Soo Young put her apparatus on the table carefully. She glanced at Min Jun, who rest in bed with needles piercing all over the vital points on his body. The treatment didn't actually cure the illness, but at least it will help him clear up the blood flow and stabilized his heart beat's rhythms.
"Is daegum alright?" asked Uk. He's being careful not to make any noise.
"Yes. He looks better than yesterday. His skin started to blush and he can breathe properly," Soo Young replied. She grabbed a chair, took out a book and wrote something in it.
"I'll try to record his progress and send it to my teacher. Who knows maybe he got alternative ways to diagnose daegun jaga. I was hoping his condition wasn't that bad as I assumed," Soo Young watched Min Jun attentively. Her eyes look drooping, they fill with sorrow.
"You really investing in this, agassi. I don't know if it's the oath that you hold..." Uk took a deep breath, leaning his back against the table. "Or, is it more than that?" the man pressed the truth from Soo Young.
The woman smiled, letting a few huff escaped from her mouth. She closed the book that she held and put the pen into her bag.
"If it wasn't for daegun jaga, I won't be a physician..."
"What? How?" Uk confused.
"I was just like any other ladies, born in a influenced family, waiting to be court and marry someone in the royal family. At least, that's the purpose of my life at first," said Soo Young. "So, I did try my best to be presentable. With poise and wise, I always the first choice for the royal family," she sneered between her words.
"I thought, being royal means all good people gather beneath the wings of our bestow jeonha mama. A chosen one from the Heaven. So, I expecting only good people with good morality. That's why I didn't object when my father suggested me to participate in the Crown Prince's consort test," Soo Young mumbled. Her voice portrayed how sorry she was for her past decision.
"But, something happened that made me changed my mind..."
***
It was seja's 21st birthday. I was invited to the party because of my father. He did gave a hint about the consort thing, which made me excited to attend the party.
And, that's how I met seja jeoha for the first time. His handsome features really an eye catching! I was lucky to being able to attend the party while I was told that not all the candidates could come.
He was being polite, so manly and gentleman. We spent the night talking, playing games, dancing and getting to know each other. I thought he had his eyes on me already.
He was in my hands already.
But, little that I know... Behind those kind face, hides the sinister truth about seja jeoha.
The night fell deeper when he decided to send me home. I felt honored because the Crown Prince himself was the one who sent me home. While on our back home, I could sensed that he was a little bit touchy. But, me being a silly seventeen years old innocent girl, I thought he was just joking around.
Who knows, those touchy moment turned into something horrified that scarred my life forever.
Seja was trying to force himself to me. All this time while we're talking, dancing and playing, everything was just a decoy to his true intention!
He dragged me at the nearby river bank with a dagger pointing at my waist. I was screaming loudly, gasping for help, just in case if there was someone kind out there. But, seja jeoha being a cruel man, didn't really bothered about it at all. He was busy tearing my hanbok and slapped me whenever I fought him.
Who could expected the one who was so gentleman a few hours ago, suddenly turned into a heartless devil!
As I thought my life was over, someone came to the rescue. If it wasn't for his bravery, I think by now, I'm not even here anymore.
***
"And the person was daegun jaga..." Uk took a guess. Soo Young smiled and nodded.
"It was a tight fight. Both seja and daegum didn't even hold back at all. They used everything that the had. As a result, daegum got badly injured, and seja, being a coward, left us at the spot!" Soo Young seethed. "I cried so bad that time. Looking at daegum, I don't know what to do," she turned her head, looking at Min Jun with sadness in her face.
"Lucky for me that he was quick witted. He taught me how to do the first aid treatment. Then, he lead me the way to his private practitioner's house. I was told by the practitioner, if I failed the first aid, daegum might be dead. He praised me, not knowing that it was daegum who taught me," Soo Young confessed.
"So, right after the incident, you inspired to be a practitioner?" asked Uk.
"Yes. I got inspired by the knowledge of the medical after learning how important the first aid is. The feeling of saving others make me value people's life. All thanks to Min Jun daegun who taught me at the first place..." Soo Young gushed, smiling at Min Jun who still in a deep sleep.
"I have no regrets leaving all those glamorous life. I feel like nothing is important in life if we ended got sick and wary. No money can buy healthy life, and no people will value you if you're weak like a sick dog. Watching daegun living his life at the fullest even when he knew he won't live for long gives me an inspiration," Soo Young gloomed. "Why is bad thing always happened to good people?" she mumbled as she wipe those tears that remained on her eyes.
Uk had no answer for that. To him, everything happened for a reason. Sometimes, we had to face the challenge in life so we will become a better person. People will get overly proud to themselve if they got everything in this life; power, money and fame. Facing challenges in life are a good lesson to be a good person.
"What happened to seja after the incident?"
Soo Young grumbled. Her eyes suddenly turned dark and ambered.
"Because there was no witness, he got away just like that. I can always present myself as a victim. But, I chose not to, because I know, for them, I'm nothing but like a boy who cried wolf! Who wanted to listen to me anyway?" Soo Young snorted.
"Your father is a general, I mean.. the level is higher compared to everyone!" Uk exclaimed.
"But people will definitely chose a royal family rather than a mere general, right?" Soo Young sneered. "I'm glad that I took the best decision to study in China. At least I will be miles away from my assailant, cultivate myself so I will bravely facing him and upstand myself."
"Can I ask something?" Uk threw a question to Soo Young. She nodded faintly, giving the permission to the older to ask.
"Is there any way that seja jeoha might hold a grudges against daegum after the incident?" asked Uk. Soo Young paused for a moment and took a time to think.
"I don't think so. Even if seja was angry at daegun jaga, that matter was nothing big actually, at least compared to much some serious matters like the throne!" said Soo Young.
"They were fighting for the throne?" Uk gasped after learning that.
"No. It's always belong to seja jeoha. It's just... Some people felt like seja doesn't fit to be the ruler. They kin for daegun jaga, but just because he's terminally ill, the council had no choice but to forgo the idea of having daegum sits on the throne," Soo Young explained. She washed her hands with the lukewarm water from the basin, dabbed them dry before wearing a pair of disinfected gloves.
And with the clean hands, she came closer to Min Jun and carefully pluck out the needles from his vital points.
"So that means, that could be a motive to kill daegun jaga!" Uk murmured alone.
"Someone tries to kill daegun? Who?"
Uk gasped, looking at Soo Young who was holding a bunch of acupuncture needles in her hand. Uk whimpered in shock, smacking his lips when he realized he exposed the secret out of nowhere.
Now, he could only hope that Soo Young will let that slide!