Chapter 3 — Retired on the same day, I turned around and married the Regent

I looked at him bewildered.

“Three years ago, at the collapsed temple west of the city.” Ta Vo Cuu's voice was low but clear. "There was a man whose whole body was covered in blood, barely alive. There was a young lady who used rags to wrap herbs to help him stop the bleeding and bandage him. She guarded him for half the night, and in the end left behind half a dry corn cake and an old bag of medicine. Do you remember?"

The door of memory was stabbed open! Three years ago... cold winter... heavy snow... I went outside the city to get medicine for Chu mama. On the way back, I went to an abandoned temple to avoid the snow... I actually met a man covered in blood, unconscious! There were many knife marks on his body, a lot of blood, and his breathing was so weak that it was almost impossible to feel. I was so scared at that time, but seeing that person's miserable appearance, I still couldn't bear to leave. I chewed up a few hemostatic herbs that my great-grandfather left for me to carry with me in case of an emergency. I chewed them up and applied them to his wound, then tore the hem of my inner shirt into strips to bandage him. It was too cold in the temple, so I took the old blanket that was wrapped around me and covered him, sitting next to him, fearing he would freeze to death. Before dawn, I was forced to leave, afraid that I would be punished for coming back late, so I left in his hand the remaining half of the corn cake on my body, along with an old medicine bag containing a few pills for emergency use... Could it be... that person covered in blood... was... I looked at Ta Vo Cuu in horror, my pupils suddenly dilated.

“It seems like she remembered.” Ta Vo Cuu leaned back against the soft tower, his fingertips gently tapped on the small lamp on the tower, emitting a steady sound. “On that medicine bag was embroidered with the word 'Dan'.”

Our heart beats rapidly. That medicine bag was sewn by me, the embroidery was clumsy, and indeed had the word "Dan" embroidered crookedly.

“A few herbs and a few strips of cloth cannot save this king's life.” Ta Vo Cuu's voice was still calm, as if he was telling a story that had nothing to do with him. “But that hand reaching out in the midst of that desperate situation, that care, and that half of a tortilla... made this king remember.”

He raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade.

"This king has sent people to investigate for three years. That medicine bag, along with that special medicine mix, could only come from a descendant of 'Medicine Si' Tham Thien Son."

Tham Thien Son! My great-grandfather! Of course it's because of this! After the ultimate fear comes the feeling of awakening. Right after that, what arose in my heart was a complex emotion that was difficult to put into words. It turns out that's it. It's not like we just met and fell in love. Even more so, it's not a temporary kindness. Repaying favor? Maybe there's a part. But what he values more, I'm afraid, is his maternal grandfather's unpredictable magical medical skills, along with... the value of me, who may have inherited part of that medical skill.

“So…” I suppressed the emotions swirling in my heart, my voice a bit hoarse. “Today, the Royal Family... is to repay a favor?”

“Returning favor?” Ta Vo Cuu laughed softly, in that laugh there was some irony, as well as some deep hidden fatigue. "It seems so. However, what this king values more is her ability. Tham Thien Son's granddaughter, after all, must have some ability."

He didn't look at me Again, his eyes looked out the car window, the profile of his face became even colder under the light coming through the curtain.

"The Queen Mother's headache is getting worse day by day. The doctors in the palace are helpless." His voice was low, carrying a heaviness that did not allow for doubt. "This king needs someone who is trustworthy, and at the same time, his medical skills must be high enough. Tham Tinh Dan, she is the person chosen by this king."

It turns out the key lies here. The Queen Mother's symptoms... The Queen Mother is Ta Vo Cuu's biggest support at court, and her motherly love is also extremely deep. If something happens to the Queen Mother, I'm afraid Ta Vo Cuu's position as Regent King will no longer be as stable as it is now. He needs someone who can ease the Queen Mother's illness, even cure the Queen Mother. As for me, because of an unintentional rescue that year, combined with my grandfather's reputation, I have become the most suitable pawn in his eyes. A woman who had just been abandoned and had no one to rely on. A woman can only continue to live by relying on his power. A woman might actually understand a little bit of medical techniques... Truly the easiest person to control. Also the person least likely to betray.