Chapter 19
After finishing unpacking and taking a short rest, I left my room.
While Helena and Sally enjoyed the refreshments prepared by the servants, I sat alone with Sir Henry in the drawing room for a conversation.
“I heard rumors that your uncle insisted you come… but I never imagined you’d actually show up.”
Sir Henry’s handsome face looked quite haggard. He must have gone through a lot emotionally.
“Why? Weren’t we friends?”
“…Of course.”
I smiled even more brightly on purpose, and Sir Henry gave a faint smile in return.
Savoring the scent of the tea the servant had brought, I said,
“Besides, I came on a special mission from your uncle.”
“A special mission?”
“He asked me to make you smile.”
A flicker of disappointment crossed Sir Henry’s eyes.
“If it was just because of Uncle’s request, then there’s really no need…”
“Henry.”
When I called his name, he looked up, and I met his eyes before continuing.
“Do I seem like the kind of woman who would do something she didn’t want to, just because she’s scared of your uncle?”
“…No.”
“I simply…”
As he slowly shook his head, I drove the point home.
“I just wanted to see you smile.”
“…”
Henry suddenly fell silent at those words meant to encourage him.
He stared at me, and when our eyes met, he abruptly turned his head, staring at the fireplace as the tips of his ears flushed bright red.
‘He’s such a transparent person.’
Still, I felt slightly guilty for flirting without realizing it.
Helena always told me not to lead people on if I wasn’t going to take responsibility.
Hmm… I should be more careful from now on.
“Anyway, that’s why I’m here. So stop digging yourself into a hole with all those gloomy thoughts, okay?”
I changed the subject without delay.
“By the way, do you know why I said I wanted to come here?”
“No, not at all. I just heard Uncle suddenly and urgently bought a property in Edinburgh.”
Wow, that man really is quick to act.
“Do you remember the pageboy who gave us first aid—me, you, and Sally—back then?”
“Of course. That was Jimmy from the hospitality department, wasn’t it?”
“I got a tip that he’s actually a graduate of the University of Edinburgh’s medical school.”
At that, Sir Henry’s eyes widened in shock.
“He was an adult?!”
“He looks young, but the information’s solid. …If he weren’t a doctor, there’s no way he could’ve performed that level of first aid.”
“True.”
Though Henry nodded in agreement, he still looked skeptical.
“Still, I can’t believe he’s over twenty. I thought he was in his early teens at most.”
“There are all kinds of people in this world.”
“Alright then. I do owe that young man a debt of gratitude, after all…”
When Henry asked how he could help, I shrugged.
“Just provide transportation. That should be enough.”
They say strike while the iron is hot, so I planned to head straight to the university’s medical school.
“If you see Jimmy, please pass along my regards.”
Not just a simple greeting. I had made up my mind to recruit that peculiar doctor to be “one of my people,” and I nodded confidently at Henry.
“Of course. I’ll make sure he hears it so often, he’ll be tired of it.”
“Haha.”
That made Henry laugh—a laugh that somehow felt refreshing.
Aside from Helena, who had an appointment with an acquaintance nearby, Sally and I took the carriage prepared by Sir Henry.
“Oh my goodness, a university student? And from Edinburgh Medical School? That’s insanely elite!”
Unlike Henry and me, who had only exchanged a few words with the “young page,” Sally had worked with him for several months and built a rapport. She seemed deeply shocked.
“Is it really that surprising?”
“Of course it is! I mean, how can someone with that face be over twenty? Although…”
It seemed she had suspected something.
“I did think he was quite mature for his age. Smart, too. Even the words he used were… I don’t know, kind of refined?”
“I thought that too.”
“…Not like me, who grew up in a neighborhood full of factories.”
There was a hint of sulkiness in her voice. I looked over and saw her lips jutting out in a pout.
Trying not to laugh, I said,
“Sally, you don’t exactly come across as an ordinary roommate either. You’ve got a literary vibe to you.”
“…Are you talking about the literary girl who flips through horror magazines looking for scarier stories?”
The moment our eyes met, we both burst into laughter.
Talking like a detective and sidekick rather than lady and maid, we arrived at our destination before we knew it.
“So this is the University of Edinburgh.”
After passing through the front gate, we saw historic buildings beyond a vast green lawn. The campus was buzzing with students moving in groups.
Our carriage stopped in front of the medical school building. I was briefly at a loss as to how we’d find Jimmy Barry.
“About Professor Philemon’s last lecture—the way he describes the human brain as just organic matter is downright blasphemous, if you ask me. There are boundaries we should respect.”
“That crazy professor says stuff like that all the time. But his papers caused such a sensation in the academic world…”
“Speaking of which, do you remember that paper from last time?”
Near a bench, a group of medical students were passionately debating.
And at the center of them stood someone I knew very well—Jimmy Barry himself.
“…He really stands out, doesn’t he?”
Sally’s comment matched my thoughts exactly.
Even among the generally skinny med students, Jimmy stood out.
It wasn’t just his small build and short height. His pale, flawless skin was so striking, and even in a worn lab coat, his beauty was radiant.
“I didn’t realize he was that small when he was at the hotel.”
“That’s probably because you thought he was a young boy.”
But according to Helena’s information, Jimmy was twenty-four—a full adult.
“A graduate, not even a current student.”
Seeing the shorter Jimmy among the med students, Sally was astonished again. She was just curious and amazed, but for me…
‘Just as I suspected.’
From the moment I learned Jimmy’s real name—James Miranda Barry—through Helena, I had my doubts.
“I don’t know how this will sound but…”
“Hmm?”
Sally gestured toward Jimmy, surrounded by young men.
“Standing there like that, doesn’t he look… more like a lady than a man? And a very pretty one, too.”
“…You’re right.”
Surprised by her unexpectedly sharp observation, I kept a neutral expression. Then again, maybe it would be odd not to notice.
‘Wearing high-collared shirts to hide the neck even in this weather…’
A voice that hadn’t gone through puberty, overly youthful looks, and a small frame.
Everything matched the information I had from my past life.
James Miranda Barry—one of the greatest surgeons in 19th-century medical history.
And she… was actually a woman disguised as a man.
Her real name: Margaret Ann Bulkley.
A brilliant child who, due to her family’s financial struggles, couldn’t receive formal education until she caught the eye of the Earl of Buchan, a friend of her uncle. With his sponsorship, she enrolled in a medical school that only accepted men, hiding her gender.
‘According to Helena’s documents, she graduated top of her class at Edinburgh Med.’
And she wasn’t just a bookworm, either.
She was active enough to lead various student groups within the medical department, bold and charismatic, and unmatched when it came to cadaver dissections—something that made even most male students flinch.
As I watched Jimmy standing confidently among the male med students, I turned to Sally.
“Let’s go talk to him.”
Startled, Sally nodded.
“Yes, we should. Jimmy’s going to be so shocked… Oh, oops.”
“Hm?”
“I meant to sound more refined.”
“Don’t worry. I say ‘shocked’ all the time.”
I chuckled and walked toward Jimmy. It seemed he hadn’t spotted us yet.
A bit tense, I wondered—what if he recognized me and ran?
“…Oh?”
Just a few steps away, Jimmy spotted us, eyes widening.
“Well, isn’t this a surprise. Mrs. Carter, right? And this must be…”
Contrary to my worries, he welcomed us with relaxed ease.
“Miss Melbourne, long time no see. How have you been?”
As he tried to approach with a smile, the male students around him didn’t let go so easily.
“Hey, who’s that? She’s clearly someone of high status…”
“You came to see Jimmy Barry?”
“What’s your relationship? She’s absolutely stunning!”
Well, well.
I clicked my tongue inwardly, realizing all eyes on campus were now on us—not just his group, but nearly every student in sight.
“Um, milady. I think we…”
Sally nervously tugged at my sleeve, just as Jimmy finally stepped out of the crowd and came to stand in front of me.
“Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry about the stares.”
He lowered his voice a bit and added,
“…They call this a university of the brightest minds, but most of the guys here are basically monkeys with flour dough in place of brains.”
Sally stifled a laugh at that. Jimmy gestured toward the group around him.
“They’ve spent their whole lives with books. So in front of women, their brains melt like that dough. Especially when there are gorgeous women like you two around.”
“…That explains it.”
I smirked, and Jimmy returned it with a conspiratorial smile.
“So, shall we escape these monkeys and head somewhere quieter?”
“Gladly.”
Looking Jimmy in the eye, I added,
“I’ve got a lot to talk to you about.”
Jimmy met my gaze without flinching.
“I look forward to it.”
I led Jimmy to the car waiting with the driver.
Even as he climbed in, the stares from all around still wouldn’t leave us.
