32 – Winter Festival
The Western Hospital Association issued a public apology the next day.
To be precise, not to the public, but to Mr. Kim Cheol-soo personally!
“Sigh.. We have done despicable things to Mr. Kim Cheol-soo. We abandoned our principles to win the match. As a self-restraint measure, we will take a break from hospital association activities for a year. We apologize.”
Members of the hospital association bowed their heads on the podium!
Each one of them had bruises and swollen eyes, as if they had been in a brawl.
“Where did you get those bruises? Did Mr. Charles Kim use violence?”
When an outsider questioned their condition, the hospital association members grew nervous and avoided giving a direct answer!
The day before, they had been severely beaten by the masked woman who had intruded without permission.
Despite having knight-level security forces, they were easily subdued by the masked woman, and the entire hospital association was beaten like dogs!
“
After ending the violence, the masked woman left a chilling warning.
Surely the power of a knight commander!
The knight commander, under the nobility, was a group of exceptional individuals, not opponents that a mere hospital association could handle.
“At first, I thought it was Count Roland who had intervened.”
Hospital association member Daniel trembled as he thought.
The knight commander under Count Roland was Sir Levi, a man with a sturdy physique.
“It wasn’t Count Roland who intervened. There’s another force behind Charles Kim.”
A third force is protecting Kim Cheol-soo.
How terrifying is this internal strife.
The hospital association truly felt the sense of crisis and immediately made the apology speech!
The rumors spread quickly among the outsiders, causing a stir.
Nearby medical institutions, who had been wary of Kim Cheol-soo’s clinic, fell silent.
As for Kim Cheol-soo himself, it was all news to him.
Well, it was just something Daisy did behind his back.
“The hospital association apologizing to me? Seems like they’ve come to their senses.”
Kim Cheol-soo, who heard the news from Becky, who loved gossip, didn’t think much of it.
Kim Cheol-soo saw that the hospital’s chairman’s face turned yellow, and he harbored resentment in many places.
He must have been the victim of revenge.
“Good for him.”
Kim Cheol-soo said, chuckling.
Unbeknownst to Kim Cheol-soo, this incident solidified Kim Cheol-soo Clinic’s position in the Western medical market!
* * * *
Catherine confronted her mother, Mrs. Helen.
Lady Helen’s chamber at Yeongjoo Castle.
Lady Helen sat on a soft sofa and took Catherine’s hand.
“Catherine, you’re working at Kim Cheol-soo Clinic, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am…”
Catherine sat next to Lady Helen, feeling tense.
Family counseling time.
Lady Helen was known for her kindness, but she was also a noblewoman, with the obligation to counsel her daughter about her future.
“Do you like Kim Cheol-soo?”
Lady Helen’s question was inscrutable.
Catherine thought, I’ve come for this.
Noblewomen couldn’t freely pursue romance.
If a young lady had a romantic experience when marrying into another noble family, it would be seen as a serious flaw.
It was a matter of female chastity.
Catherine sighed deeply in her heart.
“She must disapprove.”
When Lady Helen asked Catherine if she liked Kim Cheol-soo, Catherine wanted to answer ‘yes’ naturally, but she couldn’t.
If she admitted to liking Kim Cheol-soo, Lady Helen might drive him away.
No matter how kind the people of the Roland Viscount were, they were still a noble family.
It was natural for the family’s interests to come first.
“Catherine, I’m not scolding you.”
However, Lady Helen shook her head.
She smiled kindly to reassure her daughter.
“I just want to know your true feelings.”
“But…”
“This mother can allow you to date Kim Cheol-soo.”
“R-really?”
“Of course.”
Caught off guard.
“Oh…”
Catherine sighed. She felt manipulated by her mother.
But Lady Helen’s words were not false.
“This mother is a mother, but before that, she’s a woman. I can understand your feelings from your actions. So, there’s no falsehood in your feelings for Kim Cheol-soo, right?”
Kim Cheol-soo, who cured Catherine’s skin condition and healed Catherine’s father.
And now, a colleague who works at the same company.
Thinking of Kim Cheol-soo, who is almost always by her side, Catherine felt an uncontrollable emotion.
“…Yes.”
Even if there was opposition, she wanted to have Kim Cheol-soo.
In response to Catherine’s answer, Mrs. Helen spoke with a solemn expression.
“I see. In that case, Catherine, you must raise Kim Cheol-soo. Since Kim Cheol-soo happens to be a devout worshipper of Urugu, and has gained some popularity, there might be a possibility. Help Kim Cheol-soo grow to the level of a bishop within the Urugu community. Then, Lady Mother and Viscount Roland will consent to the marriage.”
“A bishop?”
“Yes. No matter what, it is your marriage. The status must match.”
In the continent of Arcadia where the power of religion is strong, the concept of “love equals marriage” is robust.
Marriage is a significant matter for noble families.
You can’t just marry anyone. It’s only possible because it’s Kim Cheol-soo.
A fire ignited in Catherine’s eyes.
“I will help Kim Cheol-soo grow!”
“Yes, work hard.”
“…In that case, can I have fun with Kim Cheol-soo at the festival?”
“You don’t need to ask, you two are always together.”
“Hehe…”
Catherine felt joyous.
In reality, it was as if her family had half-approved!
Winter festival has arrived.
Stalls and tents are set up all over the village, exuding a festive atmosphere.
In front of Viscount Roland’s mansion, a large pile of firewood has been stacked!
They are going to have a campfire in the evening.
“This is quite something.”
Kim Cheol-soo, who used to be a professional Bangkok-lover when he lived in Korea, didn’t often go to festivals.
But when he did, he was the type to enjoy it to the fullest!
“I beg of you, Kim Cheol-soo.”
The problem is, I can’t fully enjoy the festival and there are things I need to do.
Huff.
Viscount Roland said, “Since it’s a festival, our Kim Cheol-soo should be the safety manager, right?” and ended up waiting for patients at the booth.
Just have to daydream in the corner booth and treat emergency patients if there are any.
I hope there won’t be any patients!
“Kim Cheol-soo, emergencies don’t happen often at the festival. Let’s keep an eye out and go enjoy the festival ourselves.”
Miss Catherine smiled mischievously.
“Sounds good?”
“Since we can’t leave our posts, let’s ask the Maalboi brothers to cover for us.”
“C-Catherine Sisters? The festival might be ruined if I’m left alone.”
“Please~”
“Ugh…”
The complexion of Malboi turned pale and he let out a groan.
Although Malboi complains, it seems that he has adapted to the external environment to some extent these days.
So-called “whining”.
“Thank you, Malboi brothers!”
What matters in times like this is the flow!
After all, if many people say thank you, there is no way to refuse.
If I refuse, I will be the only bad person!
As expected, Malboi couldn’t refuse.
“Yes.”
Catherine and I exchanged glances with a smirking smile.
In the morning, we held torches and prayed at the temple.
In the afternoon, I could finally feel free after sitting in a booth!
Today is a day off in a way.
Because I put a sign “Treatment End” on the door of the clinic!
Hehe, I enjoy both the beginning and the end of the festival.
“Kim Cheolsu, this way!”
Catherine goes straight to the food stalls!
I also followed Catherine into the food stalls and asked the villagers for free skewers.
Since all the festival food was free, we could eat as much as we wanted.
“Ah~ It’s good.”
When it comes to Korean festivals, ramen is the basic food, sold for 5,000 or 6,000 won.
Maybe it’s because it’s a kind-hearted village festival, everything is free.
“I wish I had a photo!”
The way to enjoy the festival is to take a lot of pictures!
Take a lot of pictures and upload them to Instagram or KakaoTalk profile picture for bragging.
Of course, there are no cell phones or Instagram here, so unfortunately, I have to pass.
“It’s delicious, right?”
Still, it’s more enjoyable when you have someone to enjoy it with.
I agreed while biting into a hot skewer at Catherine’s words.
“Munch munch! It’s the best!”
After all, there is no one who dislikes meat.
I went around the food stalls eating meat to my heart’s content.
“Oh my, aren’t you Cheolsu from our clinic and Catherine? Here, we have Tomahawk steak. It’s cooked amazingly, so try it.”
“Tomahawk? I can’t resist.”
“Cheolsu, have you ever tried reindeer meat?”
“Reindeer meat? It sounds fascinating. Please give me some!”
As if my grandmother keeps feeding her grandchildren, the villagers kept giving me meat, so I put it in my mouth to see how it tasted!
Catherine, who silently watched me eat, whispered softly.
“Cheolsu, would you like to dance with me at the campfire tonight?”
“Oh, is it the folk dance?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Fork dance? What’s that?”
“Oh, no.”
It didn’t seem like the kind of dance I had in mind.
Miss Catherine was mumbling and twisting her body as if she had an itch in the bathroom.
“Those who dance in front of the campfire are the ones who find love.”
I couldn’t understand what Miss Catherine was saying because her voice was too soft.
* * * *
The festival was in full swing, and drinking tables were set up.
The villagers were stuffing food into their mouths and drinking.
Some of them were playing a game of how much they could eat.
The person who eats the most wins!
“Cotton, you eat so well, don’t you?”
“It’s you, Peter.”
“Hehe, I won’t lose.”
“The winner gets two days’ worth of firewood.”
“That’s great!”
Lumberjack Peter and carpenter Cotton competed in the eating contest.
As a joke, they stuffed a large amount of meat into their mouths.
Amidst the laughter of the villagers.
Cotton gradually felt his breath being blocked.