Chapter….08

At Jin’s words, I couldn’t help but glare at him. Tilting his head slightly, he looked at me with an annoyingly smug expression—as if I could read exactly what he was thinking. Had his mind-reading ability rubbed off on me after just a few days together?

“Hmm? Doctor, I said my arm hurts. Hurry up and feed me.”

So annoying. So shameless! And yet… when he looks at me like that, I can’t bring myself to refuse. Honestly, this is why men who know they’re handsome are dangerous—they use their faces way too well.

“So?” I asked bluntly, suppressing the urge to feed him right away.

Jin lowered his gaze, letting his lashes droop slightly, then glanced back up at me. The movement was so graceful—so beautiful.

“Doctor, feed me.”

I let out a deep sigh. Just a few days ago, you said you didn’t like ordering people around! What, am I not even a person? I felt like grabbing him by the collar.

But if I actually shook him, this fragile guy might clutch his chest and drop dead on the spot. So instead of his collar, I picked up the spoon.

“…Open.”

At my gruff tone, Jin smirked slightly and obediently opened his mouth.

Ah, my life… Come to think of it, wasn’t this how Astrid in the original story ended up falling for him while nursing him?

Jin’s the problem here. Seriously. How can someone who might die any moment act so flirtatious…

Ah.

I had carelessly thought about his impending death again. If Jin knew, he’d definitely be hurt. I glanced at him cautiously.

But he was just smiling faintly.

Well, he’s not actually psychic—he can’t read every thought, right?

Letting out a quiet sigh, I scooped another spoonful of soup and fed him.

But then…

Was it just my imagination, or did a bitter flicker pass through Jin’s eyes as he swallowed the soup?

After barely finishing Jin’s lunch and returning to my room, I was completely exhausted. Just then, Rodent came running up to me.

“Teacher Auber!”

The adorable boy ran straight into my arms. After spending a few days in a place with hot water and proper meals, he had become noticeably cuter—maybe even a bit chubbier.

Aw, my baby.

Except for his tutoring sessions with Jin, Rodent wandered around freely, but he liked sticking by my side the most. Well, probably not me—but Astrid.

“Brother Rick is looking for you. He said to come to the lab!”

Rick? Ah—so the medicines I requested must finally be ready.

Referring to The Great Herbal Compendium and Types of Alchemical Materials and Their Uses, I had come up with a variety of remedies that might help Jin. Of course, they were basically herbal concoctions made by combining similar ingredients according to the book.

First, a cough suppressant and expectorant—essential for someone like Jin, who struggled to breathe because of constant coughing and phlegm. Then an antipyretic, since he frequently ran fevers. Also painkillers and digestive medicine.

The bloodletting wound on Jin’s left arm hadn’t healed as well as expected. Thankfully, thanks to my careful disinfection and daily bandage changes, there was no infection. Still, I had also requested an ointment for it.

“I should go see Rick. Is it time for your lesson, Rodent?”

When I asked with a smile, Rodent nodded energetically.

Ah, he’s so cute. Spoiled behavior is only adorable when it comes from kids.

Thinking of Jin—who was five years older than me yet acted just as spoiled—I unconsciously made a scowl.

Fortunately, I still hadn’t taken off my mask after leaving Jin’s room, so Rodent didn’t see it.

“Yes, teacher! I’ll go now!”

Waving at me, Rodent pulled out his mask—a design I had made to loop over the ears, like modern masks.

When I first told people to wear masks before entering Jin’s room, most of them awkwardly covered their faces like bandits. So I experimented and made a proper one—and now everyone who frequently visited him had adopted the same design.

Such a good kid. He’s really following the rules to avoid bringing germs to Jin.

Feeling proud, I patted his head. His eyes curved into a smile—his mouth, hidden by the mask, surely smiling too.

After saying goodbye, I hurried to Rick and Louis’s laboratory, confident that genius Rick had prepared everything perfectly.

“Rick, I’m here!”

As I entered, Rick straightened up from the table.

“You’re here, teacher.”

His tone was curt as always—but that was his version of a greeting.

“Teacher Auber! I’m here too!”

Louis’s voice chimed in, slightly sulky.

I couldn’t help but laugh. I’d rarely been welcomed this warmly in my entire life—probably thanks to Astrid’s reputation as the “Angel of Aube Street.”

I greeted Louis with a smile and turned to Rick.

“So? Are the medicines ready?”

“Yes, teacher. Take a look.”

Rick guided me to the table, where colorful bottles were neatly labeled.

“This is the cough suppressant—strawberry-flavored, as you requested. And this is the antipyretic—orange-flavored.”

He explained each one carefully. The flavors had been my idea—Jin was such a picky eater that giving him bitter medicine would be a nightmare.

“And this is the ointment. The previous one worked fine, but like you said, mixing in tarandrus fat works better than egg yolk.”

Rick’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.

Tarandrus was a large, bull-sized monster that could change its fur color like a chameleon. Its fat was said to be excellent for wound healing, so Richard had brought back a large supply. We stored it using ice-element magic stones.

“Thanks, Rick. You’re a genius.”

As I praised him and ruffled his hair, his ears turned bright red.

“I made everything you asked for too… You should praise me as well.”

Louis puffed his cheeks.

“Oh! Of course!”

I rushed over to him. It seemed the humidifier I had requested was complete.

Convinced Jin’s illness was respiratory-related, I had wanted to control the humidity in his room. Even a simple heated humidifier would help.

As soon as Louis pressed a button, steam began to rise.

“Louis, this is amazing!”

Building something like this in just a few days—truly incredible.

“Do you need anything else?”

At his question, something came to mind.

A stethoscope.

I might not understand all those medical drama terms like wheezing or crackles—but it would still help.

“Do you have paper and something to write with?”

Louis eagerly brought them, and I sketched a stethoscope.

Astrid could draw really well. Unlike me, who could only manage stick figures.

“So… you place this part here, and the sound travels to this part. Can you make it?”

My explanation was vague, but Louis nodded enthusiastically.

“Wow, teacher, where do you get these ideas? I’ll make it right away! Anything else?”

Actually… there was one more thing I’d always wanted.

A penlight—the small diagnostic light doctors use to check pupils.

It felt embarrassing to admit, but I had always thought, Wow, I want one of those! while watching medical dramas.

“Well… there is something…”

“Please tell me!”

Urged on, I finally explained.

“When you press here, light comes out. Not too bright—it could damage eyesight.”

Louis listened carefully.

“That should be possible with a small light-element magic stone fragment. I’ll make it quickly.”

I almost screamed with joy.

My long-held dream was becoming reality—my very own penlight!

Sure, you could buy one in the real world… but what would a non-doctor do with it?

Now, even if I was just a quack, I was still technically a doctor.

“Louis… Rick… thank you so much.”

I said, deeply moved.

These two were absolutely indispensable to me. I was basically just playing pretend doctor—but they were turning that play into reality.