TLBSV 12

Chapter 12

“Ah, yes! Please come in!”

Baeksa scrambled to her feet in a sudden panic. Though the young girl was technically an Imperial Princess, she was absolutely not accustomed to receiving people while seated.

Back when she lived in the Imperial Palace, she was strictly required to stand up immediately whenever absolutely anyone entered her room. If she didn’t, a ‘bad thing’ would undoubtedly happen.

So she had merely jumped to her feet out of sheer, terrified habit.

Slide.

The door slid open, and Sirang, who had just stepped inside, locked eyes with Baeksa.

“…My Lady!”

Sirang’s eyes went wide like a startled rabbit as she rushed over in a flurry and gently guided Baeksa back down to her seat.

“Ah.”

“You absolutely do not need to stand up, My Lady. You can simply remain comfortably seated and say ‘come in’.”

“A-Ah, um, but…”

Baeksa swallowed hard.

She was merely a guest in this grand estate, so remaining seated while receiving someone felt like incredibly rude and insolent behavior.

As if completely understanding exactly what was causing Baeksa such distress, Sirang gently coaxed and comforted the child.

“It’s perfectly fine, My Lady. Absolutely no one here will ever say a word against you for something like that.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“Oh, our young lady is so incredibly sweet. Well then, shall we begin treating your injuries?”

As Sirang carefully took a step back, the elderly physician who had been standing right behind her finally came into view.

With a bright, reassuring smile, she introduced the physician to Baeksa.

“This is Physician Son. She is the wonderful person who cares for absolutely all the patients within the Vermilion Bird estate.”

“Ho ho, hello there. We have a very tiny and incredibly adorable new young lady here, it seems.”

Setting the heavy leather bag she had brought down on the floor, Physician Son let out a warm, hearty laugh.

She was a Crane beastman with a head full of striking silver hair, sharing the exact same white hair color as Baeksa.

Though whether her hair had always been pure white, or if it had turned that magnificent color with age, was something Baeksa couldn’t tell.

She seems like an incredibly kind person too.

Baeksa thought quietly to herself.

Ever since she stepped into the room, the elderly Crane physician had been looking at Baeksa with incredibly warm, affectionate eyes.

Because the child had never once received such a gentle, loving gaze in her entire life until she arrived in the Southern Lands, she was incredibly quick to notice the genuine warmth in other people’s eyes.

It was because it was the very thing she had desperately yearned for more than anything else that she could sense it so keenly now.

Realizing that the elderly physician was truly a good person, Baeksa secretly let out a tiny breath and relaxed just a fraction.

Meanwhile, Physician Son, who had her long silver hair tied back neatly with a simple wooden hairpin, came over and sat down directly in front of Baeksa.

“I brought a variety of medicines to brew a restorative tonic for our little lady, but it seems I should drastically reduce the amount of herbs I use. You are simply far too small and incredibly thin…”

A pair of gently wrinkled, incredibly warm hands softly clasped Baeksa’s heavily scarred, frostbitten ones.

Because she had been left completely exposed in that freezing place for so long, Baeksa’s tiny hands and feet were stiff and agonizingly cold to the touch.

Clicking her tongue in profound sympathy, she gently released Baeksa’s hands.

“This does not seem like a problem that can be solved simply by applying a bit of ointment. Sirang, we absolutely must prepare a medicinal bath for the young lady.”

“Ah, of course! When it comes to drawing a proper medicinal bath, I, Sirang, am practically an absolute expert! Please leave it completely to me!”

“Mhm, yes, I’m sure you are. I will prepare the proper herbs, so go and request the boiling water and set up the bath immediately. While you do that, I will prepare the tonic to nourish the young lady’s body and the ointment for her skin.”

“Yes, ma’am! I will go and return right this instant!”

“Go slowly, you reckless child! You’ll trip and fall again at this rate!”

“Oh my, Physician! You speak as if I’m a little child.”

Laughing sheepishly, Sirang turned back to look at Baeksa.

“My Lady, I will have the medicinal bath prepared in just a moment. Please wait right here until then.”

Then, as if she had suddenly realized something, she let out a small ‘Ah,’ her mouth forming a tiny ‘O’.

“If perhaps you are frightened to be left alone, I can call another maid…”

“A-Ah, no, I’m okay! I can wait by myself.”

Baeksa vigorously shook her head side to side.

She still felt incredibly uncomfortable and terrified at the thought of meeting anyone other than Sirang.

Since this place was home to the incredibly kind and warm Patriarch, the gentle Crane physician, and the sweet Sirang, the other people here were undoubtedly just as kind.

But I’m still just a little bit scared…

The terrifying memory of the royal guards who had escorted her carriage from the Imperial Palace—how they had cursed at her and threatened her with their swords—was still deeply embedded in her fragile heart.

Seeing Baeksa desperately shaking her head, Sirang gave a deeply understanding nod.

“I understand, My Lady. Then I will be back in a flash. Please keep the Physician company while I’m gone. Physician Son actually has six grandchildren of her own, so she is an absolute expert when it comes to taking care of children.”

“If you stay here chattering any longer, you’ll end up telling the young lady exactly how many spoons I have in my kitchen.”

“Hehe, I don’t know that much yet! I’ll be right back!”

Answering cheerfully, Sirang slipped out of the room like a breeze. Watching her retreating back with a warm gaze, the elderly physician finally spoke.

“Though that child may seem a bit clumsy and scatterbrained at times, she is incredibly diligent and exceptionally good at her job. I am certain she will take excellent care of you, young snake lady.”

“Sirang is… already more than kind enough to me.”

Carefully reading the elderly physician’s expression, Baeksa spoke in a small, cautious voice.

“She is incredibly sweet, and she always considers my feelings. Sirang is a truly wonderful beastman.”

“Ho ho, I am incredibly relieved to hear that the young lady is fond of Sirang.”

The elderly physician laughed, sounding genuinely pleased.

Since it was the very first time Baeksa had ever praised another person out loud, she felt a little embarrassed, her heart fluttering warmly.

Up until now, even if she desperately wanted to say such kind things, she had absolutely never been given the chance.

Seeing the tiny child smile so bashfully, the elderly physician couldn’t help but smile right along with her.

And just around the time the two of them were quietly chatting and the remaining tension in the room began to fully melt away.

Sirang returned, brightly announcing that the medicinal bath was ready, and gently scooped Baeksa up into her arms.

“My Lady, if the water is even a tiny bit too hot, you absolutely must tell me, alright?”

Submerged in the massive wooden bathing tub, Baeksa carefully nodded her tiny head.

Perhaps because they had added countless precious medicinal herbs, the water was a cloudy, murky color and gave off a strong, bitter scent.

However, the thought of complaining never even crossed her mind.

‘My Lady, look at this! It’s a proper medicinal bath absolutely packed with a massive handful of incredibly precious herbs!’ ‘I, Sirang, along with the other maids, worked very hard to prepare this just for you. The smell might be a bit strong, but the medicinal effects are absolutely guaranteed! They say a proper medicinal bath is the absolute best remedy for melting away fatigue from a battered body!’

Because she knew full well that Physician Son and Sirang had painstakingly prepared this medicinal bath entirely for her sake.

It must have been so difficult for them…

Even at a single glance, it was glaringly obvious that an incredible amount of expensive herbs had been used.

Yet Sirang hadn’t complained even once about how difficult the preparations must have been. Instead, visibly excited, she had gently urged Baeksa to get in quickly and carefully lowered the child into the tub.

Even if it weren’t for Sirang’s incredibly warm, caring heart, Baeksa truly loved this medicinal bath.

This is the first time I’ve ever bathed in warm water…

Up until now, Baeksa had always been forced to wash with freezing, ice-cold water in her dilapidated quarters, regardless of whether it was the dead of winter or the peak of summer.

After submerging her tiny body in water as freezing as solid ice, she would be left shivering violently for hours on end.

Sometimes, they wouldn’t even properly dry her off, so she had to scurry back to her room all alone and desperately try to dry herself with her thin, ragged blanket.

Compared to those agonizing times, this medicinal bath was incredibly luxurious and overwhelmingly extravagant. Baeksa wiggled her tiny fingers contentedly beneath the warm water.

Why are they treating me so incredibly well…?

Are all the beastmen of the Vermilion Bird Clan this unconditionally kind and gentle?

Just as Baeksa was lost in deep thought, with only her tiny head poking out of the bathwater, Sirang suddenly held something out right in front of the child’s eyes.

“My Lady, here you go!”

“Yes…?”

“It’s a sweet piece of candy! If you hold this in your mouth, the bitter smell of the medicine won’t bother you nearly as much. I specially begged the kitchens to let me have one just for you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Sirang gently popped a perfectly round piece of hard candy right into Baeksa’s mouth.

The candy, crafted by painstakingly boiling down precious sugar, began to melt the exact second it touched her tongue, filling her entire mouth with an overwhelming, delightful sweetness.

Experiencing such an incredible, sugary taste for the very first time in her life, Baeksa’s eyes went wide with pure shock.

“Hehe, it’s incredibly sweet, isn’t it? It’s a truly precious piece of candy.”

“B-But, giving me something so precious…”

“Oh, nonsense! Since you are now a deeply honored guest of our Vermilion Bird Clan, My Lady, it is absolutely natural that all the most precious things should be given to you! The Patriarch issued a strict, special decree ordering us to present you with only the absolute best of everything, so please do not worry about a single thing.”

Answering with an incredibly triumphant, proud expression, Sirang began to carefully and gently wash Baeksa’s hair.

The heavily tangled, matted hair smoothly and softly unraveled beneath Sirang’s delicate, caring fingertips.

“I actually managed to sneak one more, so please tell me the second you finish that one!”

Sirang popped her face right over the tub, beaming down at Baeksa, who was sitting comfortably in the warm water.

“And if I ever pull your hair too hard or if it hurts even a tiny bit, you absolutely must tell me that too!”

Locking eyes with the incredibly sweet Sirang, Baeksa broke into a soft, genuine smile.

“Okay…”

The corners of her large, round eyes curved beautifully. With her face still half-submerged in the bitter-smelling medicinal bath, the young girl’s pale cheeks flushed a soft, healthy pink.

Bloop.

A tiny, delicate bubble rose to the surface of the bathwater and popped with a soft pop.

Baeksa’s tiny fingers and toes, which had once been so thoroughly frozen she thought they might never thaw, wiggled happily beneath the warm, comforting water.