But it was too early to celebrate.
Before that, there was one more big hurdle to overcome, which was Dad’s permission.
I gathered my courage and spoke.
“Um… Dad, can I ask you for a favor?”
“Of course.”
“Could I… maybe borrow some of those flasks and a few basic lab tools?”
I thought it would be too much to ask for permission to use the lab itself, so I tried to keep the request small.
“Lab… tools?”
Dad’s expression grew a bit serious as he looked at me.
I started to get nervous.
‘Is even this much too much to ask?’
If I said I wanted to be his assistant, it might stir up trouble again, so I tried to meet him halfway.
Besides, the research I wanted to do was pretty different from what 406’s father had been working on.
Then he looked up and spoke again, directly meeting my eyes.
“…Then can I ask you something too?”
“Huh?”
“Do you still feel the same? About becoming a doctor…?”
It was a careful question—and one I couldn’t easily answer.
After all, even if I was currently using 406’s body, I was still a complete outsider to this father-daughter relationship.
Was it really okay for me to step into that space so easily?
I didn’t want to say too much. But it didn’t seem like this gentle-looking man was going to give up.
‘If it were 406…’
I swallowed hard and forced a soft, slightly sad smile as I replied:
“…Yes. I’m sorry. But I still really like herbs!”
At my answer, Dad’s emerald eyes trembled slightly.
Seeing how he looked like he might cry at any moment, I awkwardly looked around the table and tried to casually gather the tools.
“Then, um, if it’s okay… I’ll just take a few things from here—”
“Adelia.”
“Yes?”
Startled, I looked at Dad like a kid caught doing something wrong.
He let out a dry breath and smiled—a light smile, almost like something had lifted from his shoulders.
I hesitated, watching him closely.
“Leave that.”
“Huh?”
So… it wasn’t okay after all?
Just as I was about to put the flask back on the table, Dad added:
“Instead of taking things with you, why not just come here and work from this lab starting tomorrow? It’s better suited for research than your room.”
“…What??”
I stared at him, mouth wide open in disbelief.
He shrugged and said,
“I guess I just can’t win. Ria, the first thing you ask for after coming out of your room in a whole month… is lab tools.”
“Uhh… Yeah, I just have something I really want to study…”
“I’d heard you seemed busy while in your room… I didn’t realize you were researching something instead of eating.”
“Haha…”
I scratched my cheek awkwardly and gave a sheepish smile.
It seemed like Petron had been really worried about his daughter not eating and staying locked in her room.
To be honest, I was curious too—what had 406 been doing in there for a whole month?
‘Maybe… she was researching how to bring me here?’
“…I owe you an apology.”
“Huh?”
Wait—hold on!
Before I could stop him, Dad began a long, serious speech.
“I didn’t understand how you felt. As a noblewoman, wanting to be a doctor… it’s such a difficult, exhausting path… and I thought you were trying to carry your mother’s burden all alone…”
“…”
He clearly wanted to clear up all the misunderstandings. There was no avoiding this now.
‘Guess I’d better just listen.’
I let out a short sigh and listened as Petron continued his heartfelt confession.
His hands were trembling slightly as he clasped them together—he looked so anxious, it was hard to ignore.
“Why do you think that way?”
“Because it’s my responsibility to find a cure for your mother, not yours…”
“But it’s not your fault that Mom got sick. So why do you think you have to carry that burden alone?”
“What…?”
“Mom’s illness isn’t anyone’s fault. It’s not some punishment that one person needs to suffer for.”
“Ria…”
“So don’t you think it’d be better to rely on your family more—to work through things together? You have me too, don’t you?”
As I spoke, even I started getting confused—was I talking as intern Do Ha-min, or as 406?
But one thing was clear:
If things were left alone like this, this poor guy would collapse before anything got solved.
He was managing a noble household, working as a doctor, and doing medical research on the side.
He was probably overworked beyond belief. The dark circles under his eyes said it all.
“…”
Petron said nothing more. He simply lowered his face, lost in thought.
And just then—
‘What’s this…?’
For some reason, a flood of clear, bright memories rushed through my mind like a movie.
The way Dad used to look at me with love, the moment he turned his back, the voice that begged me to give up being a doctor…
The wave of emotions was overwhelming, and my eyes trembled.
Now, I finally understood why 406 had tried so hard to save her father.
‘Did she leave these memories behind for me—so I could help her family? …Wow.’
I looked at the sorrowful man in front of me and let out a quiet, hollow laugh.
***
After that emotional reunion with 406’s dad, I started coming to the lab like someone with a fire lit under their feet.
Luckily, I was usually alone in the lab.
Thanks to Dad being constantly busy treating nobles, I could focus fully on my research.
It was definitely a huge advantage.
“But seriously—how can this place have nothing?!”
The lab had tons of herbs… but not much else.
I’d expected that, but it still annoyed me.
‘At this point, I’ll have to give up on making modern, refined aspirin.’
Unrefined aspirin causes severe stomach irritation, but I’d find a solution.
Even in modern times, people have made copies of the drug, so it couldn’t be that hard.
‘I’ll make my own version of aspirin—Do Ha-min style!’
If it worked well, it might help save 406’s father, too.
‘The duke’s daughter reportedly suffers from constant headaches and indigestion. I’ve never seen her in person, so I’m not sure…’
The exact diagnosis was never mentioned in the book.
But I knew one thing: her condition triggers the downfall of her brother, who eventually becomes the villain.
‘I have to prevent that—stop him from going down that path. First, I need to make a proper painkiller.’
If I were lucky, just easing her pain might be enough for them to think she was cured.
As a doctor, it made me feel a little guilty…
But first and foremost, I had to protect myself and this family.
‘Right. I’ve got no time to waste.’
I grabbed the nearest herbal book and started reading through it thoroughly.
I needed to compare the herbs here with modern ones.
I’d been reading for a while when—
“Hmm…”
“Is something wrong, my lady?”
Annie had just come in with tea and snacks.
“This herb, ‘Batio’… Why isn’t it in Dad’s lab?”
I pointed to a note written in the margin of the herb book.
Annie clapped her hands and smiled.
“Ah! Nobles really hate the smell of that herb—it’s very strong. That’s probably why it’s not in the Viscount’s lab.”
I didn’t care if nobles used it or not—I needed Batio.
It was theoretically necessary to reduce the stomach irritation caused by aspirin.
“Hmm…”
“Oh! Or, my lady, why not try visiting a commoner’s herbal shop? They usually carry more herbs than the noble ones do. You might find what you’re looking for!”
Now that I thought about it, most doctors in this world were commoners.
There were exceptions—like my dad, a nobleman who worked as a doctor—but many nobles still refused to be treated by “lowborns.”
Still, if the commoners’ shops had more herbs, it was definitely worth checking out.
