Although several doctors came and could not determine a proper diagnosis, the fact that those who had been bedridden for a long time would have already lost much of their strength was a problem from the start. When they later regain consciousness, care must be taken to recover their health quickly.

Moreover, Sbaek had learned martial arts and thus had the ability to check even the internal qi and blood to some extent. Therefore, there was a possibility of finding problems that doctors who mainly treat commoners might not have discovered.

The Danju’s children were two sons and two daughters, four in total.

Except for the eldest son, who was the oldest, the other three were in a more urgent situation as they were almost unconscious, so we looked for them first. Ha Hyun and I ran errands by Sbaek’s side or recorded the patient’s condition as Sbaek checked.

‘Not an assistant’s assistant, but just an assistant.’

The thought I had before coming was wrong, but I didn’t dislike it.

‘This is better.’

The strangely subdued atmosphere, the gloomy expressions of people walking around inside the estate, the Danju’s eyes that seemed to be trying hard to be calm but couldn’t quite hide his expectations and hope.

It would have been harder to just stand around doing nothing in this environment. Besides, assisting Sbaek itself wasn’t particularly difficult or tiring.

‘Just that my heart feels a bit uneasy…’

It was because I felt a strange sense of empathy from the position of having been cursed without knowing why. They probably didn’t think they would suddenly be caught up in a curse like this either.

Just like ‘Haheun’ was controlled without knowing anything.

I was lucky enough to break the spell, but if by any chance I hadn’t realized that curse in my head then… I don’t even want to imagine what the situation would be like now at 18 years old.

After checking the condition of the three unconscious ones in succession, we finally went to see the Danju’s eldest son.

The eldest son, who was said to be seventeen this year, seemed to have been less affected by the curse, as he was said to have fallen ill last among his siblings.

Perhaps because of this, he was not in an unconscious state like his other siblings, and could sit properly and have a conversation with tea in front of him.

“Thank you for coming like this, Dojang.”

“Infinite Buddha. It’s nothing, the connection between the Young Master’s family and Hwasan is deep, so it’s only natural.”

Of course, Sbaek did all the talking, while Ha Hyun and I quietly stood by like folding screens.

But just because you keep your mouth shut doesn’t mean you can’t think. As I looked at the Danju’s eldest son sitting in front of Sbaek, I inadvertently had a disrespectful thought.

‘He really doesn’t look like the Danju.’

In fact, I had this thought from the moment I first saw the eldest son when I entered this room.

The Danju I saw the day before was, at least in appearance, an ordinary-looking middle-aged man that you could see anywhere. And the other children I had just seen also had unremarkable appearances with no particularly sharp features.

But compared to them, this eldest son in front of me was, in fact, not just a matter of not resembling…

Again, to emphasize, it’s really a disrespectful thing to say, but he had an appearance that made me wonder if he was really the son.

The eldest son seemed to be almost at the opposite extreme from the word ordinary. Unlike his ordinary-looking siblings, his features were uniquely delicate and overall flamboyant, and I even just realized that his eye color had a hint of blue.

Come to think of it, he also gives off a slightly different vibe from Central Plains people.

‘Except for the hair color, did he take after a foreigner completely? Is his mother from the Western Regions…?’

This world, like Earth, has various races and many countries. After all, it’s a wuxia novel world published on Earth, so it’s natural that it’s similar to Earth.

However, marriages between people of different races and nationalities are very rare.

‘They could take concubines though.’

Given the era it’s set in.

In the same context, it was also rare for someone who wasn’t the main wife’s child to be recognized as the eldest son or made the heir.

So was the Danju one of those uncommon cases? Someone who didn’t care about others’ views and married a person of a different race, even making her the main wife?

‘In that case, what about the younger siblings? Why does no one resemble…’

At that point, I quickly put the brakes on myself. All sorts of things happen in life, and siblings might not look alike!

It’s never good to take too much interest in other people’s family affairs.

‘Besides, I’m a Taoist. A Taoist.’

I need to stop thinking about this. I quickly changed the direction of my thoughts.

‘…Uh, well, yeah. Somehow, he doesn’t look like a patient.’

This was the impression I got as I continued to look at the eldest son’s face.

He doesn’t look as pale as one would expect a patient to be. Rather, it seems like he just naturally has fair skin. Since they said he collapsed more recently compared to his siblings, it could be that his complexion isn’t as sickly because he hasn’t been ill for long.

‘Right, saying someone doesn’t look as sick as expected would be terribly rude to a patient…’

No one can read my mind, but it’s not good to keep having such disrespectful thoughts. I still have a lot to learn. I inwardly swallowed a sigh.

Meanwhile, Sbaek, having finished exchanging greetings with the eldest son, began to ask him various questions.

I was already on the verge of being disappointed in myself, so I focused on recording the content, relieved that I finally had something to do.

After checking what his recent symptoms were, how and where he felt unwell, etc., Sbaek then took his pulse, just as he had done with the eldest son’s younger siblings. However, since the eldest son was fully conscious, he only checked his pulse without examining his qi and blood.

Sbaek, who had been concentrating with his eyes closed, put down the eldest son’s arm and asked.

“That’s done now. It’s a bit slow, but within the normal range. Are you feeling tired at all?”

“I’m fine for now, but…”

“That’s good then. We shouldn’t tire out the patient while examining them.”

Smiling lightly, Sbaek drained the cold tea left in his cup in one go and stood up.

“Even if your condition seems fine, the exact cause hasn’t been identified yet, so it’s best not to overexert yourself. We’ll be going now, so Young Master should rest, and let’s meet again in the afternoon.”

“Ah.”

Perhaps having been bored lying alone, the eldest son showed a slightly disappointed look. However, he soon smiled back politely and greeted us.

“Thank you again, Dojang.”

“It was what we had to do, so don’t mention it. Well then…”

As we stood up, the eldest son also stood up and slightly bowed his head.

“Yes, take care on your way.”

Following Sbaek, who was leading the way out of the room, I unconsciously glanced back.

The eldest son had sat back down in the same place and was looking down at his teacup.

As I didn’t have any particular intention or thought when I looked back, I was about to naturally turn my eyes away again at that moment.

The eldest son, as if sensing the gaze on him, suddenly raised his head.

Our eyes meet.

The eldest son didn’t even show a hint of surprise. Instead, he narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled somewhat meaningfully. Then he mouthed something without making a sound.

‘…See you again.’

If I didn’t misread his lips, that’s what he said.

As we were in the middle of leaving the room, there wasn’t even time to show any reaction, so I just turned my head back and went out into the corridor. But after walking a few steps down the corridor, my head tilted involuntarily.

‘Seeing each other again is a given anyway.’

Was there any need to say it so secretly?

‘And that smile too.’

It felt like he was smiling too obviously…

I inwardly adjusted my assessment of the eldest son a bit. I thought it would be better to change it early on from just thinking of him as a patient to thinking of him as a somewhat strange patient.

As we came out of the pavilion, sunlight poured down on our heads as if showering us. Perhaps because it was around the time when the weather was gradually getting warmer, it was very bright and sunny, just like when we left Hwasan.

However, perhaps because I suddenly saw the light, my eyes suddenly felt stinging. As I raised my hand to rub my eyes, Ha Hyun, who was next to me, turned to me and asked.

“Did something get in your eye?”

“No… it’s not that.”

I blinked my eyes a few times, taking my hand away to show that I was fine. Meanwhile, Sbaek, who had been looking up at the sky for a moment, turned to us and spoke.

“It’s already around noon. This must have been your first time doing these things, but you were much more composed than I expected, which was very helpful. Thank you.”

“Not at all. Sbaek did everything.”

As I reflexively answered, I thought that I shouldn’t reveal what kind of personality the eldest son had for now. I was a bit dumbfounded, but it wasn’t a major or serious matter related to the medical examination. Since it would be awkward to explain, I should just wait and see for now.

Just as I thought that, it was at that moment.

“Dosanims!”

A servant came running from a distance, stopped in front of our group, bowed at the waist, and greeted us. Then he conveyed that the Danju had asked if we would like to have lunch together.

“The Danju?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, since he’s invited us, of course we should. Will you guide us?”

“Yes! Please follow me.”

Since Sbaek had decided, Ha Hyun and I had nothing to add and just followed. As we walked along the path the servant was guiding us on, I blinked at a question that suddenly occurred to me.

That eldest son.

‘I probably wasn’t the only one who thought he didn’t resemble them…’

After all, he looked very different not only from the Danju but also from his other siblings.

‘But Sbaek was calm.’

I didn’t even talk to Ha Hyun, who was sitting right next to me, and I didn’t look at his face, so I don’t know what expression he had.

So I’ll set that aside for now, but I remember that Sbaek, who had been talking with the eldest son the whole time, seemed completely unbothered.

Of course, Sbaek might know to some extent the reason why their appearances are completely different, and knowing that fact, he might be calm about the eldest son being recognized as the heir, but…

‘Hmm.’

It’s a bit out of the blue, but Ha Hyun, who is walking beside me right now, is also quite handsome, befitting the supposed protagonist.

He still looks a bit chilly when expressionless, as he has since childhood, but basically, he has a neat appearance like a carefully carved ice sculpture. Seeing that face every day, I’ve unintentionally become somewhat insensitive to others’ appearances.

Even I, who am like that, got the impression that the eldest son was flamboyantly handsome, so given Yoobaek Sbaek’s personality, he might have at least given a word of compliment as a courtesy.

‘Was it because they’re the same gender that he wasn’t impressed?’

Or…

Maybe I’m just the one who keeps being un-Taoist-like…