Chapter 103 "Why did I hear a man's voice?"

Edith felt her throat go dry.

Compared to Shelly, who always thought she was dead, she should be more comfortable with the reunion, but somehow, when she heard the other party's familiar call, her eyes still felt slightly warm.

Shelly showed up after her mother's death. She initially rescued the person, and in addition to her desire to help, she also had some selfish motives.

As a commoner who paid her way into the association, without any education or family background, she couldn't build relationships with anyone.

Although when Shelly was rescued, she had already obtained an independent small laboratory and attracted investment based on her initially successful research, she did not have a single person available to work for her - no one was willing to be an apprentice under a self-taught pharmacist.

After recovering from his injuries, Shelly was quickly taken to the laboratory by her.

"You owe me a large sum of medical expenses." She lied to the boy in front of her without changing her expression, "Since you are still young, you don't have to pay it back right away. Just work hard and pay it back to me later."

Shelly was only fifteen years old at the time, and due to long-term malnutrition, he was a head shorter than Edith. He raised his face, expressionless, and nodded calmly: "Okay."

Edith suddenly felt a little guilty about taking advantage of the child.

But Shelly himself didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with starting to work at the age of fifteen. He was very smart and learned everything quickly. He could clean the crucible, process medicinal materials, and so on just by watching once. With his joining, Edith's burden was lifted a lot, and she finally had enough time to devote to the research of new medicines.

She gave Shirley a place to stay and food, and he did her odd jobs for a year.

The two of them had been maintaining this kind of relationship between a handyman and a researcher until one day, the director of a department of the Magic Circle Association passed by her laboratory, caught a glimpse of the young man washing bottles from the corner of his eye, and suddenly rushed in with shining eyes.

"The magical fluctuations in his body are very strong." He said to Edith confidently, "It's a waste of talent to keep him here with you - let him go to me and I will train him."

Edith raised an eyebrow. She had no magical powers and indeed could not see Shelly's talent, but from what the minister said, the boy had the potential to become a wizard.

You really shouldn't waste your time here with her.

After confirming that the other party did not discriminate against civilians, she agreed immediately. Unexpectedly, Shelly would have the biggest reaction.

"I disagree." He was as expressionless as when he first arrived, and his tone left no room for ambiguity. "I don't plan to leave the Pharmacy Association."

The minister tried to persuade him again and again, and even Edith frowned and patiently talked to him about the benefits of leaving. But Shirley was adamant, and without even looking at the minister, he said word by word: "I don't agree."

This was the first time Edith had seen the boy have such obvious mood swings.

He was probably angry and a little irritated, and to be more specific, he seemed to be a little scared. Edith paused, and confirmed that Shelly really didn't want to leave, so she could only apologize to the minister.

The minister left reluctantly.

After the man left, Shelly's tense shoulders relaxed visibly, and he returned to his expressionless look, quietly lowering his head to wash the bottles. Edith thought for two seconds, and based on the other party's strange behavior, she thought that the boy had been sold once and was afraid of being sold a second time.

This was normal—she quickly convinced herself.

But it was a fact that Shelly had talent. She hadn't known it before, but now that she knew it, she couldn't just watch it go to waste.

Edith sat in her seat and closed her eyes, thinking.

Shelly came over at this time and placed a dozen washed bottles in front of her: "Ms. Gary, my mission is accomplished."

Ms. Gary...

What an unfamiliar name.

Edith reached out and grabbed Shelly as he was about to leave.

"Want to learn Potions?"

A year passed, and with adequate nutrition intake every day, Shelly grew taller at a speed visible to the naked eye, almost completely transforming from a child into a young man. In addition, she was still sitting at this time, and had to tilt her head back to meet the other person's eyes.

Shelly's breathing stopped for two seconds. "After I finish my studies, will I stay and be your assistant?"

"It's up to you. I won't force you." Edith waved her hand. "But if you're worried that no one will want you, don't worry. There will always be a place for you in my lab."

"I want to learn."

The young man did not hesitate at all.

Edith was a little surprised.

There was no hesitation at all, which was completely different from the way he had just rejected the Minister of the Magic Circle Association.

"Okay, welcome." She quickly adjusted her mood, stretched out a hand to the young man, and smiled, "What should you call me now?"

"......teacher."

Shelly held his hand with a smile on his face, "Teacher Gary."

......

The voice in her mind gradually overlapped with reality, and Edith came back to her senses and looked in the direction of Shelly.

The person in front of her was much taller than she remembered, but he was half-kneeling on the ground, only reaching her waist, which actually made her briefly recall the past.

She paused and spoke softly, "...Sheli?"

Not Mr. Scott.

It's Shelly.

The young man's face froze beside Edith's hand, and he could hardly believe what he heard. The dream he had been waiting for for too long appeared before his eyes, making him doubt whether it was just a bubble.

Edith sighed, her hand hanging in the air, not knowing where to put it down, and finally gently placed it on Shelly's head: "Sorry."

"There was too much surveillance. I suspected those guys were involved in my death. I thought I could check it myself first, so I didn't rush to tell you."

This sentence once again proved her identity. Shelly's trembling body gradually stopped, and she said sullenly: "Don't apologize."

It was his fault that he didn't deal with the things around him well. If he could have resolved the surveillance earlier, the teacher could have come back earlier.

Edith didn't know how many thoughts were running through Shelly's mind, but she was just glad that he could finally speak normally. She breathed a sigh of relief and patted his shoulder: "Let go of your hand."

Shelly, who was still holding Edith, didn't know whether he really didn't hear it or was pretending not to hear it. He maintained the same posture, with his face pressed against her hand, motionless.

Edith: “…”

She sighed and decided not to force it. She patted his hand to signal him to loosen up. She turned sideways so that Shelly's face was facing her: "Is it okay for you to run out like this?"

That's the Magic Association, they're very powerful, so it's easy for them to deal with a civilian.

She stretched out a finger, touched the young man's forehead, and pushed his face back with a little force.

Shelly was caught off guard by Edith's gaze.

He paused, and quickly withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted, stood up, and looked to the side: "It's okay."

“They are not important.”

Edith: ",,,,,,"

No matter what I said just now, she didn't move, and then she turned around and suddenly stood up straight. What's going on?

But there are obviously more important things to pay attention to at this time.

"Not important?" She frowned. "It's very important. They will suspect that you used this time to destroy the evidence."

"They have already searched the lab thoroughly, so there is no harm in searching it again." Shelly lowered his eyes. "Speaking of this... I'm sorry, I took your... body away from the association without your permission and kept it with me. But don't worry, teacher. You are in the secret compartment in the inner lab, so they won't find you."

Edith: "That's not what I'm worried about."

"According to what I heard, it seems that someone used the luck potion to trick the queen, and now the entire kingdom is investigating this matter."

Shelly nodded. "I know that all the professors of pharmacy have been questioned privately. I don't know the details, but it should be related to the Magic Circle Association."

It’s the Magic Array Association again.

Edith was about to ask about the specific things related to Duke Eddie when she suddenly caught a glimpse of the lights sweeping outside the dormitory window.

The next second, a chaotic and noisy voice rang out, mixed with a lot of insults and quarrels.

"Everyone, wake up! Check the dorms!" "Idiot! If he was really hiding in the dormitory, he would have been scared away by your shouting!"

It seems that there is a disagreement between the association and the college staff.

"Wait a minute."

Edith pushed Shelly into the room and stood in front of the window, looking down with pretended curiosity.

Her action was not abrupt. Almost all the dormitories were awakened by these words. Countless people got up and stood by the windows, joining the cursing.

How can I sleep so late at night?

Edith checked the movements of her subordinates and felt relieved. "It's okay. The association is still too organized. They are divided into groups and search each building. They won't be able to come here in a short time. And it seems that they haven't come to your laboratory for inspection yet. So tonight's meeting ends here."

"Put on an invisibility spell and go down through the window. Get there before them and set up the crucible to make the potion I told you about. When they come over, tell them that you suddenly remembered Palmer asked you a strange question about the potion, and you just realized it was wrong. So you tried it and you actually made a luck potion."

"Show the new version of the potion to Joyce. They will probably check Palmer's memory directly and clear your name."

Shelly nodded, but his eyes never left Edith: "When is the next discussion?"

"I have to meet Mulin tomorrow, so I'm busy. The day after tomorrow there will be a match and draw for Bell, so I should be allowed to go out." Edith glanced at the schedule on the wall and said quickly, "See you the day after tomorrow."

See you the day after tomorrow.

We’ll see each other again the day after tomorrow.

Although today is coming to an end, all we have to do now is wait patiently for the next time we meet.

Waiting is no longer an endless road, and Shelly has never felt so light.

"Well, see you the day after tomorrow." He held out his wand, disguised himself, and said in a light tone, "See you the day after tomorrow."

Edith could no longer see him and could only hear Shelly's breath pausing.

The voice slowly moved from the side to the windowsill and suddenly stopped in front of her. It did not disappear, but there was no further expression either.

This is……

Edith tilted her head, thought for two seconds, and laughed softly.

"Good night, Shelly. May you be well yesterday, today, and tomorrow."

She said goodnight expertly.

"......Um."

There was an imperceptible hint of laughter in the young man's voice.

"Good night, teacher, I hope you had as good a day yesterday as you did today - and tomorrow will surely be even better."

After saying this, he jumped back, staring at Edith who was looking down from the window, until she disappeared from his sight.

"......good evening."

......

Girls dormitory.

Edith's room was suddenly kicked open. She turned around and saw not the inspector but Hedda who was obviously still in a sleepy state.

The other person's eyes were dull, and his brain was obviously still trapped in a dream. He was stunned for a few seconds before he spoke woodenly: "Why do I hear a man's voice?"

Edith: “…”

Very good, this person's ears were blocked tightly when the teacher was teaching, but they became clear when it came to catching gossip.