[S1] 3- "A Ssangg'er?"

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Carrying the dishes into the room, Jungguk prioritized feeding Taeyeon. He gently blew on a bowl of tofu soup, intending to feed him first.

However, Taeyeon shook his head and gestured: "You've been out for a long time, hunting and rushing around. You should eat first..."

After a pause, Taeyeon stretched out his hand. "If there's a ladle, put it in my hand-- I can manage on my own.."

Seeing how insistent Taeyeon was on eating by himself, Jungguk didn't push him further. Instead, he sat nearby with a bowl in hand, watching over him. Taeyeon was cautious, eating slowly, but it was his first time feeding himself. At first, he managed a few sips of soup without issue, but inevitably, his lack of experience caught up with him.

With a slight mishap, the bowl tilted, and hot soup spilled onto his hand. Jungguk's sharp reflexes kicked in as he quickly reached out to catch the bowl, preventing the bedding from being soaked.

Taeyeon hissed in pain but hadn't uttered a word before Jungguk spoke: "Take your time with things like this. I know you don't want to trouble me, but for your safety, let's wait until you're strong enough to get out of bed before you try again."

His words carried the implication that by then, Taeyeon could eat at a proper table, with support to steady his bowl and avoid accidents. Jungguk's thoughtfulness left Taeyeon feeling slightly downhearted. "...Alright."

Noticing this, Jungguk lowered his head and picked up a drumstick he had set aside just for Taeyeon. He handed it over, guiding Taeyeon's hand to grasp the bone, which was nearly all meat. Seeing Taeyeon's slightly dazed expression, Jungguk chuckled inwardly and said with satisfaction: "This will be fine. Just hold onto it and gnaw away. Come on, eat up. Finish the meat, and you can have some soup too. In a few days, your body will recover."

The wild pheasant they'd cooked was large and plump. Jungguk had only prepared half of it today, saving the other half in the kitchen for another meal. With the cold weather, it wouldn't spoil quickly, and they could enjoy it again tomorrow. After all, with just the two of them, even half a chicken could be picked clean.

Taeyeon managed a small smile and agreed, "Okay." Although he didn't have much of an appetite, he didn't want to waste Jungguk's kindness. SIowly, he finished the drumstick.

Midway through the meal, Jungguk concerned 'he might choke,' occasionally fed him some soup. Once dinner was taken care of, Jungguk prepared to reapply medicine to Taeyeon's wounds that night. Most of the injuries were on Taeyeon's back, and by now, Jungguk was almost certain that this wasn't the work of bandits. Those outlaws rarely left their victims alive.

The wounds, though severe in appearance weren't fatal- they seemed to result from a beating! If that were the case, there was only one possibility left: he had been bullied by someone he knew. But those people didn't dare take his life.

As for why he ended up falling in this place, it was probably due to fleeing in a panic, leading him here by sheer coincidence. In the process, he seemed to have forgotten many things. Jungguk formed a preliminary explanation for the situation, but he had no intention of sharing it with Taeyeon. He worried Taeyeon might feel accused or mistrusted.

After grinding all the medicinal herbs into a paste, Jungguk helped Taeyeon turn over to lie on the bed. He reassured him: "I'm going to apply the herbs for a while. As for your upper garment..."

Taeyeon fumbled with the sash at his waist, undoing it himself. His dirty clothes hadn't even been changed. Lying face down on the bed, he allowed Jungguk to lift his clothing for the second time. Jungguk, entirely focused, began applying the herbal paste to every wound with care.

Once the herbs were applied, Jungguk brought a towel and warm water to clean the bl00dstains left on his body, which he hadn't had time to deal with earlier.

When he reached his neck, the fading bl00dstains revealed a dazzling deep red mark beneath. Its shape resembled a flower, though not entirely, and the sight of it stunned Jungguk for a moment. He recalled what his adoptive Abeoji had once told him: marks like this on the neck indicated a "Ssangg'er", a unique type of male with the ability to bear children.

In earlier generations, Ssangg'ers were of low social status and often treated as substitutes for w0men by impoverished families. However, as Ssangg'ers began to appear among nobility and royalty, their standing gradually shifted. Besides their ability to conceive, they were no different from ordinary men. By the time of the current dynasty, Ssangg'ers were regarded as equals.

If a Ssangg'er were a prince(Wang-ja/왕자), they had the same right to inherit the throne as any other male heir. Their spouse would be titled Hwangje Baeuja (황제의 남편) (Emperor's Husband), taking the place of an Empress(Hwang-hu/황후).

Taeyeon's slender figure, combined with his youthful and refined appearance, had initially led Jungguk to assume he was just like himself— an ordinary man.

Only now did he realize the gravity of his actions. It was as if he had acted improperly, like a rogue.

After all, Taeyeon was a Ssangg'er, and customary etiquette dictated that a proper man should maintain decorum and not overstep boundaries when interacting with one.

Flustered, Jungguk immediately pulled the blanket over Taeyeon and turned away to apologize. "I... I'm sorry."

Taeyeon, however, was utterly baffled. "Sorry.. For what?"

"I didn't know you were..." Jungguk stammered, his handsome face flushed red, uncharacteristically embarrassed for the first time.

Taeyeon quickly understood what he meant but found it unnecessary to dwell on such matters at this point. With a calm demeanor, he said generously: "It's not a big deal. Didn't you say you'd be my hyeong? lf you can't help me because of such moral constraints, then what's the point of those rules?"

Throughout history, the division between men and w0men has always been upheld by gentlemen. But in unique circumstances like this, when intentions were upright, even a gentleman could make an exception without compromising his integrity.

Taeyeon even went so far as to reassure him: "No one knows l'm a Ssangg'er. Just treat me... as your dongsaeng. Then everything will feel perfectly natural."

Hearing this, Jungguk realized he truly didn't mind. Since that was the case, there was no point in overthinking it. Picking up the bowl of medicinal ointment, he said: "Alright... I'll treat your eyes now."

And with that, the matter was laid to rest. Jungguk carefully cleaned Taeyeon's eyes, applying the medicine gently to every spot. Taeyeon closed his eyes, already feeling some relief from his symptoms. It seemed like he might soon be able to open them again. But even if his eyes could open, there would still be no light. That unspoken bitterness weighed on his heart, but the person before him was his only source of reliance.

That night, after tidying up, Jungguk deliberated briefly before laying out a bed on the floor. He wanted to stay nearby, just in case Taeyeon felt scared or uneasy being alone. It had only been two days since he had found Taeyeon and brought him back. In such a short time, Taeyeon was no longer afraid of him. Instead, he had already come to see Jungguk as family.

For some reason, faced with his reliance on him, Jungguk felt a deep-seated sense of responsibility.

Previously, no matter what he did, it was always just for himself. Now, even his daily meals had to account for someone else. Jungguk took a deep breath.

The next morning, Jungguk prepared a simple noodle soup, as there was no need for an elaborate breakfast early in the morning. However, with Taeyeon in the house, he added two eggs to the pot.

A thought suddenly took shape in Jungguk's mind.

In rural villages, most households kept chickens. Jungguk, however, had always lived alone and never bothered with such things. The occasional meat he had was only when he felt like hunting or happened to have a stroke of luck. He had grown used to a wild and solitary lifestyle. But Taeyeon was different- he needed proper nutrition.

After some contemplation, Jungguk decided, he would head to the marketplace in the afternoon to buy a few chicks and a hen to raise. The hen would be the most expensive purchase. Currently, his livelihood relied on selling game from his hunts or, if lucky, selling rare finds like Yeong-ji mushrooms from the cliffside. He still had some savings left from his previous sales, as he rarely spent much.

Additionally, Taeyeon didn't have clean clothes to wear. When Jungguk first brought him back, Taeyeon's injuries were severe, and his clothes were stuck to his wounds with dried blood.

Changing them then would have been excruciating. Now that the wounds had scabbed over, it was time to replace his garments. He would need to find someone to help Taeyeon change his clothes and also buy him two more outfits.

Because of the carefree teaching methods of his foster Abeoji, Jungguk had adopted a mindset of frugality--saving money whenever possible and only spending it when absolutely necessary. But now, he was facing a situation where spending money was unavoidable. It seemed his savings wouldn't last much longer.

Next, he had to consider their long-term livelihood. While one person could get by with minimal effort, supporting two required more thought. Money would become a necessity.

Lost in thought early in the morning, Jungguk gazed absentmindedly at the house's front gate. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed an old dried-up trench that the old man had once dug.

Another idea struck him. In the future, he could raise chickens in the backyard. And as for that trench out front...why not dig it out into a small pond and raise fish?

The idea had barely taken root in his mind when he heard someone calling from outside. "Jungguk, I've brought Ling'er with me. Take a look at these vegetables and see if you want them."

He had thought that yesterday's words were just pleasantries, but today Gomo Lee had shown up again with more offerings. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Jungguk hurriedly said: "Gomo, you don't have to give me so much. I caught a wild pheasant yesterday.."

Beside Gomo Lee stood the young woman he had met before, though he wasn't sure of her purpose here today. Gomo Lee waved him off with a hearty laugh, saying: "It's just a few vegetables, not a big deal. Take them! Besides, I came to check on that child inside."

She started toward the house, then turned back, pulling the young woman with her. "Oh, this is my niece, Lee Seo-young. She's learned some medical skills from her Abeoji and came specifically to help!"

Seo-young's Abeoji was a doctor from another village. Previously, he had been too busy treating villagers to visit, and the distance between the two villages meant that their families hadn't connected in years. Recently, however, her Abeoji had fallen ill and needed a place to recover. The tranquil, scenic environment of Wang-ga Village was perfect for recuperation.

As a result, this was Seo-young's first time meeting Jungguk.

Jungguk nodded politely and said: "Thank you, Seo-young-Ssi, for taking the trouble to examine him."

The commotion outside had not escaped Taeyeon's ears. He had heard everything clearly and waited quietly as Seo-young entered the room. In a soft voice, he expressed his thanks and remained still as she began to check his pulse.

Although Seo-young looked a bit bashful, her demeanor when practicing medicine mirrored her Abeoji's seriousness. She observed Taeyeon attentively, her expression growing solemn. After a long while, she finally said: "Your blindness doesn't seem to be caused by external injuries but by pois0n."

"Pois0n...?" Taeyeon murmured, confused.

Before Jungguk could respond, Gomo Lee exclaimed in shock: "Oh my heavens! Who could be so heartless as to pois0n your eyes like this?"

Unfortunately, Taeyeon had no memory of that time, nor of who he was. If he could remember he might have been able to answer that question. Jungguk immediately asked: "If it's pois0n, is there a way to treat it?"

"My medical knowledge is limited. My Abeoji would need to examine him to identify the pois0n. Only then can we administer the correct antidote."

Seo-young's tone carried concern. The young man before her not only looked well-behaved but was also strikingly handsome. It would be a pity if he remained blind for the rest of his life.

Glancing at Taeyeon's bloodstained clothes, she added: "These clothes need to be changed immediately. Although his wounds have been treated, the clothing is still dirty and must be replaced."

Hearing this, Jungguk became anxious. "Yes, I was planning to go to the market this afternoon to buy him some new clothes."

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[A/n: OMG, you guys, I'm DYING over here!!! So, Gomo Lee brings her niece to ML's house, and I'm like, "What's the tea?" Why bring a doctor's daughter and not just another doc? Is she more than just a pretty face?

And can we talk about the MC's injury? Is it connected to his past? Like, did he get hurt trying to escape the powerful or something? And ML, oh ML, can he protect him from the danger? Or will he get caught in the same trap?

I'm literally on the edge of my seat, guys! I need answers! But I guess we'll just have to wait for the next ep. So, silent readers, let's see your guesses! Are you team ML or team MC? Let's get this speculation party started!

P.S. If you're as invested as I am, let's discuss in the comments below! ]

🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

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