The Terminally-Ill Side-Character Inside of a Martial Arts Novel

After shocking Hyuk Dojin with just two dumplings during yesterday’s mealtime, I thought it best to save words as much as possible.

It seemed futile to say anything unnecessary; moreover, the image of Hyuk Dojin looking at me with such surprise from yesterday was etched in my mind.

Even after finishing the meal and being escorted to my room by him, his face remained stern. He seemed to be deeply contemplating something with a very serious expression.

Was he disappointed? Because I only ate two dumplings.

“…”

Should I have eaten a bit more? I could have managed one or two more.

But in reality, even if I had eaten a couple more dumplings, it didn’t seem like Hyuk Dojin’s reaction would have changed. I didn’t want to force myself to eat more just to please him.

If he was disappointed, then let him be. It was just a fleeting moment anyway. It didn’t matter to me even if he didn’t care. So, I tried to forget about the incident with the dumplings.

But as soon as I woke up and washed my face, Hyuk Dojin appeared as neat as usual.

Was yesterday’s incident not bothering him? As I smiled and greeted him with ‘Good morning,’ he raised his hand.

As yesterday, there was a small container in his hand. Was it medicine or something else? It didn’t have much effect even if I consumed it.

After accepting the container he offered and took a sip, Hyuk Dojin placed it back in his pocket before sitting down on a chair.

A cool breeze entered through the open window, refreshing the room. My thin hair fluttered, tickling my cheeks. Brushing back my tousled hair, I spoke.

“It’s cool today. Maybe because the rainy season has ended.”

“The summer at our school isn’t that hot. It’s located between mountain ranges, so the breeze is cool. That’s why many people leave their windows open at night and end up catching colds.”

“Is that so?”

“Sowol also should close the windows before sleeping. It’s windy, but there are mountain mosquitoes at night, which can disturb your sleep.”

Although it was a concern and advice that anyone might bring up in daily life, it was amusing that the person saying it was Hyuk Dojin.

Mosquitoes, huh? I chuckled inwardly and nodded my head.

After the brief exchange, while there was a momentary pause in conversation, I observed the clothes he was wearing. While he wore comfortable clothes yesterday, today he seemed to be dressed up more.

It wasn’t the loose, white cloth he usually wore; it seemed to be tailored to fit his body. As a result, his shoulders appeared broader than usual, and the long neckline of his robe seemed more distinct.

While I was examining his appearance, Hyuk Dojin seemed to sense my gaze and glanced down at himself before giving a faint smile.

“How is it? Does it suit me?”

“It suits you. But where are you going? Your clothes seem to have a lot of effort put into them.”

Hyuk Dojin calmly replied to my question:

“I have to go somewhere for a while. I’ll probably be back around dinner time, so shall we have a meal then, Sowol?”

A meal… the memory of the two dumplings flashed through my mind.

I nodded calmly, and Hyuk Dojin stood up from his seat. He straightened out his wrinkled clothes and looked around the room slowly before speaking in a deliberate tone.

“By the way, I felt this before, but the room is quite empty. I didn’t think much about it when you mentioned having little luggage, but it really is quite serious.”

“Is that also shocking?”

Was the empty room after the two dumplings incident shocking to him? Hyuk Dojin shook his head lightly at my casual remark.

“Perhaps there won’t be a greater shock than the one I received yesterday in my lifetime. Now, I don’t think there will be anything surprising enough to bother me. I consider it fortunate.”

Was it that shocking?

Honestly, I didn’t think it was something shocking enough to be surprised about. Whether I ate one dumpling or two, it had nothing to do with him.

But Hyuk Dojin seemed genuinely surprised by yesterday’s incident. It wasn’t like he held me in any special regard; it was just a political marriage for him to fulfill his duty. I couldn’t understand it.

In any case, as time passed, my condition would worsen. No matter what he did, he couldn’t prevent my death.

Even in the world where medicine science was advanced, albinism was known as an incurable disease. So it was impossible for my disease to be cured in this era, which was a thousand years behind.

So, I thought it would be better to give up. But as I looked at his face, that words lingered in my mouth vanished.

Time would tell, I thought, and I didn’t want to make the relationship uncomfortable by bringing it up now.

I wanted to smile and talk to him in moderation, and then I would be buried, and I could bid farewell to the terrible disease that had haunted me in my last life and in this one.

Now, I truly wanted to rest.

“Is there anything you desire?”

“Desire?”

“Yes. Whether it’s jewelry, accessories, furniture, or rare ceramics or paintings that are hard to come by. If there’s anything you want to have, please let me know. I will provide it for you to fill the room.”

After pondering briefly at his offer to speak up if there was something I wanted, I shook my head.

I don’t think there was anything I wanted. With only six months left in this world, I had relinquished any desires. The most important things were lacking, so nothing else caught my eye.

“It’s okay. I don’t need anything like that.”

“Is that so?”

I thought he might be disappointed, but Hyuk Dojin seemed unexpectedly indifferent. After nodding his head, he glanced around once more before speaking calmly:

“Then, I will fill the room with appropriate things.”

“Please do.”

As I smiled faintly, Hyuk Dojin returned the smile before stepping back.

“Well then, I’ll be going, Sowol.”

“Take care.”

I responded to his farewell with a smile and a wave, but hesitated for a moment.

He said he’d be going?

The casual exchange of farewells seemed natural. I watched as Hyuk Dojin closed the door and disappeared, never imagining I would engage in such exchanges here.

I seemed to adapt too easily to an unfamiliar place. What I thought was a cold and indifferent place, the Demon Cult, turned out not to be so, all thanks to Hyuk Dojin.

Thanks to his consideration, I could rest without any strenuous schedules.

He was truly an amazing man. Although he was a member of the Demon Cult, he was the least demonic person. If I had met him outside, I might have thought a brush would suit him better than a sword.

“Miss. Today, Chef Geum Baekcheon will personally bring the meal. He’s coming soon. Shall I prepare a place for you?”

Joo Hwarin, who stood neatly, approached me and asked.

Geum Baekcheon… He was supposed to bring the evening snacks last night, but he never showed up.

Did something happen?

I nodded to Joo Hwarin. She swiftly moved around, bringing the table and laying a cloth on it before tidying up the bed where I had been lying.

As I considered getting up to help Joo Hwarin, she somehow sensed it and insisted I sit still, so I remained glued to the chair.

In the meantime, Geum Baekcheon appeared with the food, wearing a bright smile as he entered.

“Good morning, Miss Moyong Sowol.”

“Good morning, Geum Baekcheon.”

He placed the round bowl on the table and made an apologetic expression.

“I was supposed to bring you something to eat last night, but the preparations took longer than expected, and I couldn’t bring them in time. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I wasn’t hungry.”

Geum Baekcheon looked at me with a guilty expression in response to my answer.

…I was telling the truth. Why was everyone so affected by just two dumplings?

As I gazed at him with a puzzled expression, Geum Baekcheon stepped back and lifted the lid of the bowl.

“You seemed to like dumplings, so I prepared something special.”

Inside the dish was an elongated, golden-brown food, unfamiliar to me.

What’s this? Tilting my head, I listened as Geum Baekcheon explained further.

“It’s a rolled-up lotus.”

“A rolled-up lotus?”

“Yes. Think of it as another form of dumplings. Instead of boiling or steaming them with meat and various vegetables, they are fried in oil. Because of this, they are very crispy.”

I held up my chopsticks while looking at the rolled-up lotus.

“Originally, many lotus-like dishes contain meat and cucumber inside, but most of those foods are cold and not helpful for digestion. Therefore, to make it easy to digest and to preserve the texture, I added soybean and perilla powder, along with soft lamb and royal jelly for a sweet flavor.”

As he described it, it didn’t seem like an ordinary dish that one would easily gravitate towards. I picked up my chopsticks and delicately took a small bite after poking a dish a couple of times.

With a crispy crunch, I tasted the sweetness and smoothness simultaneously amidst the broken outer layer.

“This…”

“Do you like it?”

After chewing and swallowing the remaining rolled-up lotus in my mouth, I nodded.

“It’s really delicious.”

At my words, Geum Baekcheon smiled brightly, his expression filled with pride.

“I’m glad. Each of them are rich in nutrients and not too high in calories, so a few pieces should be sufficient. They’re also easy to digest, so don’t worry and enjoy.”

Nodding while taking another bite of the rolled-up lotus , I realized it was the most delicious food I had ever tasted in my life. Due to my illness in my previous life, I couldn’t even have meat or fried food. They were always distant foods to me.

As I recalled the days when I always ate gruel or soft foods, this was like a delicacy.

After slowly savoring the whole rolled-up lotus and swallowing one last piece, I put down my chopsticks. Although I felt like I could eat more, I refrained from overindulging.

“It was really delicious. It’s the first time I’ve tasted something this good in my life.”

“I’m flattered.”

“No, it’s really excellent, Geum Baekcheon.”

It wasn’t just empty words. It was the most delicious food I had ever eaten. It was delicious enough to momentarily forget the painful life I had been living.

I wanted to live long enough to eat this kind of food every day.

“If possible, could you make this for dinner too?”

“If you want, I can prepare it for you every day.”

“Wouldn’t it be too much trouble?”

“Isn’t that why I’m paid to work here?”

Seeing his bright smile, I also smiled brightly. After closing the lid of the dish, Geum Baekcheon poured a golden liquid from a jar behind it.

The smell was reminiscent of bitter cinnamon tea.

“It’s Tuber Fleeceflower.”

“Tuber Fleeceflower?”

“It helps with digestion, expels cold from the body, and replenishes nutrients. It’s quite bitter, so I added a little honey. Would you like to try it?”

Listening to his explanation, I slowly tilted the teacup. Even a sip brought a bitter taste to my mouth.

But since I had been taking more bitter medicines than this regularly, it wasn’t particularly difficult to drink. And the aftertaste was still sweet, probably due to the honey.

“It’s good, too.”

“I’m glad. If you have a cup of this tea after every meal, it will help with digestion. Based on what you told me yesterday, I prepared it, so it should help alleviate any discomfort during meals.”

It seemed odd when he asked about my various ailments yesterday, but now it all made sense.

To be honest, I was touched. There was no reason for Geum Baekcheon to appear favorable to me. He was a member of the Demon Cult and I was a bride sold by the Righteous Sect.

But the sincerity he showed me was unusual. Considering we had only briefly conversed last night, he had done his best.

As I looked down at the golden tea, Geum Baekcheon smiled brightly and looked at me.

“Thank you.”

“No, I just did what I had to.”

“Still…”

As I slowly opened my mouth after tilting the teacup:

“I am grateful to you, Geum Baekcheon.”

It’s been a while since I was satisfied with the quietness of the morning.

“Really.”

* * *

After breakfast, while conversing with Joo Hwarin and learning about the basic rules and things to know about the Demon Cult, we heard a knock on the door.

Turning towards the door, Joo Hwarin moved to answer it. She opened the door slightly, confirmed the person knocking, then looked back at me with a puzzled expression.

What’s wrong?

As I tilted my head, Joo Hwarin hesitantly opened her mouth with a perplexed expression.

“A guest has arrived, Miss.”

“Who is it?”

Joo Hwarin bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then slowly opened her mouth.

“It’s Elder Do Seokhwi, the head of Southern Manchuria Do clan.”

…That giant Elder?