Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 236: Suspicion

Date- 14 Jan 1877

Time- 20:11

Location- Earth, South Korea, North Gyeongsang Province, Taegu Village

Hunter Park Song was a single dad who immigrated to Taegu Village 10 years ago with his 6-year-old daughter after the death of his foreign white wife. Park Song chose Taegu Village because it was small and a place where his skill as a hunter would be appreciated enough for the villagers to welcome him and his daughter into the village.

With Park Song’s skills, he could have chosen to be in a better village but his daughter being half Korean and half White many villages did not welcome them despite his skill set. But Taegu village was small and required more skilled people and they did not have a lot of options to choose from so they had to let Hunter Park Song and his daughter Corey Park in.

Despite being the only outsider and the constant discrimination faced by his daughter, Park Song and his Daughters lived a peaceful and happy life thanks to each others company. But it all came to an end when Park Song met with a Hunting Accident and was bedridden. Thankfully Park Song knew that due to her origin his daughter’s life was going to be hard so he taught her how to hunt to become independent and self-reliant. Which turned out to be a wise decision on his part despite the deep frowns from the villagers, thanks to that as Park Song was bedridden his Daughter Corey Park went hunting every other day to feed the family and keep the family business going. But that also has come to an end due to the unfortunate forest fire a few days ago. Right now the father and daughter are surviving on the alms of the villagers.

“Hunter Park! Hunter Park!” A middle-aged lady carrying what looked like mud utensils called at the door of Hunter Park Songs’ home.

“Aunty Kim, please come inside.” Corey Park dressed in a worn-out linen dress opened the door and invited the middle-aged lady inside.

“Corey, how is your father’s health? Is he showing signs of improvement?” Asked Aunty Kim as she placed the mud utensils in her hands on a nearby table while adding, ” Here’s some extra food I prepared, I hope you and your father will enjoy it.”

“Thank you, Auntie Kim” Corey was grateful and politely thanked Auntie Kim for her generosity.

“It’s okay we are neighbours after all this is what I should do. I have added extra meat. Do not forget to eat after all you are still growing. I will take my leave now.” Reminding Corey to eat the meat Auntie Kim left hurriedly before Corey could ask why she was so generous today.

Other times whenever Corey greeted her neighbour, she would only frown and ignore Corey. Being of mixed race Corey was not even acknowledged as a human being by the villagers. Corey’s father has been bedridden for more than 2 months and never did aunt Kim ask about her father’s health until today. Being bullied her entire life for her mixed-blood Auntie Kim’s generosity seemed suspicious to Corey but smelling the hot food and hearing her tummy grumble Corey had no other choice. Maybe she can go on with an empty stomach for another day but her sick father could not last another day without food. So Corey suppressed all her suspicion deep in her heart, grabbing a plate and chopstick. She took the mud utensils filled with food to her father’s room.

…

“Sleep tight, father!” Having a hearty lunch, Park Song soon fell asleep. Seeing her father go to sleep with a full stomach Corey let out a satisfied smile. Taking two bites of the remaining food Corey closed the food and saved it for tomorrow. Soon Corey also started to feel sleepy and slept by the side of her father’s bed just in case his situation worsens and he needs her.

…

“Kim Ji, did you add the powder I gave you in the food as I instructed?” The old Shaman asked Corey’s neighbour.

“Yes, Senior.” Kim Ji nodded her head vigorously.

“Ok then, they should be deep asleep by now. Lee brothers go bring the cripple. I need his blood for the ritual. And you ladies make that half breed the most beautiful bride in the history of your village.” Ordered the old shaman.

…

“Why is she regaining consciousness now? Did Kim Ji not add all of the powder I gave you.” Yelled the old Shaman looking at Corey who was slowly regaining her consciousness while he was collecting from Corey’s father’s corpse.

“Senior, Kim Ji did as you instructed but Corey did not eat all of the food and saved half of it for the next morning.” One of the villagers who saw preserved leftovers in the Park family kitchen defended Kim Ji.

“Quick, someone get some ropes to restrain her before she starts resisting.” The old shaman yelled.

…

Corey felt a huge headache as she opened her eyes only to see her father hung upside down on a hook and the village shaman standing next to him as he collected his blood from the slit on her father’s neck, Just like bloodletting a wild animal. While the rest of the villagers stood in a circle chanting weird words out loud.

Corey wanted to rush to her father’s rescue screaming her lungs out but she found out that she was restrained and her mouth was gagged with a cloth. Corey watched helplessly as the Shaman drained her father of all his blood, like an animal. Except for crying her eyes out, Corey could not do a thing but watch as the villagers restrained her and killed her father.

Corey saw auntie Kim in the crowd of villagers and pleaded with her eyes to rescue her father but auntie Kim shook her head and walked next to Corey and said, “blame your greed! If you have eaten all the food you would not have to witness all this.” As she covered Corey’s eyes with a cloth.

Finally, It dawned upon Corey how she and her father ended up in such a situation when she clearly remembers both of them sleeping in the house, the food they ate was laced with sleeping powder.

…