Chapter 7

After a restless night spent wide awake with all sorts of thoughts, I got up as soon as the sun rose, just like the attendant told me yesterday. It was time to go to work.

Just in case, I opened the wardrobe—and there it was: the Academy staff uniform.

I wasn’t sure when it had been prepared, but since it was the women’s version and fit me perfectly, it was clearly meant for me.

“Assistant pharmacist, huh…”

Jer had promised from the beginning that if I agreed to the experiment, he’d get me a job as an assistant pharmacist. So having a uniform ready wasn’t all that surprising.

Without hesitation, I changed into it. My eyes were still puffy from all the crying yesterday, but I had no intention of being late.

It was my first day, after all.

Step, step.

I left the dorm and walked down the path, almost on autopilot. At some point, I realized how warm and gentle the morning sun felt.

I hadn’t noticed it earlier, but now I could hear birds singing. Their chirping was surprisingly soothing.

Come to think of it, I’d never been out at this hour before. While taking care of Mom, it had been hard to leave the Farrington estate.

For some reason, the bright weather helped lift the gloom I’d been feeling.

As I looked around, I saw noble students in Kamar Academy uniforms walking by. Each of them carried thick books under one arm, chatting away with friends like they had a million things to say. The sight was undeniably youthful.

“I used to dream of going to Kamar Academy too…”

Back when I was a child, the Kamar Royal Academy already existed.

If Mom hadn’t developed dementia, I probably would’ve had my coming-of-age ceremony and enrolled here. We were never wealthy, but without her illness dragging us down, I think we could’ve managed the tuition.

Most of those regrets had faded over time, but seeing it all right in front of me brought the memories back.

Back to when I was just a girl—full of dreams and hope.

I smiled faintly, without even realizing it, and slowly made my way toward Jer’s lab.

Creaaak—

When I opened the lab door, I saw Jer already sitting inside.

It felt like he had been waiting for me, so I greeted him a little awkwardly.

“You’re here early.”

“You too. It’s not even nine yet, is it?”

“I just woke up early. I guess I sleep less now that I’m older.”

Jer gave me a curious look, then asked softly, “How old are you, anyway?”

I realized then—he’d only ever seen me looking younger, so he probably had no idea how old I really was.

“I’m thirty-eight.”

“What?! So you’ve gotten at least fifteen years younger?”

Jer looked genuinely shocked. Still, even knowing my real age, he didn’t seem like he was planning to change the way he talked to me.

I couldn’t blame him. In the reflection of his glasses, I looked like I was in my early twenties. Honestly, I felt a little strange seeing myself like this too.

It would feel weird for someone like Jer, who was probably in his thirties, to speak formally to someone who looked so young. Especially since he was the professor and I was just the assistant.

“Hah, I figured you’d gotten maybe five to eight years younger, but this is way beyond that. You really turned back time.”

He seemed more fascinated by how well his drug had worked than anything else.

Feeling a little embarrassed, I cleared my throat and quickly changed the subject.

“So… what exactly does an assistant pharmacist do? Will I be helping with your research too?”

Jer gave a small laugh and said, “Hardly. My research team is made up of the best in their fields. There’s nothing for you to help with.”

His arrogant tone made me bite my lip without thinking. After meeting him a few times, I was starting to get a sense that he wasn’t the warmest person.

“Then… why did you even bother interviewing me?”

“I owed someone a favor. The professor who usually runs the pharmacy is on maternity leave.”

“Oh.”

I nodded as it started to make sense.

Judging by how annoyed he looked, Jer didn’t seem like the type to do favors lightly. He probably owed them something—or they were someone he was close to.

I was a little curious about their relationship, but not enough to ask.

“If the pharmacy professor’s on leave, then who should I talk to about the assistant pharmacist duties?”

“What do you need to know?”

“Well… the salary, for starters.”

I trailed off at the end, but Jer smiled like he understood right away. After seeing my situation yesterday, it probably wasn’t hard for him to guess that I was short on money.

“Right. I forgot the most important part. Your salary will be paid on a set date every month. Don’t worry—it won’t be disappointing. Academy staff are paid quite well.”

“Thank you.”

“Someone from HR will reach out with the details. For now, follow me. I’ll show you where you’ll be working.”

Jer stood up suddenly and walked off.

I quietly followed him. Not far from the lab, we reached a room with a small sign that read: Pharmacy.

Inside were several single beds, and on one side of the desk were shelves packed with various medicines and ingredients.

Some were rare drugs I’d only ever read about in books. I couldn’t help but stare in awe.

“This is your workspace,” Jer said. “When students come in feeling sick, just give them whatever medicine suits their symptoms.”

“Yes… sorry, what?”

I answered instinctively at first, but then looked up in surprise.

No matter how much I looked around the room, there was only one desk for working.

“You mean… I’m doing this alone?”

“No, there’s someone you’ll be switching shifts with. Your senior—a more experienced assistant pharmacist who’s been here before you. I think her name was Petrine? I already told her about you, so when she comes in, introduce yourself.”

“Oh… alright.”

I had only ever self-studied medicine to care for my mom when she had dementia. I didn’t have any formal training—nothing that would justify working in a place like this.

Now that I was actually standing in the pharmacy, the pressure started to hit me.

“But I only know the basics when it comes to medicine…”

“That’s enough. If a student comes in with indigestion, what would you give them?”

“Oh, that would be this one.”

I pointed directly to one medicine out of the hundreds on the shelves.

Back when my mom was still alive, we had used it often, so I knew from experience how effective it was.

“What if they come in with a headache?”

After thinking for a second, I picked out a strong pain reliever.

“And for insomnia?”

“In that case, something that helps with sleep and calms the nerves is best.”

As I reached for the medicine I had in mind, Jer gave a satisfied nod.

“Not bad. If you can do that much, you’re fine.”

“But I’m not professionally trained…”

“Who do you think comes here? If it’s anything serious, they go straight to their family’s private physician. Most students who come here just need help with things like what I mentioned.”

“Oh…”

Only then did the weight on my shoulders ease a little.

If those were the kinds of cases I’d be handling, I might actually be able to manage. It wasn’t all that different from what I’d done while caring for Mom.

“Not that it’ll happen, but if a student ever shows unusual symptoms, just ask your senior. Got it?”

“Yes. I’ll give it my best.”

Hearing my response, Jer nodded like he’d just checked something off a to-do list.

Then, despite his usual disinterested expression, his eyes suddenly sharpened behind his glasses as he said, more seriously:

“There’s one thing you absolutely must not forget. Once the day is over, come find me. We’ve got our experiment to run in the evenings.”

There was something almost dangerous in Jer’s gaze as he said that, but I simply nodded in response.

We’d already signed the contract for me to assist with his research, and I had no intention of backing out now.

“So we’re not doing any experiments during the day?”

“I’d rather keep this whole project under wraps for now. It’s for your safety too.”

“My… safety?”

“Yeah. If people find out you suddenly became younger, it’ll cause a huge scene. What, you want to end up on the front page of some newspaper with your photo splashed everywhere?”

“N-no, definitely not.”

If word ever got out about what happened to me, it would attract immediate attention from everyone.

I didn’t want to become a spectacle—like some animal in a zoo, watched and whispered about. And right now, I wasn’t even remotely prepared to protect myself from that.

Jer seemed to understand how I felt. He smiled slightly and said,

“Good. Then take care.”

With that, he turned around and left the pharmacy without a second thought.

Left alone, I awkwardly looked around the room, then finally sat down at the desk.

Never in my life had I imagined wearing an Academy uniform and working in a place like this.

Maybe because it was all so new—things I’d never even dreamed of before—

My chest felt a little tight with emotion.

A little while later, a female student came into the pharmacy.

“Excuse me, miss… I feel bloated, like I’ve got indigestion. Could I get something for that?”

M-Miss?

That title was usually reserved for someone knowledgeable—someone skilled enough to teach others.

And yet here I was, being called that. It was almost touching.

As I stood there in a bit of a daze, the student looked at me curiously.

“Miss?”

“Oh, sorry—just a second.”

Snapping out of it, I quickly scanned the shelf for something to help with digestion.

“Did you eat anything this morning?”

“Hmm… pumpkin porridge, a bit of bread, and a small salad.”

“Was there anything new or possibly spoiled in what you ate?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“I see. Then take this—this should help settle your stomach. Try to stick to light, easy-to-digest food for the rest of the day.”

I neatly wrapped a digestive remedy and handed it to the student.

She took the medicine without much thought, offering a casual “Thank you.”

It may have been just a polite gesture, but hearing those words as she accepted the medicine felt surprisingly nice.

I don’t know how to explain it exactly—but I felt… proud. Like I’d genuinely helped someone.

Just as Jer said, the work in the pharmacy wasn’t hard.

At first, my heart pounded every time the door opened, but all I really had to do was listen to the student’s symptoms and hand over the appropriate medicine. Simple.

“Miss, I have a headache. Could I get something for it?”

“How long has it been hurting?”

“About an hour. It came on suddenly, and now it feels like my head’s going to split open.”

“Oh no. Did you sleep well last night?”

“No, I was up working on an assignment…”

“Lack of sleep can definitely cause headaches. I’ll give you something for it—take the medicine, and go lie down on that bed over there. Try to get some rest.”

“O-okay. Thank you.”

The student must’ve been really exhausted—she fell asleep almost immediately. I quietly drew the curtain around her bed so she could rest without being disturbed.

As I watched her sleep peacefully, I felt something stir inside me. A feeling I couldn’t quite put into words.

‘Should I… study medicine more seriously?’

This job turned out to be more rewarding—and more fitting for me—than I expected.

It had all started with my mother’s dementia, but now that I was here, I felt like learning more about medicine might open up a real path forward.

Of course, it wouldn’t be easy. Medical knowledge requires a lot of study and dedication.

But right now, gaining real skills mattered more than anything.

‘Because I have nowhere to go back to…’

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I had to be honest with myself.

I had this job thanks to Jer, but once his research was finished, I might lose it just as quickly.

I had to be prepared before that happened. I needed something to hold me up even if I lost everything else.

That “something” was ability.

‘If I could just get certified as a real pharmacist… I wouldn’t have to worry about survival.’

I needed to build up my own skills, to learn something that would let me live independently.

These days, more and more women in the Vulcanus Empire were entering the workforce.

Until now, I’d always thought that world had nothing to do with me—but not anymore.

I was going to find my own job. I was going to take care of my own life with my own strength.

‘…Alright.’

I made up my mind. I would study harder and make a future for myself in this field.

Thankfully, the Kamar Academy pharmacy had a great collection of medical books. And since I was working here, I had easy access to all of them—honestly, it couldn’t have been a better situation.

Students didn’t come in non-stop, either, so I had plenty of time during the day.

And as they say, strike while the iron’s hot.

I reached for a thick book titled [Medicinal Herbs of the Taran Forest]—a volume on rare herbs.

With a warm cup of tea beside me, I became completely absorbed in reading.

That’s when it happened.

“Well, don’t you look cozy?”

A woman’s voice suddenly startled me. I looked up in surprise, not having heard anyone come in.

I’d been so focused on the book, I hadn’t noticed the footsteps at all.

At first, I thought it might be another student—but the woman standing in front of me wasn’t wearing a school uniform. Instead, she had on a white lab coat with Pharmacy written on it.

“Um… who—?”

“Haven’t you heard about me from the alchemy professor?”

Suddenly, I remembered what Jer had said—that there was a senior assistant pharmacist named Petrine.

“Oh… he did mention someone. So, you must be…”

“That’s right. And if you figured that out, shouldn’t you be standing up by now?”