Absolute Regression Chapter 117

Episode 117: My eyes are swollen, don’t cry.

Ian was shocked.

She’s been surprised many times when she’s met me, but this is the first time she’s been surprised like this.

Her two eyes, which had been hidden by her flesh, began to tremble.

“Ian, it’s finally that day.”

She didn’t say anything. She didn’t show it on the outside, but you could tell without me asking how long she had been waiting for this moment.

“When will the procedure be performed?”

“now.”

“Really now? The moment I’ve been waiting for has suddenly come like this?”

“Originally, things that change one’s destiny come suddenly. So when I look back, it all seems like luck, coincidence, and things like that.”

“I’m shaking.”

“It’s okay. You can tremble. Just don’t tremble.”

I made a motion to spit out the needle by shaking my hands. I was just trying to make her relax, but Ian was so nervous and excited that he couldn’t tell if I was joking or not.

I wish I could open up a wonderful space using space-time teleportation and do it there, but I can’t do that because of the internal energy required to maintain the space.

“Lie down on that bed over there.”

Ian lay down on the bed as instructed. She took several deep breaths. When she woke up this morning, she would never have dreamed that she would be lying down for a Shindokjeonghwasul today.

I started inserting needles into the designated points. I inserted each needle with all my might. If you look at it from the side, it looks like even a local doctor could do it, but contrary to what you see, it was a very high-level technique.

The needles had to be injected with a set amount of force, and sometimes had to be inserted while reciting a formula. If there was even one mistake, the procedure would be a failure, and she would suffer serious internal injuries.

While laying the needle, he injected his internal energy into her body from time to time to control her raging energy and blood.

Her body was throbbing with heat, sweat was pouring down like rain, and she was groaning in pain.

“Are you in a lot of pain? It’s normal to be in pain.”

She said something. She said she could bear it, but I couldn’t hear her clearly. It was that difficult and painful of a procedure.

I treated it carefully until the last moment.

After I had laid down all the prescribed needles, I went outside for a moment.

I sat cross-legged with my eyes closed and practiced my inner energy. It was truly a task that required a great deal of mental energy.

The act of putting down a needle was not a one-time thing.

After all the needles were retrieved, the needles were placed again in a different order from the beginning. As the procedure progressed, the mental effort was greater and the pain she experienced increased.

“Euuuuuu!”

A scream escaped her lips.

Although she was quite patient and tolerant, it seems that this pain was difficult for her to endure.

‘Cheer up, Ian.’

It was a pity, but I had no choice but to overcome it.

After the second hour, I filled the bucket with water and mixed the crushed herbs into the water. The amount and the ratio of herbs must be precise.

Then I started counting again.

It was the last hurdle for her, too. She spoke softly to Ian, though he might not be able to hear.

“This is the last one. Hold on tight.”

She gritted her teeth and endured the pain. In the meantime, he injected her with internal energy to soothe her energy and blood, trying to somehow reduce the pain.

‘Hold on, Ian.’

After three grueling sessions, she was finally immersed in the drug. A long tube was attached to her throat to help her breathe.

All I can do is just hope that the procedure is successful.

* * *

Ian had a dream.

It was a dream from my childhood.

“Can you learn the full-body stone-firing technique for Confucius?”

What is a full-body petrification? I wanted to ask, but I didn’t feel like asking. He was always a scary master.

“yes.”

“There is a side effect to learning the full-body petrification technique. Your body will swell.”

She didn’t know exactly what it meant to swell.

“The swelling will never go away. Ever.”

At that time, she did not know what it meant to say that the swelling would not go down. She did not know how much the heavy meaning of that word, forever, would make her life difficult. She was only eight years old at the time.

“Are you still going to do it?”

“yes.”

It felt like you couldn’t say no if you didn’t do it.

But it wasn’t just the scary atmosphere that made the decision.

I wanted to be around Geommu-geuk. I liked Geommu-geuk from the first time I saw it.

You really don’t regret it?

Time passed in my dream.

She was standing in front of a broken mirror. A strange girl was glaring at her in the broken mirror. The girl who had grown so fat that she couldn’t tell if it was me or you was getting angry.

‘Why are you angry? I’m so sad because of you.’

Time passed again.

She was watching the drunken sword dance from behind.

“shit!”

She could tell what the sword dance was trying to say now.

What am I worse than my brother at!

Those were the words he couldn’t bring himself to say. The leader had more confidence in the Grand Duke, and there were open rumors going around that the Grand Duke would be his successor.

After the announcement of Cheonma Jeon that anyone with the ability could become the successor, there were those who openly ignored Geommu Geuk. Some thought that ignoring him would make them look good to the Grand Duke. Everyone thought that Geommu Geuk would lose the fight for succession and die.

Only she knows how much Geommugeuk tried to look good to her father.

Bam!

The swordsman slammed the table. A bottle of liquor fell from the broken table and shattered.

She went and put the bottle away.

Cheer up, my lord.

From some point on, Geommu-geuk had not given her even a single warm glance. Geommu-geuk was completely preoccupied with whether or not he would become her successor. But she still liked Geommu-geuk.

The dream took her to another day.

To that fateful day when everything began to change.

The sword dance that had returned from the battle of Shinma was standing in front of Donggyeong.

The way he looked at himself had changed.

Geommugeuk asked.

-How do I look?

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such warm eyes. You must be feeling good after winning the match?

-You are the most handsome man in the world.

-Not funny.

―The question of the person who gives you your monthly salary always has a set answer.

When was the last time we joked around like this?

The sword dance in Tokyo was staring at her.

-Why do you see it that way?

At that moment she woke up and opened her eyes.

An unfamiliar ceiling appeared.

It was only after a while that she realized that this was the place where she had performed the Shindokjeonghwasul.

‘Is the Shindokjeonghwasul all finished?’

She slowly got up. Her body felt different.

Then she looked at her hands.

The long, white hands of a delicate, slender woman.

‘!’

Her heart sank, then began to pound like a bat.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

‘I might still be dreaming.’

Please, I hope this isn’t a dream!

She opened her eyes again with a longing heart. Her hands were not the big ones that she had been before, like bears. She had dreamed of becoming just a little smaller, but now they were beautiful, delicate hands.

She slowly pulled back the blanket, holding back the urge to scream. It was an unfamiliar pair of legs. The two white, straight legs were so beautiful.

Eventually, she ended up screaming. She experienced for the first time that when a person is too nice, she screams without realizing it.

She got out of bed. The moment she touched the floor, her legs grew so huge that she was afraid she might wake up from her dream.

But that didn’t happen. It was the moment when she took her first step into a new life.

She got out of bed and walked slowly towards Tokyo.

“ah!”

In the Tokyo, there was a strange woman standing. She was strange yet familiar. Because she had the image of her when she was young. How long has it been since I saw my real self?

Her face was pretty and her body was perfect.

How can one face be both gorgeous and innocent at the same time? The sad eyes looked intelligent, and there was a sense of pride that could not be easily approached.

There was no need for any other expression. In a word, it was overwhelming beauty.

I felt like I was going to cry, but surprisingly, no tears came out.

It was because I still felt dazed, not knowing if it was a dream or reality.

At that moment, I saw underwear and a white robe for her next to the bed. The moment I saw it, my heart sank and I realized that this was not a dream.

-Who is it? She’s a very slim woman.

-There is someone to give a gift to.

-If you’re giving me underwear as a gift, it seems like you’re someone very close to me.

-Not close.

The clothes that Geommugeuk prepared for someone close to him were actually for himself.

She stood before Donggyeong again, wearing her underwear and a robe. She was even more beautiful than before.

I was so happy that Geommu-geuk had bought me clothes for this moment. I felt so good about his consideration for me. At least for this moment, Geommu-geuk’s consideration for me was better than the side effects.

She walked slowly outside.

The person I wanted to see so badly was standing in the yard with his back turned.

Ian called him slowly.

“young master.”

Then, Geommugeuk slowly turned towards her.

Geommugeuk saw her coming out wearing the palace attire. For a moment, Geommugeuk’s eyes widened.

When he finished all the Shindokjeonghwasul and laid her down on the bed, he had already seen her beautiful transformation. However, when he opened his eyes and stood before her, she was different from then. She was so beautiful that he was speechless.

“The Shindokjeonghwasul was a success. Congratulations, Ian.”

Tears finally flowed from her eyes.

“Your eyes are swollen, don’t cry on a day like today.”

“You can swell up. I’ve been swell up my whole life.”

“We have to live differently now.”

“No, my life hasn’t changed. I’m the same Ian before and after you gave me the Shindokjeonghwasul.”

“Yes, it’s the same Ian to me too.”

Ian ran to Geommu-geuk and hugged her. She cried for a long time in Geommu-geuk’s arms. She didn’t say thank you. She felt that if she said it, the gratitude would fade.

“Can I ask you again?”

“what?”

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Don’t ask. You’ll have to ask that question again soon.”

“yes?”

With an inexplicable smile, Geommugeuk grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

“Let’s go, let’s go show off.”

“Who?”

“Who is it? The worst person in the world who made fun of you by calling you an ugly heart.”

Ian laughed heartily at the words of the sword dance.

* * *

I walked along the road with Ian.

People split left and right as if water was parting. Everyone stared at her, lost in thought. Men and women alike. Children looked, old people looked. Monks looked, Taoists looked. Even dogs that had been barking stopped crying and looked at her.

-Everyone is looking at you. How do you feel?

-It’s too burdensome.

-Enjoy it.

-How do you enjoy yourself when people look at you like that?

– Enjoy that gaze. Ah, I wish I could look at you like that too.

-Please take it!

-Once you get used to it, you won’t say things like that, right?

It was the same when they arrived at Cheonhwaru. Everyone’s eyes were focused on her. Exclamations of admiration erupted from all over.

Among the courtesans, there were some famous beauties, but they were incomparable from the beginning. Although they were both beautiful, Ian had a noble quality. Even though she didn’t have any makeup on, her face glowed.

So we entered the room where the evil Soma and the Thousand-Haired One were.

The evil Soma was lying on the lap of the Heavenly King.

“Thank goodness you’re still here.”

“I waited for you to come. What were you so busy with?”

The evil soma glanced at me and then looked at Ian next to him, startled. The evil soma sat up.

I thought Ian’s beauty could be summed up in these words.

A beauty that can even raise up the evil spirits who were lying down.

“Who are you?”

“This is my new heart.”

“What about the old heart?”

“I threw it away.”

“Did you kill that ugly heart?”

I laughed because I knew he was asking sincerely.

“Yes, I killed him with my own hands.”

“What if I kill you?”

“Why are you like that? Do you really want to see an ugly heart?”

“No, I haven’t paid off the debt for the carriage repairs yet.”

Ian laughed heartily at those words. When she laughed, it seemed as if the surroundings were brightening up.

At that time, Cheonhwaruju asked the evil Soma in a subtle way.

“I’m prettier now than when I was younger, right?”

I looked at the evil Soma urgently.

‘Watch out! It’s a trap, Soma.’