120 – EP.6 Treatment

***

Inho’s eyes flashed open in the dark.

In the past, I would have tried to fall asleep more in a messy state, but strangely, my eyes were puffy and I couldn’t sleep any longer.

“…….”

As In-ho slowly got up, the blanket that had been up to his neck came down and caught on his waist.

In-ho scratched his neck as he stared out at the still dark outside.

“I’m awake.”

It seems that Emma’s shave was so comfortable that she fell asleep.

Obviously, the last memory was a chair, but Inho thought that he had moved to the bed in his sleep.

He forced his discordant joints out of bed.

he stood in front of the window

The large window next to the bed was perfect for viewing the scenery, but it didn’t seem to be good at blocking the cold air coming in from outside.

It would be unreasonable to compare it with the developed modern construction methods.

“It’s also frustrating.”

The outside air coming in through the tiny cracks in the window doesn’t seem to evoke the stuffiness in the room.

big, big Inho cleared his throat and opened the door to his room to get some fresh air.

The door opened, and a dark hallway greeted him.

Inho put a candle in the lamp placed in the room and left the room. It was a so-called medieval flashlight.

– squeak squeak

Every time Inho took a step, the floor made a sound.

The mansion, where silence fell, exaggerated all the actions of the old man.

In-ho walked slowly down the hallway, dragging his heavy legs, and when he reached the stairs, he heard the door open next to his room.

“master?”

Emma, dressed rather casually, called to him.

“ah.”

It wasn’t like he was caught doing something he couldn’t do, but In-ho didn’t know what to say, so he stayed still.

While In-ho remained silent, Emma quickly approached.

“……”

Then, he stared intently at In-ho’s face revealed in the dim light of the candle.

“Are you the owner?”

It was a question with many implications.

“That’s right. You shaved your beard.”

It didn’t take In-ho long to realize what Emma was afraid of.

He smiled kindly and stroked Emma’s hair with his free hand.

“What a relief.”

As if relieved, Emma rubbed her chest.

“Did I wake you up?”

In-ho asked, wondering if he might have woken someone who was having a hard time sleeping.

“No. I get up around this time to prepare for my routine. Master woke up earlier than usual.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Did you ever need anything?”

“Ah… it was stuffy, so I thought I’d get some fresh air.”

“Then could you wait five minutes? It’s cold.”

Emma didn’t listen to In-ho’s answer and went somewhere.

Unable to go down the stairs or go back to his room, In-ho waited 5 minutes with a hesitant posture before Emma returned with a thick fur coat.

She carefully held out the fur coat, and In-ho stretched out his arm and put it on.

It was a body that was already uncomfortable to move, but I didn’t like it because it seemed to be more dull with the fur clothes.

However, Emma’s thoughtfulness of herself was admirable, so she decided not to show off.

“Even if it’s heavy, please understand. If the master catches a cold, I think I’ll be very heartbroken.”

Emma, who had penetrated her heart like a ghost, spoke quietly.

“No, it’s okay. It’s warm and nice.”

The cool In-ho gave an immediate answer and went down the stairs carefully.

The morning walk started like that.

It was the season when the sun rose late, so it didn’t look much different from night.

However, as In-ho was walking in the garden at a slow pace, he could see the morning approaching in the distance.

Emma followed In-ho half a step behind him, giving a detailed explanation of In-ho’s gaze as he walked through the garden, like a docent.

As if it wasn’t false that he was a fairly well-known writer when he was young, there were quite a few things he received as gifts.

“Did the doctor come today?”

“Yes. He said he would come before lunch.”

“How long does it take?”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been tested, but I don’t think it will take that long.”

“I wish I was healthy, right?”

When In-ho turned around with a grin, Emma saw his face and stopped.

“Emma?”

Seeing Emma staring at him in a daze, Inho called her name.

“Ah… ah! Yes. Yes. I like being healthy.”

Blushing, Emma turned her head.

***

As Emma said, the doctor visited before lunch, when Inho was enjoying tea time after breakfast.

In-ho thought of an old man like himself, but was slightly surprised by a doctor who was younger than he thought.

After carefully examining In-ho’s body as he sat on the bed, the doctor asked In-ho a few questions.

In-ho answered the question appropriately, and the doctor wrote down something on the paper he had brought.

Glimpse, In-ho tried to see what the doctor was writing, but he couldn’t figure out what the doctor was writing.

Just like when I fell into the world of martial arts, it seemed that the words worked, but the writing did not work.

“It’s not bad. You’re healthy. Maybe you can write a new piece? Ha ha ha ha.”

The doctor smiled kindly, and Inho replied with a smile.

The doctor got up while inserting the test kit, and In-ho also stood up and held out his hand.

Holding hands, the doctor said that he missed In-ho’s writing.

“Me and my father love your writing very much.”

“It’s an honor.”

“New work, I’ll be waiting for you.”

“yes.”

I was about to send the doctor away with a warm smile, but the doctor who walked out the door turned around and looked at Emma.

“Ah, Miss Emma.”

“yes.”

“For the sake of the teacher’s health, I have a simple precaution… Is it okay for a while? A quiet place would be nice.”

The doctor glanced sideways at Inho, and Emma didn’t miss the signal.

“Follow me. Master, then excuse me for a moment.”

“Then I’ll be in the garden for a while.”

“Umm… Then would you please stay where you can see from the window?”

“Okay. Don’t worry.”

Leaving Emma and the doctor behind, Inho went back to the garden.

As he was walking slowly, he heard a voice calling him from somewhere.

“Teacher. Inho teacher.”

When I turned my head towards the sound, the man I visited yesterday was calling him.

Inho slowly approached the gate.

With the iron gate in the middle, an old man and a young man face each other.

“Sir. Do you remember me? This is Hans from the general store.”

“Ah… a general store. I think I’ll remember it…”

In-ho didn’t lie about knowing.

The man in front of Inho was a very impressive young man.

Why did he call him? Inho was a little curious.

“But what’s going on?”

“It’s nothing else, isn’t Emma at the teacher’s house?”

“Yes. Yes.”

“You know that there will be a village festival soon, right?”

“festival?”

“Oh, you didn’t know. Anyway, it’s a village festival soon. The young people of the village dance in pairs.”

“It’s a good custom.”

“Right? Oh, anyway. I asked Emma to dance. Emma said she was too busy with work at the mansion…”

Hans rolled his eyes here and there even as he kept smiling.

“So what do you want to say?”

In-ho, a little tired of the extravagant conversation, threw a fastball.

“If you don’t mind… if you can relieve Emma’s work on the festival day… Heeik!!!”

Hans, who was stuttering about his purpose, was startled when he saw something.

“Well?”

When Inho turned to the place where his eyes were fixed, Emma and the doctor were standing there, looking at Hans with expressionless faces.

“Master, the doctor is passing away.”

“Ah, it looks like the conversation is over. Thank you for today.”

“hahahaha, what is it? Please take good care of your health, Mr. Inho.”

The door opens, and the doctor leaves.

The maid politely greeted the doctor, then shut the iron door with a bang.

“……”

And he just glared at Hans.

Thrown into the uncomfortable silence, In-ho was embarrassed, but spoke first.

“Emma, do you want to go to the festival?”

– fast deuk

At Inho’s question, Emma heard something grinding in her mouth.

“No, master. I will never go to a festival or anything like that.”

“Ah… Really? I was just trying to say that if you can’t go because of work, you can go…”

“Master. You have to eat lunch soon, so please go inside.”

“Ah, okay. That… Hans. It seems like it would be better for the two of you to take care of the festival yourself.”

Inho, overwhelmed by Emma’s energy, hurriedly greeted Hans and entered the mansion.

“…Emma. Um… what’s this over there?”

“…Mr. Hans.”

After confirming that In-ho entered the mansion, Emma lowered her voice and growled.

“If you keep flirting, I’ll kill you.”

Before Hans could answer, Emma turned and followed her master.

Hans murmured as he watched Emma walk away.

“Wow… You’re pretty even when you’re angry.”

It seemed that Emma’s warning had not been properly conveyed to Hans.

***

Emma returned to the mansion and saw In-ho, who had just gone upstairs and entered her room.

“…master.”

Emma sadly called out to her master.

Emma remembered her conversation with the doctor.

‘I couldn’t tell you in front of the teacher, but I think Miss Emma should know.’

‘It’s not a good thing for a dementia patient to temporarily recover their energy and act normally.’

‘The patient may burn the last life, so be prepared.’

‘What should I prepare?’

Feeling a lump of metal fall on her chest, Emma asked the doctor.

The doctor looked straight at Emma and said, not hiding his mixed emotions.

‘Preparation to send your master.’

“What should I do, my master? What should I do out of pity?”

Emma’s face, which seemed unlikely to collapse, collapsed in an instant like a collapsed embankment.