Doctor Goes Back to Joseon - Chapter 52: The Bodyguard Warrior [2]

A strong stench of blood wafted from Yeon.

The smell came from a mix of her wound and the blood of the pirate she had fought.

In this state, it was impossible to examine her injury properly.

‘I need to clean this first.’

Kang-hyuk quickly opened his medical bag.

He cut open a saline pack and soaked a piece of gauze.

With no other water nearby, using untreated water risked infection.

“Ugh…”

The water must have been cold; Yeon groaned and squirmed slightly.

Each movement caused blood to seep from her thigh.

“Stay still for a moment. I’ll clean your face first.”

Kang-hyuk scrubbed at her face with the gauze.

He worked until the dried blood flakes fell off completely.

Once the crimson layer was gone, her real face emerged.

Cat-like eyes tilted upward, a high nose, red lips, and dusky skin—

‘She really is beautiful.’

Her hair, once neatly tied, had come undone during their frantic escape, giving her a surprisingly modern appearance.

“Ah.”

Lost in thought, Kang-hyuk snapped back to reality when Yeon stirred awake.

After all, he had been rubbing her face with cold water.

“Y-young Master?”

“Yeah, I was cleaning the blood off you.”

Kang-hyuk hurriedly held up the blood-soaked gauze as evidence.

“What happened to the enemy?”

Yeon grabbed the sword lying on the ground and asked, tension written all over her face.

It was as if she expected pirates to spring up from every corner.

She must have passed out when Kang-hyuk carried her.

“It’s fine. I killed that masked guy, and we escaped. A few pretended to give chase but turned back.”

The “pretending to chase” part had been intense and lasted a while, but Kang-hyuk forced a cheerful smile.

A thin line of blood dripped from a scratch on his face.

Yeon’s eyes widened as she leaned closer.

“Young Master, are you hurt?”

“Huh? This? It’s nothing. Just scratched by a branch.”

“You’re bleeding.”

“You’re bleeding a lot more. Now, lie down.”

“Ah… oh, ow.”

Only then did Yeon seem to register the pain in her thigh.

She glanced down at her blood-soaked pants.

Kang-hyuk’s clothing, dyed red from carrying her, wasn’t any better.

“I’m… sorry. It’s my fault.”

“What are you talking about? You saved my life.”

Kang-hyuk’s voice was filled with sincerity.

If not for Yeon, he might have been slaughtered in his sleep or burned alive.

Even if he had managed to escape, he would’ve likely been cut down in the chaos.

“I’m alive thanks to you too, Young Master.”

“Me?”

“The… stone.”

“Oh, that.”

Now that she mentioned it, he owed his life to Samyeongdang as well.

‘What was that stone, anyway?’

The once-glowing stone now looked like any ordinary rock.

It blended in with the others on the ground, indistinguishable.

If he had been more composed, he might have picked it up.

But carrying Yeon had taken all his focus.

‘It’s a miracle we survived.’

Thinking back to the night’s events, it truly felt miraculous.

He had just survived his first experience with war.

“When did you get so good at throwing things?”

“Throwing? Haha. It was a fluke. Let me check your wound.”

“Y-yes?”

Yeon, nodding at first, widened her eyes in alarm.

Her injury wasn’t just anywhere—it was on her thigh.

“Don’t worry, I’m a doctor.”

“But still, this is…”

“If we don’t treat it now, it’ll get worse. Don’t you remember Yeoju?”

“Yeoju…”

Yeoju had nearly died from a tiny splinter—or lost her leg at the very least.

A sword wound like Yeon’s was much more severe.

Remembering Yeoju’s ordeal, Yeon hesitated briefly before nodding.

“Alright. Please proceed.”

“Good decision. Everything else looks fine for now.”

Kang-hyuk examined her face and upper body.

Though her skin was streaked with dried blood, none of it seemed to be hers.

He had already cleaned the worst of it earlier.

This meant the thigh wound was the only serious injury.

“I’m going to remove the bandage now.”

“Alright.”

Kang-hyuk unwrapped the tightly bound cloth.

Despite the time that had passed, blood continued to trickle out.

What he had thought was a graze turned out to be a much deeper cut.

‘That bastard… He was pretty skilled.’

Even Kang-hyuk could tell Yeon’s swordsmanship was exceptional.

She had taken down nearly ten pirates on her own.

Compared to the soldiers who had fled with them, Yeon was far more capable.

Yet that masked pirate had pushed her to this extent.

‘I should’ve gotten a look at his face.’

He hadn’t even thought to remove the mask before fleeing.

The pirates chasing them had been one reason, but mostly, Kang-hyuk had been too scared.

In hindsight, it was laughable.

He had run himself ragged, terrified of these “chestnut-sized” opponents.

“How does it look?”

“Huh? Oh, first we need to clean it.”

“Clean it?”

“Yeah. You saw that guy, didn’t you? He cut down a lot of people before he got to you.”

The pirate’s blade, gleaming in the moonlight, had been coated in oil and grime.

This meant Yeon’s wound was anything but clean.

“While I clean it, take these.”

“Alright.”

“They’re antibiotics and anti-inflammatory pills. They don’t taste great—I’ve tried them myself—but they’ll help.”

“O-okay.”

Yeon swallowed the pills Kang-hyuk handed her, grimacing as she did.

‘I know that taste all too well.’

The lingering bitterness was unpleasant, even now.

Not every doctor had tasted saline solution, but Kang-hyuk had out of necessity.

He still vividly remembered drinking it during his internship in the emergency room.

Water had been scarce, and he had lost his composure while cleaning a patient’s wound.

‘Those bastards.’

He cursed the seniors who had worked him to the bone back then.

The real corruption wasn’t in the system—it was in those people.

“Alright, this might feel a bit cold.”

“Yes. Ugh.”

“Let’s take a look… hmm.”

Kang-hyuk began cleaning Yeon’s leg with the saline solution.

Since it involved wiping inside the wound, pain was unavoidable.

“Ugh.”

Yeon groaned in pain, her toes curling tightly.

Feeling sorry, Kang-hyuk worked faster.

“I need to see how bad it is.”

“It’s fine, really.”

“Thankfully, it looks like the muscle and major blood vessels are okay. Can you bend and straighten your knee?”

“Ah… yes. It hurts a little, but it’s fine.”

“Good. It’s just a surface cut.”

The bleeding was due to a small blood vessel hidden in the fatty tissue being severed, but that wasn’t a big concern. It could easily be tied off since it wasn’t essential.

“I’ll give you some local anesthesia.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Kang-hyuk carefully injected the anesthetic around the wound.

Though the injection caused fresh bleeding, he paid it no mind. It would stop soon enough.

“Let me know if it hurts.”

“Yes.”

Kang-hyuk wasn’t one to consider himself a particularly kind doctor.

He never aimed to be the sort of physician who made patients smile in the consultation room. He believed the true goal was to ensure they could leave smiling.

‘Strange.’

Yet, he realized he was treating Yeon and Yeoju differently.

He was trying to make it hurt less, trying to reassure them more, and doing so almost unconsciously.

‘I don’t think I treat women and men differently…’

He recalled the time he earned the nickname “Professor Chill.”

It happened when he had graded an all-female clinical group harshly, giving them a “D” when other departments tended to go easy on such students.

“Young Master.”

“Hmm?”

“It hurts a little.”

“Really? That won’t do.”

Kang-hyuk reacted as though the pain were his own, quickly injecting more anesthetic.

“How about now?”

“It’s better.”

“Good. Keep telling me if it hurts.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Now, I’ll stop the bleeding.”

Kang-hyuk used a small pair of forceps to find the source of the bleeding.

The vessel was so fine it was almost invisible, but his hands showed no hesitation.

‘Cauterizing this would be perfect.’

It was one of the things he missed most in Joseon—modern tools.

In their absence, he relied on basic methods.

Using black surgical thread, Kang-hyuk tied off the vessel.

Though tying off vessels with two hands was standard, Kang-hyuk had mastered doing it single-handedly.

“Alright, the bleeding has stopped. Does it hurt now?”

“Huh? Oh, no, not at all.”

“Good. Now I’ll close the wound. You’ve seen this a lot, right?”

“I’ve even tried doing it myself.”

“Oh, right. You’re pretty good at it.”

“Really?”

Yeon smiled faintly as she asked.

Kang-hyuk nodded sincerely.

“Yeah, you’re the best I’ve taught.”

“Wow, I never expected that.”

Yeon, who had always been known for physical work rather than delicate tasks like sewing, looked genuinely surprised.

“Thanks.”

“No need to thank me. I’m just being honest. You know I don’t say things I don’t mean, right?”

“I know.”

Kang-hyuk’s directness was well-known—his unvarnished manner was part of who he was.

“Almost done now.”

Even while chatting, Kang-hyuk’s hands didn’t stop.

Before long, he tied the final stitch.

Yeon, impressed, remarked, “How are you so fast?”

Having tried suturing herself, she understood how challenging it was.

“I’ve done this thousands of times.”

“Thousands… You’re amazing, Young Master.”

“I think you’re the amazing one.”

“Me?”

“How many of them did you take down last night?”

“Ah…”

At that, Yeon seemed to recall the events of the previous night more clearly.

Her gaze drifted toward the forest and the smoke rising beyond it.

“Do you think the others are okay?”

Kang-hyuk followed her gaze. Now that she mentioned it, they had no idea if Dolseok, Makbong, or Yeoju had survived.

Even the magistrate and Shin Rip’s fate was uncertain.

Last night had been nothing short of chaotic.

“I don’t know what happened to them,” Kang-hyuk said, his voice tinged with worry and an unexpected weight of sadness.

“With Makbong there… they should be fine.”

“Makbong’s quite skilled, isn’t he?”

“Not as much as me, but he’s good.”

Unless another monster like the masked pirate appeared, they should be okay.

“Should we go back?”

“No, that seems too dangerous.”

“Then where should we go?”

They couldn’t stay here indefinitely.

They had no food and only a little saline, which wasn’t meant for drinking.

Frowning, Yeon leapt onto a nearby rock, her movement surprisingly light for someone recently stitched up.

“Careful. You’ll reopen your wound.”

“Ah, yes.”

“See anything from up there?”

“I’ve been here before. There’s a large house in that direction. Shall we head there?”

“Over there?”

“Yes.”