Upon arriving at Professor George’s lab, I found a note stuck in the gap between the door while trying to knock.
〈I’m away for a while, so please go inside first.〉
‘I guess you were waiting.’
Had I forgotten to come tomorrow, it would have been a disaster. I sighed in relief and opened the door to the lab. Inside the lab was warmer than I expected.
Did he raise the temperature beforehand?
…There’s no way that Professor George would do that.
I shook my head shaking off a ridiculous delusion. Then I began to look around the laboratory.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve been to Professor George’s lab, but I’ve never seen it openly because I’ve been with him every time.
Herbs scattered all over the desk. Even the things around it seem unorganized.
“I’ve seen this before…?”
It was a landscape similar to my private herbal laboratory in the Count’s house. It felt like my intimacy with Professor George increased by 0.1%.
There were countless drawers storing herbs on the wall. I was curious, but I didn’t touch it, since it’s already visible.
It’s not like I’m going through the drawers? As I was looking around the lab, something caught my eye.
It was Professor George’s one-piece glasses.
“Oh…”
I was overwhelmed by intense worries and impulses at the moment. There seemed to be voices of angels and demons from both sides urging me.
No way, Leen.
ㅡIf Professor George caught you doing that, what face was he going to make? Pretend you didn’t see it!
No, just do it.
ㅡHow does Professor George know what you did? Even if he knew, he’ll only have doubts, does he have any evidence? Look at those glasses. Isn’t it tempting? If you hold it like this, will you still tremble before going to bed?
I weighed the choices, listening to both opinions. The decision didn’t take long, the devil’s triumph. This was the part I couldn’t stand.
When I made the decision, I felt at ease. Without hesitation, I reached out and picked up the one-piece glasses.
And Then… I began to diligently put fingerprints on his glasses. Oh, I’m having so much fun. As expected, it’s a good thing I did it.
Thinking of Professor George, who would be embarrassed when he wore glasses without knowing anything, felt as if the accumulated emotions had been washed away.
This was the price for the sin of making group assignments like a meal! It’s the crime of asking for efficacy by bringing all kinds of herbs as if testing me!
Lastly, the crime of trying to seduce me to keep me under after graduation! It was when I was concentrating with a gloomy smile.
“Oh, no. I should put oil on my hands before I do that.”
Suddenly, I heard a laughing voice from behind, and I froze as I was. Far from the sound of footsteps, I didn’t hear the door opening.
Am I going to get Professor George’s cold gaze now…?
What should I do with that awkward atmosphere? What if he tells me to work for him after graduation using this as an excuse?
While imagining things in my head, I realized something and hold on to hope.
If I think about it carefully, that person ‘advised’ that it would be better to put oil on my hands instead of my dry hands.
Come to think of it, this voice. It was a familiar voice. A gentle, strict voice that makes me sleepy when I listen to it.
No way, don’t tell me…!
I turned my head fast enough to make a snapping sound and looked at where the voice came from.
As expected, it was that person… “Arcandus!”
The smile on his face as he met my gaze slowly disappeared. Those blank stares, I couldn’t believe it.
“Leen…?”
“Yes! It’s me, Leen!”
For a brief moment of surprise, a smile appeared on my lips. Light brown hair that looks blonde at first glance with slightly squinty eyes.
Except for the fact that he looked a little older, he didn’t look any different from the one in my memory.
“It’s been a while. You were a young man back then, but now you’re almost an old man.”
“…Sorry. I’m sorry, Leen. You grew so much that I didn’t recognize you at once. A kid that used to be that small has already grown up like this?”
Arcandus covered his gaping mouth. His eyes were filled with surprise and affection as he looked at me.
“It’s understandable. I’m growing up that you can’t recognize me anymore, and it’s been more than five years since I’ve seen you, Arcandus.”
He’s the teacher who taught me alchemy. Although he was only doing what my mother paid for…
Still, I was grateful for him who helped me study for a cure when my parents got sick and patted me on the back even when my parents died.
“I never imagined I’d meet you in a place like this.”
Arcandus looked at me with a grim look and said,
“Me too…”
As I was about to say I was surprised, I remembered the time I got separated from Arcandus and handed over an apology. It’s been on my mind ever since we separated, it’s been bothering me.
“I was sorry, back then, I was so shocked that my parents died…”
When my parents died…
After their funeral, I entrusted myself to my aunt’s house. We separated without being able to give him a proper word of farewell, and couldn’t even thank him.
Arcandus smiled sweetly and patted me on the back.
“I know how it feels when my parents passed away when I was young. It must have been sad. It must have been shocking, and it’s another thing to accept their death even though you knew it might happen.”
“Arcandus…”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be by your side at that time. I thought it was better to be comforted in the arms of your family than someone else. I didn’t know it would be the last.”
I stiffened at his apology and spoke firmly, “Don’t say things like that! Arcandus has nothing to apologize about.”
“Haha, I see. We haven’t seen each other in a while, so don’t make that face.”
Arcandus burst out laughing and pulled out a chair and sat down.
“It’s nice to see you again. How have you been?”
“Well, as long as I’m alive.”
“What happened?”
At once, his expression hardened as if he had grasped the real meaning of what I said. I turned my gaze and made excuses.
“Still, it’s worth living for now. What about Arcandus? It seems that you left the village after we separated.”
Arcandus smiled bitterly. “I had to find another job to make a living. Who else would hire an alchemist who can’t make medicine other than your mother?”
“Oh…”
Arcandus was a genius in alchemy. My mother was so sure that no one would follow after her with such knowledge.
However, Arcandus had fatal flaws as an alchemist. Alchemy was a magical discipline in that it was based on mana.
However, the mana in his body was very weak, and there were many difficulties in creating something.
“Arcandus. Can I pay you back the wages I couldn’t give you then?”
After spending all my money trying to cure my parents, I fired him. Because I no longer had the money to pay his wages.
But even after being fired, he stayed by my side until my parents passed away. Arcandus was a savior for me.
He shook his head. Perhaps it was a very sensible reaction.
“I wasn’t asking for money. And I don’t live without it enough to ask for money from a young student.”
“But…”
As I blurted out, he ruffled my hair and laughed.
“I guess you think I’m left behind because of you, but I’ve received more from your parents than you think. I think that was a natural courtesy.”
Judging that he would refuse even if I suggested more, I asked what I was curious about from the moment I saw him.
“But how did Arcandus get into Professor George’s lab…”
It was then. The door swung open and Professor George entered the lab. We stopped talking and turned to look at Professor George.
“Both of you have arrived already.”
“Isn’t it too late for the professor to call us here?”
As Arcandus questioned him grimly, Professor George pressed down on his forehead as if he was tired.
“I have an ugly disciple who wants to see you.”
“What?”
After his bewildered reply, someone appeared behind Professor George.
“…Walter.”
It was Professor Walter. The atmosphere hovering between the two was unusual. I didn’t know what was going on, so I watched the situation quietly.
At that moment, Arcandus rose from his seat and passed Professor Walter.
Professor Walter grabbed Arcandus’ wrist.
“I hope…”
“Let me go!”
A voice filled with anger echoed through the quiet laboratory. There was a deep disgust in Arcandus’ eyes as he looked at Professor Walter.
The strength in Professor Walter’s hand, who met those eyes, loosened. Arcandus left the lab as if he never waited.
…What the hell was going on here?
Professor Walter watched him leave in vain.
He stared blankly at the door where Arcandus had left, clenching his fists and loosening them repeatedly.
I have often seen his annoying expression and frown. It was like Professor Walter’s trademark. But it was the first time I had seen a professor with such an expression.
“I don’t know if I can ask, but did something happen between you two?”
Carefully inquiring about the relationship between the two, Professor Walter quickly changed the expression on his face.
“I don’t know.”
“Ah…”
As expected, I guess I should have quietly pretended I didn’t know about this. I stared around for a while and then apologized.
“I’m sorry for asking about something between the two of you.”
“No, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, I just really don’t know.”
“What?”
At first glance, his expression seemed wounded and distorted due to complexity.
“He and I have been friends since the first year of Junior. He was like a family. But one day…”
Professor George clicked his tongue and rebuked Professor Walter.
“Think carefully about what you did. Don’t you know that he’s not the one to react like that over nothing?”
“At first I thought so too. What would I have done? But in the end, he didn’t tell me the cause. I don’t think that he would even want to talk to me.”
“If you want to fight, you two should fight. Why are you chasing after my precious guest?”
“I also suffered unilaterally. Do you think I also wanted to make the situation like this?”
Watching the scuffle between the two professors, I asked Professor George this time.
“Professor George, how do you know Arcandus?”
“Arcandus?”
Professor George frowned as if he were asking what I meant, then Professor Walter, who was next to him, spoke as if tossing the words.
“It’s common for an alchemist to use a pseudonym.”
“…You mean that guy?”
I doubted my ears. Does that mean that Arcandus wasn’t his real name?
