The poisons master

Chapitre 1

Yi-seo took a last look in the mirror and checked that her veil was in place. Satisfied, she put her mirror down and stepped out of the house.

- Where are you going, my lady ? To Seol-geum's place ? Asked Ae-wol, her servant, who was busy sweeping the leaves in the court yard.
- Yes. And you don't need to come with me, I'll be fine.

The young woman passed the front door of the house and took the road down to the village. She's been living here with her father for four years now and they owned a house which stood a little apart from the village, at the edge of the forest.

When she reached Seol-geum's house, her friend was in her front yard, tending to a boy's arm. He had a cut on his upper left arm and she carefully washed the blood before putting medicinal herbs on the wound and wrapping a piece of clothes around his limb.

- Are you fine ? Seol-geum asked the boy.
- Yes.
- Then you can go. And be careful when you play with your friends !
- I will. Thank you.

Then he ran to a group of boys who were waiting for him in front of the house gate and they all fled like a bunch of sparrows.

- Good morning Seol-geum ! Yi-Seo said, stepping closer. How have you been ?
- Good morning, my lady. I'm fine. How are you ?
- I'm fine, answered Yi-Seo, smiling behind her veil.
- Fine. Come with me !

Yi-Seo followed her friend in the house and they both sat on the floor.

- Let me have a look, Seol-geum said.

Yi-Seo took off her veil and the healer thoroughly examinated her face.

- It's healing well, slowly but surely. In a few months from here, there'll be nothing left. And when your father and you will go back to Hanyang, you'll be the most beautiful girl of the capital.
- I'm glad that this horrible skin disease is almost gone, Yi-Seo replied. I thought it would never go away but your medicine worked miracles. Even so, I don't think that my father and I will go back to Hanyang anytime soon. It would bring back too much sad memories. He still hasn't got over my mother's death.
- You never know. Didn't you say that the King wrote to your father and wanted to see him ? Your father used to be a minister and a close friend to the King. Surely His Majesty still trust him and needs him by his side. Why would he reach out to your father after all these years otherwise ? And I'm sure it would be a waste of your talents if your father and you stayed here. This isn't the life the both of you are meant to live.
- Well ! I'll tell you when my father comes back from the capital. But really, I wouldn't mind living here for the rest of my life. But for now, let's resume my lessons.

Seol-geum laughed :

- I don't have much left to teach you. You already know a lot about how to use medicine herbs. You are a quick learner. You remind me of my young sister, she was as fond as you are of learning all about this.
- That's because it's so fascinating, how a simple root can cure or kill someone according to the way you use it ... So, what will you teach me today ?

The night was almost there when Yi-seo headed to her home. She touched her face. The skin was almost smooth. She knew there was still a reddish rash on her cheeks but it was nothing compared to what it used to be. She felt grateful that it would be soon back to normal. She wanted to be pretty again. Not because she wanted to get married, like most of the girls of the same age in the village. Unlike them, at seventeen years old, Yi-seo wasn't interested in finding a husband for the moment. She enjoyed her freedom very much and she was just glad that all her options would soon be open again. When she'd arrived four years ago, she felt like she'd stay ugly for the rest of her life and doomed to a lonely and secluded existence. Thanks to Seol-geum, in a few months, she'd just be like any other woman. Even if she didn't blame them, she was sick and tired of people pitying her.