Reborn To Be The Imperial Consort [BL]-Chapter 169: Preening Black Dahlia — X

"If there is one thing I have taken a note of," Li Xinyuan began, bandaged hands wrapped around Namgung Hyein’s right foot as he rotated it with practiced gentleness. "is that you, Young Miss Hyein, carry your suffering like a brand of shame."

Namgung Hyein watched him, head bowed and lips pursed, hands clenched on the armrests, breath stuttering at the Doctor’s touch.

With the knowledge of her feelings for the man, and a name to put on what she felt, her actions and reactions around him were considerably... Cautious.

"Is it not, but a brand of shame, Doctor Baek?" Keeping her voice light as a feather, she asked, "For a lady like myself, what man would want someone so broken?"

Li Xinyuan stilled at the questions, gentle hands carefully guiding her foot into movement.

"That seems to be a rather pessimistic outlook, Young Miss." His lips thinned, eyes narrowed in thoughts. It was no place of his to remark on her questions, after all. "But I believe" — carefully, he met her eyes, reassuring — "any man of regard would know himself fortunate to have a wife like yourself."

Thinly, he smiled and returned his attention to the physical therapy.

Namgung Hyein’s heart pounded at his words. Perhaps, he said them for reassurance. Perhaps he did not mean them, after all.

However, in her heart, the Namgung lady was willing to believe that maybe, he too, held affection for her.

"Do you really believe it to be the case, Doctor Baek?" She asked once more, eyes taking off the window to him.

Only then did she notice his wounded hand in alarm.

"Heaven!" Her eyes widened in astonishment. "However, pray tell, did you injure yourself so, Doctor Baek?!"

Doctor Baek raised his head, face placid as if his hands were not bandaged completely. Carefully, the man tilted his head, acknowledging her question with a nod.

"Oh this," he glanced down at his hands and flexed his fingers in thought. "Fret not, Young Miss Hyein. This is but a flesh wound."

The man had it in him to smile at her, showing no regard for his own hands.

"How could that be—?"

"Believe me, Young Miss," he cut her off, ever so gently, "it is no big matter. I’d merely wounded myself in a moment of carelessness whilst cooking." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Namgung Hyein’s lips pursed but she did not oppose. Long gone were the days of her doubts with him. Now, she hung on his every word.

"Cooking?"

Doctor Baek inclined his head, face incomprehensible. "However," he paused ever so briefly. "I see no point nor much meaning to this conversation. Instead, let us focus on your exercises, hm?"

Namgung Hyein swallowed the words she wished to say. "Yes, Doctor Baek."

It was not within her right to pry on his matters. How did she allow herself to pry so much? Just because Doctor Baek was tender with her, it did not mean, she — simply a patient to him — could be intrusive of his life.

Her eyes lowered, her hands clasped on her lap, she looked thoroughly chastened.

"Please try to move your toes a little, Young Miss Hyein." Li Xinyuan hummed thoughtfully as the young lady followed his request. "You are well on your way to recovery. However," he smiled in chagrin, "I’m afraid your feet will never be as they were."

Namgung Hyein kept her eyes on her lap but gave him a thin smile, heart clenching painfully, her voice a feeble whisper. "I am aware."

Li Xinyuan’s hands on her left foot tightened. "That is good." He nodded, taking a deep bracing breath.

Of course, he was a mere doctor. A human with limits. Neither an immortal, nor a miracle worker. It was to be the nature of humans to have limits in place.

More often than not, he lay awake thinking of the people whom he was unable to save. Even as a genius, even when at the summit of his fields of expertise, he had seen his fair share of deaths, declared many dead.

Around her heel, his fingers tightened a fraction before faltering. The memories of failures returned, dancing in the forefront of his mind to cloud his vision as his eyes narrowed.

No matter the chances of success, he had rarely refused a surgery. He might not have saved all, but he tried his best.

And yet, the dreams returned. Over and over, they haunted his nights, cursing him to fretful slumbers. A regret that followed him even in the second life.

Li Xinyuan’s lowered eyes remained fixed on his patient’s feet, if he could be a miracle worker, he would have been able to save her feet.

Cautiously, he shifted Namgung Hyein’s foot from the stool to his thigh, slender fingers wrapping around her ankle as he twisted it whilst watching for her reaction.

But, of course, he was only a mortal.

The silence filling the void of his contemplation and Namgung Hyein’s embarrassment turned thick. It stretched on and on, like a line drawn too far that even Li Xinyuan noticed.

Carefully, he raised his gaze, the disguised warm brown of his eyes flitting over the young lady’s chastened, sulking features. Suddenly, he did not have the heart to act cold towards her.

She was so young. Undeserving of this practiced silence, especially. Sometimes, it filled his heart with resentment towards her parents.

Yet, despite those thoughts, he could not help the ache curling in his chest, likened to a resting snake. Swiftly, he ducked his head, feigned a cough and broke the silence.

"Forgive me, Young Miss." The surgeon gave a sheepish, lopsided grin to Namgung Hyein. "I realise how crass it was of me to say such things."

Namgung Hyein’s lips trembled, lower lip pushing outwards. She did not meet his eyes. Her heart thudded, throat closing tight. She was unable to utter a single word for several moments.

"Oh no," finally, she gathered herself, fingers clenching on her lap. "it was improper of me to press, even when you had so clearly expressed your unwillingness to delve further."

"You cannot be blamed for curiosity, Young Miss."

Suddenly, Namgung Hyein’s eyes welled with tears she could not explain.

"Is that so?"

Doctor Baek slowly let go of her feet and gently put his — larger, warmer, and bandaged — hand on her quivering ones.

"Indeed. I surmise anyone with eyes would be fairly curious. These bandages seem rather incriminating, after all."

The young lady gasped quietly, air in her lungs escaping as she nodded stiffly, biting her lower lip. Namgung Hyein’s eyes closed, feeling her hands set ablaze under his reassuring touch.

Unmercifully, Doctor Baek noticed and pulled his hand back with a frown. "Are you in pain?"

Why was his first instinct to inquire for her physical pain and not the internal battle she fought from his presence?

The frail woman shuddered. "No— ah, yes, yes, it hurts. But it is nothing I am incapable of enduring!" Flustered as she was, Namgung Hyein could not help stumbling over her words, her mind throwing in a jumbled disarray.

"Oh," Li Xinyuan nodded sceptically. He did not fully believe her. It was impossible for her to not be in excruciating pain in physical therapy considering the decade long ruthless distortion of her feet. "If it is unbearable, you must let me know."

Namgung Hyein nodded repeatedly, face flushed pink as she avoided his eyes, finding just about anywhere else to look at.

Then, her eyes caught a glint and she froze.

With ice in her veins and face frozen still, Namgung Hyein finally noticed a ring resting on Doctor Baek’s third finger.

It was shining red under the sunlight.

As if in mockery of her emotions, it sat snug around his slender finger, silver encrusted with a red gem.

Like a red string of fate.

With a trembling voice and disbelief thick on her face, Namgung Hyein stammered, finger pointing at the glinting gem.

"You did not have this ring before, Doctor Baek."