Adjusting to summer in Sichuan wasn’t easy. The humidity was so high I felt like a dumpling steaming in a bamboo basket.

After spending half a month trying to cool off the brutal heat with ice water and chilled tea, I ended up catching the kind of summer cold that “even dogs don’t get.”

“A-CHOO!”

With a loud sneeze, my nose ran in a steady stream. Startled by the sound, Songji rushed over and pressed a hand to my forehead.

“Oh my—Young Lady. Your forehead is like a burning coal.”

“I’ve got a fever? I do feel kind of chilled.”

I definitely wasn’t in normal condition. When I started shivering, Songji adjusted the blanket and tucked it more firmly around me.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you sick, Young Lady. Have you been pushing your training too hard lately? I’ll tell the kitchen to make you some rice gruel. And I think we should go to the Medical Hall and have them prepare some medicinal decoction, too....”

Trailing off, Songji looked at Deokju. Under Songji’s steady stare, Deokju flinched and made an awkward face.

“...I’ll go. I’ll also inform the Grand Elder that training will be difficult today.”

“Oh—thank you, Martial Attendant.”

Songji beamed and waved like she was sending her off with a cheerful “safe travels.” Deokju gave a light nod and disappeared.

After sending Deokju on the errand, Songji grinned.

“The Martial Attendant is so quick to catch on.”

More like you made her catch on.

It seemed Songji had figured out how to handle Deokju.

“R-rice gruel... I-I’ll... b-bring it....”

“Gyeonga, do you want to go? Then I’ll stay here with Young Lady.”

“Yeah. Go. Songji, give me some water.”

Sniffling, I curled up in a miserable lump. Maybe a full-body ache had hit properly—my head was buzzing.

Songji came back with lukewarm water, her face tight with worry.

“Young Lady. Here, water.”

“Thanks.”

I tried to take the cup she offered, but there was no strength in my hand.

“Young Lady. I’ll help you drink.”

When my arm trembled, Songji took the cup back and brought it to my lips. I was being treated like a full-on patient.

“Thanks, Songji. I’m going to sleep a little more....”

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and slowly closed my eyes. My mind felt foggy.

When I opened them again, Tang Jung was pressing a hand to my forehead. Meeting my gaze, he asked gently,

“My child. Are you feeling any better?”

“Grandfather... you’re here....”

I tried to say I was fine, but my throat was tight and my voice wouldn’t come out properly.

At the hoarse rasp of it, Tang Jung clicked his tongue.

“Oh, dear. That cold hit you hard. Just drink your medicinal decoction and go back to sleep.”

“Okaaay....”

Tang Jung helped me sit up, then took the spoon himself. His face was so serious as he lifted each spoonful, blew on it to cool it, and fed it to me that it made me laugh for no reason.

Leaning against Tang Jung, I swallowed the decoction he cooled for me, one spoonful at a time.

“Now lie down. Your fever needs to come down....”

Muttering as if troubled, Tang Jung eased me back onto the bedding. A cool palm covered my eyes.

The chill against my skin loosened all the tension in me, and sleep came crashing down like a wave. It almost felt like he was checking my pulse points.

I let myself sink into the drowsiness.

*****

How much time had passed?

When I forced my eyes open through the haze, my vision kept blurring and then snapping back into focus.

I tried to lift my eyelids again... and gave up, closing them. I couldn’t put strength into my body.

Something rough and bristly licked my cheek.

“Cane... that tickles....”

“Kyuu. Kyuuuu.”

Cane let out a pitiful little cry, like he was telling me to stop sleeping.

I could also feel Gyeonga’s presence—restless, bustling around in a panic.

In the next room, Tang Jung was talking to Deokju with his arms folded.

Learning martial arts really is nice. Even with my eyes closed, I could tell who was where.

“This old man’s wits have dulled. If poison doesn’t work on her, then of course medicine won’t either... and yet I didn’t think of it.”

“The spirit medicine had excellent effect, but for some reason....”

“I didn’t see the effect of the medicine. She absorbed the spiritual energy dissolved within it. This has become a headache. At this rate, even anesthesia incense won’t work on her....”

Their voices drifted close, then far again.

Ah. So medicine doesn’t work on me.

I didn’t know, because I’d never really been sick.

“For now it’s just an ordinary cold, so it’s fine. But if she ever suffers an external injury... I’d be worried she’d have to get her wound stitched while fully conscious.”

Tang Jung clicked his tongue.

I see. Stitched... fully conscious....

I was blankly chewing on his words when I almost screamed.

No anesthesia? Then painkillers won’t work either, right?

What the hell—am I Guan Yu? Am I Guan Yu?!

“Ki—! Kiii?”

When I jerked in terror and twitched my limbs, Cane banged at the wall like he was calling Tang Jung. Answering the racket, Tang Jung entered the bedroom.

“My child. How do you feel?”

“I’m dying....”

“If you can talk, you seem more alive than you were earlier.”

Tang Jung gave a small snort of laughter as he wiped the sweat that had soaked my forehead.

But unlike his teasing tone, his eyes were heavy with worry.

“I heard everything. You don’t have to hide it.”

When I shrugged like there was no point pretending, Tang Jung let out a sigh.

“It’s as you heard. Even after half an hour from feeding you medicinal decoction, your fever didn’t go down. I thought perhaps there was an issue with the prescription, so I checked—but there was nothing wrong with the decoction. It’s your body that’s the problem, Sohae.”

“Still... I slept well.”

“Because I pressed your pulse points, of course you did. A body that won’t respond unless it’s spirit medicine... you’re unbearably difficult.”

If you say it like that, I sound like a cat that spits out anything that isn’t organic-grade feed.

Wriggling deeper under the blanket, I looked up at Tang Jung.

“Then—cough!—we just wait until I get better on my own?”

“Yes. This grandfather will see if there’s any other method. Rest today. Once you can move, circulate your energy. And if it truly won’t do... you can always eat that sable’s inner core.”

“KIIIK!”

Cane leapt up like What are you talking about?! and stomped his feet hard.

Ignoring the sable’s protest, Tang Jung took my wrist and sent his internal energy into me.

Tang Jung’s internal energy flowed in through my fingertips, then spread through every corner of my body.

When that familiar presence wrapped around me, I felt drowsy and heavy, like I’d stretched out on a warm heated floor.

Feeling his internal energy, I slipped back into sleep.

*****

The rumor that I was sick spread in an instant.

The Medical Hall Master sent a pill said to be good for easing fatigue, and the Poison King Hall Master sent an entire basket of tangerines.

Those are probably rare if they’re imported all the way from Yunnan. If I keep receiving things like this and still refuse to join the Poison King Hall, won’t they make a huge fuss? This is starting to feel like pressure.

“Young Lady! The Poison King Hall Master sent a whole basket of precious tangerines!”

Songji looked so thrilled that I couldn’t even bring myself to tell her to send them back. I just laughed weakly.

“Share them with Gyeonga. And Deokju should eat some too.”

“You should eat first, Young Lady.”

“I’m supposed to eat rice gruel. If I eat that for no reason, I might throw up. You guys eat.”

“But....”

“If we just leave them, they’ll get moldy. They’re precious—are you going to let something precious get moldy? Hurry and eat.”

Songji hesitated until I peeled one and shoved it into her hand. Then she carefully split it and shared it with Deokju and Gyeonga.

After that, she popped her portion into her mouth, smiling brightly.

“It’s so delicious, Young Lady! I can’t believe I get to eat something this precious!”

If I’d sent them back, she probably would’ve cried.

Even Gyeonga, who’d been hovering uncertainly, took a cautious bite. Her eyes widened, and she chewed with her front teeth like she couldn’t believe it.

“Deokju, hurry and try it too.”

“...Yes, Young Lady.”

At my urging, Deokju finally put the tangerine she’d been holding awkwardly into her mouth. The corners of her lips twitched up little by little—it seemed she liked it.

Seeing my kids eat well makes me weirdly proud.

Smiling with satisfaction, I leaned back against the bedding. My fever felt like it had dropped a lot, but my hands and feet still wouldn’t take strength properly.

I’d thought becoming a martial artist meant I wouldn’t catch little illnesses, but if you overdid it, you still ended up with an aching fever. Same as always.

Maybe I was just... a bit healthier than an ordinary person. Fine. I’ll rest while I can.

I yawned long and closed my eyes.

“Little sister!”

“....”

Damn it. Why is she here.

“I saw you had your eyes open. I heard my little sister’s sick!”

Swallowing a sigh, I opened my eyes and saw Tang Juhee striding into my bedroom, her ornaments jangling.

Behind her, Tang Chohui stood holding a thick stack of books in both arms.

“Can I come in?” 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

“Come in, Sister.”

Unlike someone who did whatever she wanted, Tang Chohui actually asked my permission. She stepped into the room slowly.

“What books are those?”

“An errand from Brother Un. He said to read them if you’re bored.”

“Ah... please tell him thank you.”

After setting the medical texts on the table, Tang Chohui stared straight at my face.

“Body ache?”

“Yes.”

“You push too hard.”

Nodding like she’d expected it, Tang Chohui pulled a small bundle from her robe.

“Here.”

“Chohui agonized over what to bring because she thought my little sister might be bored. Hurry and open it.”

“Really? Thank you, Sister.”

When I grinned and unwrapped the bundle, several beads of different sizes appeared.

“Beads?”

“Mother-and-Child Pellets.”

Tang Juhee giggled and rolled one of the beads in her fingers as she explained.

“You hide the small bead behind the big bead and throw them. They dodge the big one, relax for a split second—then the small one goes BAM! and lodges right in their forehead.”

She laughed, delighted with herself.

“You can also throw several at once and wreck their sense of distance. Not bad for emergencies. Almost nobody assumes beads are coated with poison. People don’t guard against it much.”

It doesn’t even have to be beads. You could do something similar with rocks of different sizes.

When my eyes lit up, Tang Juhee snorted like I was hopeless.

“Look at her eyes. Those are ‘I want to try throwing them right now’ eyes. She likes your gift.”

“I love it. Thank you, Sister. How do you even make something like this? That’s amazing.”

Tang Chohui’s earlobes turned bright red. She clamped her lips # Nоvеlight # shut, flustered, then shot to her feet.

“Rest. Let’s go.”

“Why? I still have so much to say to my little sister.”

Tang Chohui even had the consideration to drag Tang Juhee out while she chattered.

My second sister has zero immunity to being thanked.

Chuckling, I buried my face in my pillow. Tang Juhee had only stopped by for a moment, but my head was already throbbing.

Being grateful was one thing. Being exhausted was another.

There was an unexpected visitor, too.

“I heard you’re sick?”

“...Brother? Why are you here?”

I stared, eyes round. I hadn’t expected Tang Seho to show up.

“You really must be sick. Your lips are blue.”

“Yeah. I think I feel worse because you came. Leave.”

“Your mouth doesn’t look sick at all. Here—take it.”

Awkwardly glancing around as he came in, Tang Seho held out a basket.

It was filled to the brim with hawthorn fruit.

“You know it’s hard to get hawthorn these days, right? When you’re better, have your maids make candy lozenges with it.”

“Huh? This is for me? Why?”

“So you won’t get sick.”

I was touched for about half a breath... and then he flashed an irritating little grin.

“I’m going to eat this. Looks good, right?”

Puffed up, Tang Seho pulled out a bamboo container and took out deep-fried meat, grease dripping from it. He took a huge bite.

“Ahhh—yeah. This is it. People really do have to eat meat. Too bad you can’t, since you’re sick.”

His face was pure satisfaction as he chewed.

Is this punk trying to provoke me?

“Get out.”

“Hey! You’re calling your brother ‘you’ again?!”

“Hey. I’m being nice. Get out.”

“....”

Reading the room at last, Tang Seho slowly lifted his backside and backed away.

I glared at the back of his head.

Once I’m better, I need to start by practicing pressure-point strikes that shut that annoying mouth of his.