Chapter 44: A Respected Elder

From a distance, I quietly watched the mother and daughter sitting side-by-side on the sofa, still sharing the stories they hadn’t had the chance to tell.

Lee Seo-ryeong’s hand gently stroked Seol Yu-wol’s hair.

Their meeting was a success. This was a good thing.

Even the strongest wall will crumble once a crack appears. The emotional barrier that had stood between them for decades had finally collapsed. It must have been a precious time for them both.

Seol Yu-wol, freed from the sense of duty that had crushed her, was able to feel her mother’s love for the first time. Lee Seo-ryeong, in turn, could now face her daughter properly, not through her own misguided methods.

Nice.

As a counselor, was there anything more I needed to do? My role was almost over. Seol Yu-wol was no longer a case requiring special attention. Like any other Outsider, she just needed to slowly go through the process of socialization. As her designated counselor, I would only need to check in on her from time to time to see how she was doing.

The visiting hours were almost up. It was impossible to resolve over a decade’s worth of pent-up feelings in a single day. For today, this was enough.

Just then, a knock came from the door.

Knock, knock.

I rose from my seat and opened it. Standing there was a staff member holding a large, insulated lunch box from which warm steam was rising.

“The team leader said to provide lunch today… so here…”

“Ah, thank you.”

“It’s a meal for three.”

I nodded. In that case, it would be fine for them to part ways after eating. I took the lunch box from the staff member, expressing my gratitude once more.

Then, I returned to the mother and daughter, who were still leaning against each other with reddened eyes. I cleared the large living room table and began opening the lids one by one. The delicious aroma of meat spread pleasantly throughout the room.

Today’s menu was ssambap—lettuce wraps. There was fresh lettuce, white rice, and spicy stir-fried pork, along with an assortment of neatly arranged vegetable side dishes. It was obvious that a great deal of care had gone into the meal.

I placed utensils in front of each of them, setting down the warm bowls of rice first.

“Shall we eat?” I smiled and took a seat.

Ssambap… Lee Seo-ryeong would probably know how to eat it, but I wasn’t sure about Seol Yu-wol. I had no idea if a similar dish or custom existed in Jungwon.

As expected, Seol Yu-wol was just poking at the grains of rice with her chopsticks, a lost look on her face.

I opened my mouth to show her how. “Let me show you how…”

But it was Lee Seo-ryeong who moved first. She gently placed her hand over mine, as if to stop me. It seemed she wanted to do it herself.

And then.

“My child,” Lee Seo-ryeong called to her daughter in a soft voice. She picked up a clean piece of lettuce and spread it open on her palm.

“You place a little rice on this green leaf… and a piece of meat…” Lee Seo-ryeong tenderly taught Seol Yu-wol how to make a wrap.

Seol Yu-wol watched her mother’s demonstration and nodded. I watched the two of them with a warm, satisfied smile.

Before long, a beautiful, carefully made wrap was complete. But that first wrap was not for her daughter.

Lee Seo-ryeong respectfully offered it to me with both hands, holding it toward my mouth. She met my eyes and said to Seol Yu-wol, “It is proper etiquette to serve the most respected elder at the table first.”

She brought the wrap to my lips.

“Please, eat,” she said, smiling faintly.

It was sudden, but I didn’t refuse. I accepted the wrap she offered. After chewing and swallowing it, I replied, “Thank you. It’s delicious.”

“Not at all.” Lee Seo-ryeong shook her head, smiling shyly.

It was at that very moment that Seol Yu-wol urgently grabbed a piece of lettuce from her plate. She began to mimic exactly what Lee Seo-ryeong had just done. With clumsy hands, she placed rice on the leaf, then added a piece of meat.

A small, cute wrap, hastily assembled.

I naturally assumed she would offer it to Lee Seo-ryeong. But Seol Yu-wol extended the wrap to me, just as her mother had.

“Um…” I hesitated. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for her to give it to her mother, with whom she had just been reunited?

Just then, Lee Seo-ryeong’s gentle voice came from beside me. “It seems my daughter is offering this to you with a heart full of gratitude, Physician.” She added with a pleased smile, “Please, accept it.”

I could no longer refuse. I carefully brought the small wrap she offered to my mouth. I slowly chewed and swallowed it, then looked at her and smiled once more.

“Yes. This one is delicious, too.”

At those words, a bright smile blossomed on Seol Yu-wol’s face. It was the first unguarded smile I had ever seen from her.

*

The delicious lunch came to an end. It was now time for them to part.

Lee Seo-ryeong and I stood before the door to Seol Yu-wol’s room. Looking at the two of them, I carefully brought up the plan for the future.

“Well… if there are no major issues, the next session will likely be on Thursday or Friday.”

From now on, I had to gradually reduce the frequency of our sessions. Seol Yu-wol could no longer remain confined to the narrow window that was me. She needed to communicate with other Outsiders in similar situations and form new relationships. She needed to meet people other than her mother and learn about the world. And above all, she had to go through the education and socialization programs run by the Association.

“What…? Not tomorrow…” At that, Seol Yu-wol’s expression darkened drastically. The light in her blue eyes seemed to dim.

Seeing her reaction, I replied nonchalantly, “Yes. You’ve improved so much, Yu-wol. As long as no major issues arise, our sessions will become less frequent.”

“Major… issues…”

“Honestly, you’d probably get tired of seeing only me. It must be stifling.” I gave a light laugh to reassure her.

“It wasn’t like that.” But she didn’t smile.

I slowly continued, “You don’t need to worry too much. From now on, you’ll go to the Association and communicate with other Outsiders…”

Whatever I said, Seol Yu-wol didn’t seem to be listening. Considering her reaction, it occurred to me that she might be very shy around strangers. From her perspective, she had to adapt to yet another new world.

“I’ll bring lots of delicious things again the next time I come.” I looked into her eyes and made a promise. “You must stay well until then.”

At my words, a faint crack appeared in her cold expression. Her tightly shut lips parted ever so slightly.

“Yes.”

I smiled and nodded. Our next meeting would be even better.

With that, Seol Yu-wol went back into her room. Lee Seo-ryeong and I walked back down the hallway of the Association facility.

“……”

Lee Seo-ryeong seemed to have something to say. She kept hesitating, following exactly half a step behind me. Finally, she called out to me in a small voice.

“Physician…”

“Yes.” Without stopping, I turned my head slightly to look at her.

Lee Seo-ryeong couldn’t meet my eyes. She just fiddled with the sleeve of her silk robe, taking a very long time to choose her next words.

“Thank you… so much.”

“It was nothing,” I answered calmly.

“After I returned that day, I did a lot of thinking… about whether I had been too restrictive with my child, using my role as a parent as an excuse.” It seemed Lee Seo-ryeong had also reached her own conclusion after much deliberation. “I feel so sorry toward Yu-wol…”

I shook my head, wanting to stop her self-recrimination. “It’s understandable.”

At my unexpected answer, Lee Seo-ryeong’s tear-filled eyes wavered.

“It was your first time being a mother, Alliance Leader.”

She would have to continue living as Seol Yu-wol’s mother. A little guilt might help improve their relationship, but I couldn’t let her carry that entire burden alone. I wanted to lighten her load.

“Besides, considering the world you lived in… Jungwon… your choice might have been rational, in a way.” That was the conclusion I had reached. I wasn’t saying her methods were right, just that there was room for understanding. If she had insisted on those same methods after coming to this world, it would have been a different story. If that were the case, Lee Seo-ryeong would not have been able to see Seol Yu-wol today.

But Lee Seo-ryeong was a parent who knew how to change. She was a person who knew how to properly face her own mistakes.

At my words, her lips parted ever so slightly. And then, a single tear rolled down from her eye.

Oh, no.

I quickly fumbled through my pockets. No tissues.

But in that moment, her tears began to fall freely, streaming down her pale cheeks.

Ah… what should I do?

There were too many people passing by in the hallway. I had to consider Lee Seo-ryeong’s dignity. After a moment of hesitation, I finally pulled at the soft sleeve of the white gown I was wearing. Carefully, I brought it to her wet eyes.

I gently dabbed her tears away. I didn’t want to smudge her makeup by rubbing, so I just tapped the edge of the cloth against her skin to absorb the moisture. Through the fabric, I could faintly feel the warmth of her tears.

“Ah…” Lee Seo-ryeong froze. She slowly lifted her head.

My reflection was captured in her tear-filled eyes, a hint of surprise mixed in.

Did I overstep my bounds? Then again, wiping the Martial Alliance Leader’s tears with my sleeve was a bit…

Unable to bear the silence, I made an awkward excuse. “If you cry… your eyes will get puffy.”

At that, her red lips parted just a little. It looked as if she was about to say something, but instead, she lowered her head slightly and let out a soft chuckle. It was the first girlish laugh I had ever heard from her.

She lifted my tear-soaked white sleeve. As she caressed the damp spot with her fingers, she whispered softly, “I’m afraid I’ve left my mark… on your gown, Physician.”

Lee Seo-ryeong’s wet, red eyes looked up at me. “In so many ways… thank you, truly…” Her gaze shifted between my sleeve and my face. “And… Physician…”

She bowed deeply from the waist. “From now on… I will be in your care.”

Her posture was low, with the deference one would show a respected elder. As if she were afraid to even step on my shadow, she carefully took a step back.

Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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