embarrassing that you’re making such a fuss… But are you really embarrassed about your chest? Your chest?”

 

“Sister…!”

 

I giggled and stopped there. If I went any further, it seemed like Pyeong Hyeon would really burst into tears. I pretended not to notice Pyeong Hyeon fuming and started walking down the mountain path again.

 

Then, without realizing it, my mischievous side came up and I casually said.

 

“If you want to see them one more time, just tell me?”

 

Pyeong Hyeon cried out.

 

“No way!”

 

“Puhahahaha!”

 

I burst into loud laughter.

 

It had been fun after a long time.

 

* * *

 

We ended up having to spend a night in the mountain forest.

 

It wasn’t because we had been bickering and playing around too much… but because the sun set faster than we thought.

 

The sun was already slightly tilted when I met Pyeong Hyeon, and after going through various things and walking the mountain path for a bit, the sun had set in an instant.

 

Right now I could vaguely see things, but if it got darker, it would be dangerous with my injured body. The mountain at night becomes so dark that you can’t identify what’s ahead. If we happened to encounter wild animals…

 

‘We can’t just sleep anywhere. We need to find a suitable place to spend the night.’

 

Fortunately, we were able to find a cave.

 

It was cleverly hidden behind a thicket, and Pyeong Hyeon had found it with her keen eye.

 

“Good, let’s stay here tonight and leave. It would be better to depart when day breaks.”

 

“Yes.”

 

The cave was narrow, but it was big enough for two children to enter. I put Pyeong Hyeon down and sat next to her. Since neither of us had fire tongs, we didn’t have the means to start a fire.

 

The surroundings quickly became dark.

 

It was uncomfortable lying on the hard ground, but sleeping close together with Pyeong Hyeon was moderately warm and fine. I must have been quite tired because I fell asleep quickly.

 

And when I opened my eyes.

 

My body was drenched in cold sweat.

 

“…?”

 

I blinked and struggled to sit up. I seemed to have slept deeply, but my body wasn’t better at all and was still heavy.

 

No, it seemed to be worse than yesterday. My arms and legs felt strangely numb and I couldn’t put proper strength into them, making me worry whether I could even walk properly like this.

 

‘Why? They said the medicine’s effects would last several days.’

 

Could it be that the medicine’s effects were wearing off faster than expected? If this continues and I can’t last even a few days…

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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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