That's how he became a pharmacist.
After receiving permission from Blanca, I got Logan as his teacher.
However, it's still uncertain whether he was completely trustworthy, so Cassion's identity remained a secret with him.
All I told him was that Maxwell and I were very close friends.
Zobel assisted Logan in making the elixir.
With that matter as well, Zobel was just told that the elixir was to make my friend, who became my escort knight, stronger.
And so, back to the present—
'Well… Even with his skills now, he's not bad as a pharmacist. To the point that you wouldn't believe he was a knight before.'
After uttering a bitter compliment towards Zobel, Logan spoke again.
"Your Ladyship, why do you keep pulling in only strange people?"
The amusing remark made me smile widely.
"To begin with, the representative of all these strange people is your master. You know that, right?"
"Yes. I'm also aware that it includes the Madam."
He spoke honestly with a calm tone. Shrugging, I pushed myself off the windowsill.
Then, I walked unhurriedly towards the empty sofa.
"Who knows… Well, let's see in the future."
Logan smiled sardonically. Behind the silver-rimmed glasses, his eyes weren't smiling at all.
I sat down on the empty sofa and leaned back.
It was a seat situated next to the bed, so no matter where I turned my eyes, I'd still see Cassion at the end of my gaze.
"In any case, what did Zobel say? Did he find out anything about Ria's illness?"
As soon as Ria's name was mentioned, Diana reacted without a sound.
She seemed to be suppressing her emotions, but there was no way to hide the ever so minute trembling of her fingertips, or the way her shoulders were so tense.
Logan had never seen Diana react in such a way.
Even though she was like that next to him, Logan still answered in the same calm and businesslike tone.
"It hasn't been easy. It's only been less than a month since he started taking charge of Ria. Though I do think that he's gotten closer to her."
"That's right, Milady. I've also seen from time to time how kind he is to Ria. And she's also good at following his words."
Diana added this cautiously.
Though her shoulders continued to be tense, there was a warm smile on her lips.
When he became a pharmacist, the first task Zobel had was to examine Ria.
It was a special task because he'd only be able to make the medicine for her illness if he knew about it well.
"Right. That's good then."
At first, Logan examined Ria two or three times a week, then Zobel would check her condition again one more time.
Perhaps because he was characteristically gentle, he and the child seemed to get along well.
"Since we're talking about the elixir, wouldn't you need Zobel's help once you start making it?"
"Yes. I'm done researching the process of how to make it, and all that's left is the actual formulation. As for the other formulation methods, it's enough for me to study them myself."
Anyway, Logan was still mainly in charge of the elixir, so Zobel would only be assisting him from the side.
"Well… Then, inform Zobel. It's now time to slowly start working on the research for Ria's medication."
I'll provide the needed ingredients within the next few months at the latest.
"...!"
Ever since Ria had been mentioned earlier, Diana's expression was stiff. However now, there was a bright smile in the place where tension had once been.
She kept her lips closed as though to control her surprise, but her round eyes were full of anticipation.
As I rubbed the pad of my thumb with another finger's nail, I smiled.
* * *
"Now then, please say 'ah'."
"Ahh—"
Ria followed after Zobel's instruction.
A child as young as her would be brimming with playful energy, but whenever it was time for her check-ups, she would become very obedient.
She was sickly ever since she was very young, so she was used to seeing doctors.
After taking a look into the child's small mouth, he held up a piece of candy for her.
Ria smiled and put the candy into her pocket.
"How are you feeling today?"
"Good!"
"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
"Nope!"
Ria's words were believable.
She realized earlier on that it was difficult to hide the pain.
This child was always honest about her physical condition.
Zobel grinned and patted her round head.
By then, the sound of chimes could be heard from the door.
This meant that someone had arrived.
Logan and Zobel's workplace was in a small building situated between the knightage and the annex of the Valentine family's manor.
There were three medical facilities inside the estate, and this one was for the servants and the knights.
However, Logan's clinic was moreso visited by servants rather than knights.
Wondering if a patient had come in, Zobel stood up from his seat.
Though he soon found out that it was Logan and Diana who had entered.
"Teacher! And Miss Diana."
At Zobel's call, Ria hurriedly climbed onto her chair so she could peek.
The moment she saw Diana from behind the table, Ria jumped out of the chair with a big smile.
"Ria!"
Surprised, Diana exclaimed, but she caught Ria into her embrace readily.
"Ha… really…"
A sigh of relief and worry slipped through Diana's lips.
Logan glanced at the two sisters, then he sat down behind his desk.
"How is she doing?"
While still holding Ria in her arms, Diana carefully asked Zobel.
Zobel nodded and gave the older sister a pleasant smile.
"She's doing good. Her complexion's better, and overall, her condition won't deteriorate quickly."
Though in other words, her condition was still steadily worsening.
Diana already knew this, but she thought about why exactly it was like that.
Her younger sister had been administered some strange medicine all this time, and just recalling that fact made Diana's blood boil.
And in the end, the worsening of the disease couldn't be stopped.
All that could be done right now was to make the deterioration slower.
"One of the medicinal herbs that Her Ladyship told me to use in the formulation is good for detoxification. Thanks to that, the effects of poisoning from those illegal medications have been reduced a lot."
Logan said this as he rummaged through his coat pocket and took out a notebook, where he jotted down some notes with a pen.
Diana paused and looked back at Logan. Then, she closed her eyes and smiled.
Beneath the closed lids, she could see Rosetta's face.
A roof over their head, walls surrounding them, a floor beneath their feet, and food provided for them. What came to Diana's mind was Rosetta's face when she said that she would become anything for the two sisters.
"As expected, Lady Rosetta is…"
Diana murmured faintly as she opened her eyes once more.
"Zobel has worked very hard on creating the medicine, too."
Logan, too, added with a murmur.
Diana's eyes widened, then she gave Zobel a smile.
"Sir Zobel, thank you very much."
"No, I just… I only did… did it as it was written."
It's been a while since his voice broke out into a stutter, but it was because he was still not familiar with receiving compliments.
Turning his back on the sight of those kids, Logan compiled the data.
A bit later, Diana left the clinic with Ria in her arms.
She was here thanks to Rosetta's kindness. She allowed Diana to leave work early today because she knew that it was Ria's check-up day.
After the child and her older sister left, the clinic was left with silence.
Zobel helped Logan until late that day, then he turned in for the night.
That is, Logan made Zobel stop working with a sharp shake of his head.
One would instantly think that Logan was being cold, but Zobel wasn't hurt by this at all.
Logan was acting cold, but Zobel knew that his teacher was a warm-hearted person.
A while ago when Lady Rosetta's name was mentioned to credit Ria's medication, didn't Logan bring up Zobel's name, too?
Zobel liked how Logan showed subtle acts of kindness, and for that, he looked up to Logan a lot.
He was the opposite of David.
Right, the opposite of the kind of person Lady Rosetta was.
Someone who looked a bit difficult to gauge and seemed very cold, but nevertheless treated people they regarded as 'my people' with kindness.
Suddenly, he recalled the day that the ducal lady said that she'd support him.
When he asked why she'd go to that extent for him, she just said that there was a medicine that she wanted him to make.
'It's not some strange drug—my person's family member is sick. I need you to make medicine to cure that illness.'
When the ducal lady said 'my person', her expression was difficult to describe.
At first glance, what flashed across her features to be along the lines of kindness, coldness and pity. However, there seemed to be a hint of anger as well.
Seeing her show those kinds of emotions, Zobel felt that he wanted to be one of her people, too.
"Her Ladyship asked me to deliver a message."
While Zobel was praising Logan and Rosetta inwardly, he blinked up at Logan the moment he heard the word 'lady'.
Somehow, just like a man who'd been caught doing something wrong.
Seeing the unnecessary reaction from Zobel, Logan raised one eyebrow, but he continued speaking.
"She said that she'd get the ingredients for you in a few months at the latest, so right now, you have to start preparing to research how to make Ria's medicine."
"Ah, the ingredients."
His carrot-colored eyes brightened up at the mention of ingredients and research.
Logan stared at the younger man wordlessly, then he asked a question that he'd been wanting to ask for a while now.
"By the way, what are those 'ingredients'? I don't think I've heard exactly what they'll be."
Gulp.
Instead of answering Logan's question right away, Zobel held his breath anxiously.
Zobel looked like he was being extremely careful about this, so for a moment now, Logan slightly regretted that he asked for no reason.
However, the answer that was returned to him was far from the cautious answer he was expecting.
"I don't know."
"Hm?"
The hum that passed through Logan's lips was not unjustified. That's how incredulous the situation was.
Even the main pharmacist in charge did not know what the ingredients would be.
"All I heard is that one of the ingredients is something that hasn't appeared in the world yet, that's why it'll take some time to get it ready…"
'An ingredient that has yet to appear in the world, huh…'
Logan silently brooded over what Zobel said.
It was something that he couldn't comprehend, but strangely, he also understood it.
'No wonder. Is that why she didn't put in a request with the Madam?'
Then, he speculated.
She commissioned the Madam to procure all the ingredients for the elixir, but oddly enough, she didn't request any medicine or any ingredients related to Ria's disease.
He wanted to ask just what kind of undiscovered ingredient it was and how exactly she knew about it if it had yet to appear in the world, but Logan shook his head without hesitation.
Given his long experience of working under Blanca, he knew that the easiest way to handle this was to bury these questions.
She always denied it, but in many aspects, Rosetta really did resemble his master.