Chapter 22: Good News
“This can’t be happening!”
Master Byeoljubu stormed out of the royal office, yelling in anger.
He couldn’t believe that a mere human woman had been made the Royal Physician. That was unthinkable.
But it had actually happened.
“She’s just a lowly human woman. All that talk about her amazing skills is probably fake,” said an official from the medical department, trying to calm him down.
Even though he had seen Cheong cure a man’s Bell’s palsy with acupuncture, he acted like it wasn’t true.
“Curing someone with thin needles? Impossible,” he scoffed.
He tried his best to belittle Cheong, even though she had clearly healed someone with her own hands.
The reason was simple:
Byeoljubu only taught medicine to a few close people—usually his relatives or those who gave him bribes or flattered him.
That was how his family kept the Royal Physician position to themselves for so long.
“How did she win over that temperamental king?” he grumbled.
Even the flattery from the official didn’t ease his anger. He clenched his fists tightly.
When Haewon said he would make Cheong the Royal Physician, his heart had nearly dropped.
Just one treatment and she was given such a high position?
He didn’t want to admit it, but it showed her great skill.
That’s why he felt even more threatened.
At this rate, he might lose the position he thought belonged to him alone.
“That must not happen,” he muttered.
He clenched his fist harder, remembering Cheong’s confident face.
He had to stop her from getting too powerful.
“Hey, isn’t that the human woman over there, sir?” the official said, pointing in one direction.
Byeoljubu looked and saw Cheong walking with a court lady.
“She’s heading toward the palace gates,” he said, confused.
“Yes, she already thinks she can come and go as she pleases. So arrogant,” the official sneered.
They watched her proudly show her ID to the guards.
Byeoljubu stayed quiet.
She had just become the Royal Physician, so she should have been busy preparing things. Why was she leaving?
And she had no ties to this place.
Something didn’t feel right.
Byeoljubu had good instincts after many years in his position.
“Follow her,” he ordered, eyes narrowing as he watched her leave the palace.
* * *
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Palcho’s forge was busy as always, making various things.
Cheong and Gahwa stood at the entrance, looking for Palcho. Paljae ran out to greet them.
“Doctor! Court lady!”
“Hello. Are you feeling better?” Cheong asked.
Paljae smiled shyly and scratched his head.
“Yes, thanks to you, I’m very healthy now.”
“Still, don’t be too relaxed. If we don’t fix the cause, it could come back,” Cheong warned.
Hearing “come back” made Paljae’s face turn serious.
The thought of his face becoming paralyzed again scared him.
After all, when your face is numb, eating, talking, and even confidence becomes hard.
“Then… what should I do?”
“I’ll ask His Majesty to send you herbal medicine. Just take it regularly.”
“You’re doing all this for me? Thank you so much, Doctor!”
Paljae twisted his muscular body awkwardly, unsure how to act.
Gahwa held back a laugh and proudly lifted her chin.
“She’s not just a doctor anymore. She’s the Royal Physician.”
“R-Really?” Paljae’s eyes went wide.
“Yes. It happened recently,” Cheong nodded happily.
“That’s amazing! My father will be thrilled to hear this!”
Paljae excitedly grabbed Cheong’s hand and shook it up and down.
He looked just like a child who got a surprise gift.
“Actually, I came to see your father,” Cheong said.
“I’ll take you! He’s busy working on the needles you asked for.”
Paljae eagerly led them into the forge.
As they walked, he kept bragging about Cheong to the other blacksmiths.
“She’s the one who cured me!”
“Hey, Uncle Gwangpal! She became the Royal Physician!”
“She’s not just skilled—she’s also beautiful! Have you ever seen anyone like her?”
He was so loud that Cheong’s face started turning red.
It was embarrassing to greet all the big, muscular blacksmiths like this.
Most of them were friendly, but not all.
One man with dark skin in the corner stared coldly at her.
“That’s enough,” Cheong said, pulling Paljae’s arm.
“Why? This is a happy occasion!”
“I think that’s enough. And… my hand…”
She looked at her fingers, which had turned pale from his tight grip.
She appreciated the excitement, but it hurt.
“S-Sorry! I got too excited!” Paljae let go quickly.
He just realized how long he’d been holding her hand.
‘Why is his face red now?’
She opened and closed her sore hand, and noticed Paljae’s face—and shiny bald head—turning bright red, like a boiled octopus.
It almost looked like he might explode.
“Ahem. So, where’s your father?”
Cheong quickly changed the subject.
She had felt someone watching her the whole time.
“This way! Father! The Royal Physician is here!”
Palcho was in his workshop in the back of the forge.
He was shirtless and working hard.
“Who’s here?”
When he saw Cheong, he threw down his tools and ran over.
“What brings you to such a messy place?”
“I was curious about the needles I asked you to make.”
“I was just about to send a message to you. Please, come this way.”
Cheong, Gahwa, and Paljae followed him to a small room next to the workshop.
As they walked in, Cheong noticed the dark-skinned man quietly watching them from behind. She felt uneasy and quietly shut the door.
The room was full of tools and weapons Palcho had created.
Some looked too strange to use, while others looked more like art than weapons—beautiful swords and axes displayed on the walls.
It showed how much Palcho loved his work and took pride in being a blacksmith.
“Here are the needles I finished this morning.”
Palcho brought out a small wooden box and opened the lid.
Inside, on red silk, lay golden acupuncture needles of different sizes and thicknesses, neatly arranged.
Cheong picked one up to examine.
It was thin, straight, and evenly made.
The end was thicker for easy gripping, like a handle.
She also noticed tiny, delicate carvings of clouds and lotus flowers on the handle.
“Well? Do you like it?” Palcho asked nervously.
Cheong gently placed the needle back in the box.
