The customer who spilled the ointment made an absurd expression because of the girl who suddenly jumped out.
“What are you doing?”
“You can’t apply that. Hurry up and wipe off what’s on your hand. I’ll give you a tissue.”
“No, so why…”
“Hurry up!”
As if bewitched by the girl’s words of strong conviction, the eyes of the customer and the old man met as they were wiping their hands.
The old man was also confused by the girl who searched the bag and took out the tissue.
“Hey, you! What the hell are you doing?”
“You didn’t get anything on your lips, right?”
The old man jumped to his feet after watching the girl who was looking at the customers without listening.
“Did you come out with a crackdown by any chance? The old man wants to earn some pocket money. Is that too bad? I’ve been a pharmacist for over 40 years! Even though I went through the dark ages, I didn’t let go of pharmacology until the end! I don’t know what the hell you’ve heard from others, but the pharmacist doesn’t do magic, so I’m innocent…!”
“Yes. You’re not guilty, Sir. I know that, too.”
After checking on the customers, the girl walked in.
“But this ointment is guilty.”
Then, the leaf held in the old man’s hand was illuminated under the light.
“W, what?”
“Does this look like plantain lilies?”
The girl’s eyes were clear as she swept an egg-shaped leaf the size of an adult’s palm.
“As you said, if this is plantain lilies, then you can apply the essence extracted from the leaf to your skin. But this is not plantain lilies, Sir.”
The gray eyes of the pale old man blinked slowly.
“This is a lily of the valley leaf. It looks very similar to a plantain lily leaf, so when it’s dried, normal people can’t tell it apart. But take a good look, Sir. The leaves you’re holding now have blurry veins.”
Plantain lilies and lilies of the valley are very similar in leaf shape.
However, unlike plantain lilies, which can be used for both food and medicine, lily of the valley flowers are poisonous to the entire plant, from flowers to roots.
If the flower is not in bloom, there is only one way to distinguish it with the naked eye.
To look at the leaf veins.
Plantain lilies have clear leaf veins, while lily of the valley flowers have blurry leaf veins compared to plantain lilies.
Turning away from the old man who was staring at the leaves with a shocked face, Luce turned to the customer standing far away.
“T, then what if I put that on my lips?”
To a surprised customer, the ointment was actually made of lily of the valley flowers, and to be honest, it will result in the consolidation of prejudice against pharmacists.
As expected, pharmacists can’t be trusted, and it’s better to endure it, even if it hurts something like this.
Maybe that old man will be reported for selling strange ointments.
If it makes the news, the qualification test, which gives pharmacists a chance to change how people think of them, and all training classes could be canceled.
‘But.’
It was simply the old man’s mistake, and if she deceived her into thinking that this ointment was nothing, she might be able to get over it.
But Luce was not one to lie in front of someone who might have been poisoned by lily of the valley poison if she hadn’t discovered it.
This is not something that can be skipped over for the same reason, fearing that prejudice will become thicker.
As a person who dreams of becoming a pharmacist, this is an area of conscience that must be kept.
Luce, biting her lip, answered quietly.
“We can also use the lily of the valley as medicine.”
“…I, is that so?”
“However, it is a plant that uses only a very small amount for medicinal purposes, so it is not suitable for ointment applied to the body. It’s poisonous.”
After rummaging through the bag, Luce held out the card that the concierge had written.
“From now on, you’d better buy medicine at an official store if possible. You don’t ask passers-by to build a house for you because you are in a hurry or busy, or ask for a lawyer because your friend speaks well. Pharmacists are a job. Of course, I don’t deny the old man’s experience of working as a pharmacist for a long time, but… I think it’s better to have a minimum safety in any field.”
“….”
“This is a list of herbal medicine shops organized by the concierge of the nearby Osmanthus Hotel. They have been operating for a long time, and I stopped by today to confirm that they are all operating normally, so there should be no problem.”
The customer who took the card seemed to think for a moment.
“Oh, this is a secret, but don’t go to number 3. It seemed like they were exploiting their employees.”
The customer’s expression, which had become hardened by Luce’s joke, was also relaxed.
“Are you a pharmacist Miss?”
“It’s not yet, I’m a trainee. I came to take the exam because the qualification system was newly established.”
“I see.”
Luce thought it was unavoidable even if reprimands or accusations came back.
However, what the customer said was unexpected.
“If Miss hadn’t been honest with me, I would have had a worse thought. That they were covering each other, and that they were taking advantage of the common people’s ignorance of pharmacology.”
“….”
“Although I almost went through something bad… I don’t want to worry too soon with that assumption. Anyway, thanks to Miss’s help, I didn’t suffer anything, and moreover, I got information about which of the nearby medicine shops are good.”
The customer who waved the card smiled.
“I hope you practice well and become a great pharmacist.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I should be the one who is thankful.”
After looking at the back of the customer for a while, Luce approached the old man.
Still he was looking at the dried lily of the valley leaves.
‘His eyes were blurry. I guess he can’t see it well.’
It was then.
“Grandpa!”
Someone came running and grabbed the old man.
“I’ve been looking for you for a long time. Grandpa, why are you doing this here? Yes?”
“…Isaac…”
“Why did someone with poor health come out, and moreover, someone who can’t see well. What’s this? Don’t tell me, did you make medicine?”
“What does this leaf look like?”
“It’s a lily of the valley leaf. What’s wrong with this?…Don’t tell me!”
The man called Isaac tried to raise his voice, but he suddenly stopped.
“To my eyes, this still looks like plantain lilies.”
Tears were flowing from the old man’s wrinkled eyes.
“I still can’t see the leaf veins in my eyes… Ah, it’s as you said. It’s time for me to give up. A pharmacist who can’t make medicine, or even a pharmacist who almost harms people, is useless. Having only listened to the wholesaler’s words and suddenly believing that this was a plantain lily, now I’ve closed not only my eyes but also my heart.”
“…Grandpa.”
“If it wasn’t for that lady over there, a customer would have bought this. I wonder why it hurts even when I apply the medicine, why I feel worse the more I apply it, and I end up poisoned by the lily of the valley poison. I, I just… I didn’t mean to do that… I didn’t mean to do that.”
Luce, who looked blankly at the old man shaking uncontrollably, made eye contact with a man named Isaac.
Isaac, who bit his lip and patted the old man, approached.
“You must have helped my grandfather.”
He spoke in a slightly exhausted voice.
“I don’t think it would be polite to thank you on the street. I’d like to treat you to tea for a while, would you like to come with me?”
****
The old man and Isaac’s house were not far away.
Isaac was away for a moment to take his grandfather to his room.
Luce looked around.
‘It’s a flower garden rather than a medicine shop. That’s why it wasn’t on the concierge’s list.’
There was a glass greenhouse next to the house.
‘A place where they grow their own plants and sell them, or use them as medicinal herbs. It seems that they mainly sell cold syrup or painkillers to people around here… The equipment I see on the counter is a bit worn out, but there’s not a single scratch. It must have been taken care of very carefully.’
She heard footsteps.
Isaac, who returned with a teapot and a teacup, sat opposite Luce.
“I heard about what happened just now from my grandfather. He asked me to say thank you. “
It was a tea with a good scent.
It seemed that he dried high-quality jasmine himself.
Luce, who took a sip of Isaac’s tea, asked carefully.
“How’s your grandfather?”
“He must have been shocked. But you don’t have to worry too much because he’ll be fine soon.”
“Isaac must have been surprised, too.”
“…a little bit.”
He murmured, smiling bitterly.
“As you can see, his eyesight is very bad, so he has hardly been involved in the manufacture of medicines recently. It’s more like I ripped it off than my grandfather didn’t do it voluntarily. He can’t see well, so how does he make medicine? What will he do if the mixing ratio is even a little wrong? Whenever that happened, my grandfather would make medicine as if to show off his strength.”
“….”
“There was no problem with the medicine he made. Even if he can’t see well, he has the sense that he worked as a pharmacist for over 40 years. That was kind of amazing. But I thought I couldn’t let him touch the products that were being sold. There is such a thing as that.”
Isaac, who drank the tea, spoke in a cracking voice.
“That must have been very frustrating. It was my grandfather’s pleasure to see people get better while working as a pharmacist, and I blocked it. Then, I guess he heard somewhere that a night market would open. I thought he looked especially happy these days, but I guess it was because of the expectation that he could meet customers again as a pharmacist.”
“….”
“But, unfortunately, this happened. Still, it’s a relief…”
He glanced at the lily of the valley leaves.
“Your name?”
“It’s Lucette.”
“Yes. Thanks to Lucette’s help, he was safe, but I am worried in many ways. But there is no guarantee that this will not happen again.”
Isaac’s purple eyes looked very sad.
“Would it be better to close the pharmacy store? So that my grandfather can no longer be interested in pharmacology.”
“….”
“I think it might be better that way…”
Luce looked at Isaac’s expression as he spoke and laughed bitterly at himself.
She can tell by the look on his face. He doesn’t want to close the pharmacy store.
However, the reason for saying so is that he is also tired.
Even though he prevented his grandfather from making medicine, an accident happened, so he was at a loss for what to do in the future.
Luce cautiously sat down. And she said to him.
“I have a way, Isaac.”
His gloomy purple eyes widened at the words that followed.
“Perhaps, can I come here tomorrow?”
The customer who spilled the ointment made an absurd expression because of the girl who suddenly jumped out.
“What are you doing?”
“You can’t apply that. Hurry up and wipe off what’s on your hand. I’ll give you a tissue.”
“No, so why…”
“Hurry up!”
As if bewitched by the girl’s words of strong conviction, the eyes of the customer and the old man met as they were wiping their hands.
The old man was also confused by the girl who searched the bag and took out the tissue.
“Hey, you! What the hell are you doing?”
“You didn’t get anything on your lips, right?”
The old man jumped to his feet after watching the girl who was looking at the customers without listening.
“Did you come out with a crackdown by any chance? The old man wants to earn some pocket money. Is that too bad? I’ve been a pharmacist for over 40 years! Even though I went through the dark ages, I didn’t let go of pharmacology until the end! I don’t know what the hell you’ve heard from others, but the pharmacist doesn’t do magic, so I’m innocent…!”
“Yes. You’re not guilty, Sir. I know that, too.”
After checking on the customers, the girl walked in.
“But this ointment is guilty.”
Then, the leaf held in the old man’s hand was illuminated under the light.
“W, what?”
“Does this look like plantain lilies?”
The girl’s eyes were clear as she swept an egg-shaped leaf the size of an adult’s palm.
“As you said, if this is plantain lilies, then you can apply the essence extracted from the leaf to your skin. But this is not plantain lilies, Sir.”
The gray eyes of the pale old man blinked slowly.
“This is a lily of the valley leaf. It looks very similar to a plantain lily leaf, so when it’s dried, normal people can’t tell it apart. But take a good look, Sir. The leaves you’re holding now have blurry veins.”
Plantain lilies and lilies of the valley are very similar in leaf shape.
However, unlike plantain lilies, which can be used for both food and medicine, lily of the valley flowers are poisonous to the entire plant, from flowers to roots.
If the flower is not in bloom, there is only one way to distinguish it with the naked eye.
To look at the leaf veins.
Plantain lilies have clear leaf veins, while lily of the valley flowers have blurry leaf veins compared to plantain lilies.
Turning away from the old man who was staring at the leaves with a shocked face, Luce turned to the customer standing far away.
“T, then what if I put that on my lips?”
To a surprised customer, the ointment was actually made of lily of the valley flowers, and to be honest, it will result in the consolidation of prejudice against pharmacists.
As expected, pharmacists can’t be trusted, and it’s better to endure it, even if it hurts something like this.
Maybe that old man will be reported for selling strange ointments.
If it makes the news, the qualification test, which gives pharmacists a chance to change how people think of them, and all training classes could be canceled.
‘But.’
It was simply the old man’s mistake, and if she deceived her into thinking that this ointment was nothing, she might be able to get over it.
But Luce was not one to lie in front of someone who might have been poisoned by lily of the valley poison if she hadn’t discovered it.
This is not something that can be skipped over for the same reason, fearing that prejudice will become thicker.
As a person who dreams of becoming a pharmacist, this is an area of conscience that must be kept.
Luce, biting her lip, answered quietly.
“We can also use the lily of the valley as medicine.”
“…I, is that so?”
“However, it is a plant that uses only a very small amount for medicinal purposes, so it is not suitable for ointment applied to the body. It’s poisonous.”
After rummaging through the bag, Luce held out the card that the concierge had written.
“From now on, you’d better buy medicine at an official store if possible. You don’t ask passers-by to build a house for you because you are in a hurry or busy, or ask for a lawyer because your friend speaks well. Pharmacists are a job. Of course, I don’t deny the old man’s experience of working as a pharmacist for a long time, but… I think it’s better to have a minimum safety in any field.”
“….”
“This is a list of herbal medicine shops organized by the concierge of the nearby Osmanthus Hotel. They have been operating for a long time, and I stopped by today to confirm that they are all operating normally, so there should be no problem.”
The customer who took the card seemed to think for a moment.
“Oh, this is a secret, but don’t go to number 3. It seemed like they were exploiting their employees.”
The customer’s expression, which had become hardened by Luce’s joke, was also relaxed.
“Are you a pharmacist Miss?”
“It’s not yet, I’m a trainee. I came to take the exam because the qualification system was newly established.”
“I see.”
Luce thought it was unavoidable even if reprimands or accusations came back.
However, what the customer said was unexpected.
“If Miss hadn’t been honest with me, I would have had a worse thought. That they were covering each other, and that they were taking advantage of the common people’s ignorance of pharmacology.”
“….”
“Although I almost went through something bad… I don’t want to worry too soon with that assumption. Anyway, thanks to Miss’s help, I didn’t suffer anything, and moreover, I got information about which of the nearby medicine shops are good.”
The customer who waved the card smiled.
“I hope you practice well and become a great pharmacist.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I should be the one who is thankful.”
After looking at the back of the customer for a while, Luce approached the old man.
Still he was looking at the dried lily of the valley leaves.
‘His eyes were blurry. I guess he can’t see it well.’
It was then.
“Grandpa!”
Someone came running and grabbed the old man.
“I’ve been looking for you for a long time. Grandpa, why are you doing this here? Yes?”
“…Isaac…”
“Why did someone with poor health come out, and moreover, someone who can’t see well. What’s this? Don’t tell me, did you make medicine?”
“What does this leaf look like?”
“It’s a lily of the valley leaf. What’s wrong with this?…Don’t tell me!”
The man called Isaac tried to raise his voice, but he suddenly stopped.
“To my eyes, this still looks like plantain lilies.”
Tears were flowing from the old man’s wrinkled eyes.
“I still can’t see the leaf veins in my eyes… Ah, it’s as you said. It’s time for me to give up. A pharmacist who can’t make medicine, or even a pharmacist who almost harms people, is useless. Having only listened to the wholesaler’s words and suddenly believing that this was a plantain lily, now I’ve closed not only my eyes but also my heart.”
“…Grandpa.”
“If it wasn’t for that lady over there, a customer would have bought this. I wonder why it hurts even when I apply the medicine, why I feel worse the more I apply it, and I end up poisoned by the lily of the valley poison. I, I just… I didn’t mean to do that… I didn’t mean to do that.”
Luce, who looked blankly at the old man shaking uncontrollably, made eye contact with a man named Isaac.
Isaac, who bit his lip and patted the old man, approached.
“You must have helped my grandfather.”
He spoke in a slightly exhausted voice.
“I don’t think it would be polite to thank you on the street. I’d like to treat you to tea for a while, would you like to come with me?”
****
The old man and Isaac’s house were not far away.
Isaac was away for a moment to take his grandfather to his room.
Luce looked around.
‘It’s a flower garden rather than a medicine shop. That’s why it wasn’t on the concierge’s list.’
There was a glass greenhouse next to the house.
‘A place where they grow their own plants and sell them, or use them as medicinal herbs. It seems that they mainly sell cold syrup or painkillers to people around here… The equipment I see on the counter is a bit worn out, but there’s not a single scratch. It must have been taken care of very carefully.’
She heard footsteps.
Isaac, who returned with a teapot and a teacup, sat opposite Luce.
“I heard about what happened just now from my grandfather. He asked me to say thank you. “
It was a tea with a good scent.
It seemed that he dried high-quality jasmine himself.
Luce, who took a sip of Isaac’s tea, asked carefully.
“How’s your grandfather?”
“He must have been shocked. But you don’t have to worry too much because he’ll be fine soon.”
“Isaac must have been surprised, too.”
“…a little bit.”
He murmured, smiling bitterly.
“As you can see, his eyesight is very bad, so he has hardly been involved in the manufacture of medicines recently. It’s more like I ripped it off than my grandfather didn’t do it voluntarily. He can’t see well, so how does he make medicine? What will he do if the mixing ratio is even a little wrong? Whenever that happened, my grandfather would make medicine as if to show off his strength.”
“….”
“There was no problem with the medicine he made. Even if he can’t see well, he has the sense that he worked as a pharmacist for over 40 years. That was kind of amazing. But I thought I couldn’t let him touch the products that were being sold. There is such a thing as that.”
Isaac, who drank the tea, spoke in a cracking voice.
“That must have been very frustrating. It was my grandfather’s pleasure to see people get better while working as a pharmacist, and I blocked it. Then, I guess he heard somewhere that a night market would open. I thought he looked especially happy these days, but I guess it was because of the expectation that he could meet customers again as a pharmacist.”
“….”
“But, unfortunately, this happened. Still, it’s a relief…”
He glanced at the lily of the valley leaves.
“Your name?”
“It’s Lucette.”
“Yes. Thanks to Lucette’s help, he was safe, but I am worried in many ways. But there is no guarantee that this will not happen again.”
Isaac’s purple eyes looked very sad.
“Would it be better to close the pharmacy store? So that my grandfather can no longer be interested in pharmacology.”
“….”
“I think it might be better that way…”
Luce looked at Isaac’s expression as he spoke and laughed bitterly at himself.
She can tell by the look on his face. He doesn’t want to close the pharmacy store.
However, the reason for saying so is that he is also tired.
Even though he prevented his grandfather from making medicine, an accident happened, so he was at a loss for what to do in the future.
Luce cautiously sat down. And she said to him.
“I have a way, Isaac.”
His gloomy purple eyes widened at the words that followed.
“Perhaps, can I come here tomorrow?”
