Chapter 1.3

Ophelia had heard that Violet would be receiving an award from the royal family, but since there was still over a month left until the actual ceremony, it couldn’t be because of that. 

“Professor, you look exceptionally beautiful today. Are you going somewhere special?” 

“That’s right. How did you know? Was it obvious?”  

Violet clasped her cheeks and twisted her body shyly. 

She was clearly showing off, but then asked if it was noticeable. 

Someone who usually wore a dull black dress, barely put on makeup, and went to work with a tired face was now suddenly dressed in a bright yellow dress and adorned with dazzling accessories. She even swayed her waist slightly as she walked, showing off her graceful figure. How could anyone not notice? 

Forcing a smile, Ophelia replied, 

“Yes. Did you get a lover? A date?” 

“That’s right.” 

What she had said as a joke turned out to be true. 

Ophelia had always thought of Violet as a reflection of her future self. Someone who always appeared exhausted, shuttling between the lab and home—there wasn’t much difference from Ophelia’s current life. 

But she actually had a lover now? 

Was this the same Violet who didn’t even blink an eye at the line of men proposing to her? The one who only talked about research, showing no interest in romance?

For her to suddenly have a lover—it was truly surprising. 

“Is it so surprising that I have a lover?” 

Violet, reading Ophelia’s thoughts, looked at her with a puzzled expression. 

“I thought you were only interested in research and had no interest in romance.” 

“When you fall in love, dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin are released, causing changes in your body. So, I thought it was something I should experience at least once. What about you, Ophelia? Have you gotten closer to your fiancé yet?” 

“Ah, not yet.” 

“Still? Isn’t your fiancé the young duke of Bristol? You have such an eligible partner by your side, yet you still don’t know love?” 

Violet looked at Ophelia with eyes full of disbelief. 

“Well, I guess my mind is so preoccupied with graduation exams that I can’t think about anything else right now.” 

Even if Violet didn’t usually care about others’ affairs, telling her the truth about her relationship with Cedric wouldn’t change anything. So, Ophelia could only awkwardly use her exams as an excuse. 

“Oh, you already took the written test recently, so only the practical exam is left, right? Didn’t you say you’re weak in practicals?” 

“That’s right. I’m just hoping not to fail.” 

Although her grades in most subjects were above average, Ophelia’s overall ranking was only average. This was because she had failing grades in some subjects. 

She was terrible at anything involving physical activity, so she had failed all the physical education-related subjects. She had barely made up for her grades through supplementary classes, but the graduation exam still included physical education, which was troubling. 

Why did it have to be horseback riding? 

Horseback riding was the subject Ophelia struggled with the most. As long as she maintained the basic posture, she could avoid failing, but even her basics were lacking. 

“Isn’t the exam this week? Do your best! I heard you passed the apprenticeship exam to become a royal physician. Let’s hope nothing gets canceled.” 

“Yes, I plan to prepare as much as I can.” 

Hadn’t she been practicing horseback riding whenever she had free time? She wasn’t confident, but she planned to give it her all. 

“If you pass the exam, I’ll give you a Freshberry Dacquoise as a gift.” 

“Really? I heard it’s hard to get!” 

At the mention of desserts, Ophelia’s eyes sparkled. 

“If you pass the exam, it’s the least I can do.” 

“Thank you, Professor!” 

On days when her blood sugar dropped, she would feel completely drained, unable to do anything. She would just sit there, staring blankly into space. Sweet desserts were essential for Ophelia’s survival. 

It was no wonder that one of the items on her bucket list was to travel the world and try every dessert. Just the thought of eating the Dacquoise Violet promised to buy her gave Ophelia the determination to push herself even harder. 

* * * 

The horse’s hooves clattered as it ran, and Ophelia, riding on the horse, had a pale face. 

She gripped the reins tightly, trying not to fall off the horse. Falling would mean immediate disqualification, so she had to hold on no matter what. 

Letting out a silent scream, Ophelia kept riding around the training field until she heard the signal to stop. 

“That’s it. Ophelia Granville, well done.” 

“Thank you.” 

As soon as she got off the horse, Ophelia immediately removed her helmet. 

Huff, huff—she was breathing heavily, but a smile spread across her face. 

With this, there shouldn’t be any problem with graduating, right?  

It was a relief that no mistakes were made during the horseback riding test, which she had been most worried about. She had managed to hold on to the reins and endure, so she could at least say she avoided failing. 

Although she wasn’t confident about the exam, there were no issues with her thesis. Hadn’t she spent six years preparing for it under Violet’s guidance? 

Once she finished her thesis, it would finally mark the end of her time at this tiresome Academy. She didn’t have much affection for this place, which was filled with unpleasant memories because of Cedric. 

However, despite that, she had grown attached to it in her own way. 

What she regretted the most was that once she graduated, she would no longer be able to use the Academy’s laboratory. Unless she became a teacher at the Academy or worked as a teacher’s assistant, there would be little reason to return. 

She also regretted that she wouldn’t be able to meet the people in the lab or her friends at the Academy anymore. Having built so many memories with them, Ophelia slowly moved her steps while reminiscing about those times. 

She suddenly felt the urge to take a walk around the campus before leaving the Academy for good. 

Ophelia began walking leisurely through the Academy grounds. Despite the sweltering heat and the sweat dripping from her after only a short walk, she found joy in enjoying such a peaceful moment. 

She hadn’t walked far when the afternoon sun began to grow stronger. The sunlight became so intense that it was hard to see ahead, so she shaded her eyes with her hand and looked around. That was when she noticed something unusual. 

Young Lady Somerset was walking briskly with an unusual urgency. 

She seemed to be in a hurry, dragging another young lady by the wrist as they quickly walked somewhere. It looked like they were about to share a secret that no one else should hear. 

Normally, Ophelia wouldn’t have paid any attention to others’ affairs and would have ignored them. But today was different. 

What caught her attention was the suspicious bottle in Young Lady Somerset’s hand. 

A gray potion?! 

As far as Ophelia knew, there were no gray potions on the market, but she could instantly tell it was a potion. This was because the liquid inside the bottle was bubbling. Judging by Young Lady Somerset’s determined expression, it was clear that this wasn’t an ordinary potion. 

Her curiosity was piqued by the suspicious sight.

What kind of potion could it be? 

It was rude to eavesdrop on others. It would’ve been proper to just continue on her way… 

But how could she resist her overwhelming curiosity! 

If she didn’t follow them now, she might never find out about that potion. How could she miss such an opportunity? 

After a brief internal struggle, her conscience gave way. Unable to suppress her impulse, Ophelia carefully began to follow Young Lady Somerset and her companion. Fortunately, her dark clothing allowed her to remain unnoticed as she trailed them. 

As Ophelia had predicted, the two women headed to a secluded area where no one else was around. Once they confirmed that the coast was clear, they began talking about the potion. 

“This is the potion I mentioned.” 

Said Young Lady Somerset, holding up the bottle with a proud look on her face. 

“You really managed to get it?” 

“Yes, I got lucky.” 

What kind of potion could it be to elicit such a reaction? 

Holding her breath, Ophelia focused on their conversation. 

“How are you planning to use it?” 

“I have my ways. Just wait and see the results.” 

“If it works well, you have to share it with me!” 

“Of course.” 

It seemed like they were plotting something unusual. Were they planning to give this potion to someone? 

Ophelia listened intently for a while longer, but the conversation soon shifted to mundane topics. It didn’t seem like she would learn anything new by continuing to eavesdrop. 

As curious as she was, there was nothing more she could do. She felt disappointed that she couldn’t figure out what the potion was, but Ophelia had no choice but to turn back. 

Instead, she decided that as soon as she returned to the lab, she would start researching potions. With over 100,000 types of potions in existence, it would be nearly impossible to identify it quickly, but she planned to investigate bit by bit whenever she had time. 

She had no intention of interfering with whatever they were plotting. She simply wanted to satisfy her curiosity by discovering what kind of potion it was. 

However, since she didn’t have enough time, she had to put thoughts of the potion aside for now. Preparing her thesis was the most urgent task at hand.