Prlogue

Adelia stared at the man standing before her, Roarston, her mouth hanging open.

“What did you just say?”

“I said there’s a way for you to repay the debt you owe me.”

“No! I mean what you said after that.”

“Oh, that way?”

Roarston flashed a grin, and in an instant, the atmosphere around them changed.

He truly had the kind of face that made the title of “the most handsome man in the world” seem entirely appropriate.

His hair was the color of a blazing sunset, his features were perfectly sculpted, and his eyes, while masculine, possessed a certain delicacy. His confidence seemed to proclaim with every inch of his body, This is what noble blood is supposed to look like.

The problem was that what this outrageously handsome man was saying was utterly ridiculous.

“It’s simple. You want to continue your research, and I want to get away from my noisy relatives. The solution that satisfies both of us is for you to marry me. If a permanent position is too burdensome, we can make it a contract position.”

A pretty pair of shoes, made of pale lavender satin and trimmed with white lace, hurried down a velvet-covered staircase.

Tap, tap, tap!

“Madam! There’s something you need to come over here and check!”

“I’m coming!”

“Madam, the Marchioness who sent you a letter last time has contacted you again—”

“I’ll look at it later. Put it on my desk.”

“Madam! You really need to see this!”

“I’m late!”

“Madam! You absolutely have to look at this before noon today!”

“Madam, are you listening?”

“Madam!”

The woman being called Madam stopped with her eyes wide, clutching the banister.

People were converging on her from every direction.

Inside, she screamed as though she were tearing her own hair out.

Oh, my God, I’m sorry for scamming you!

Somebody save me!

8:00 a.m., Dining Room of the Ipsel Ducal Estate

The moment the grandfather clock rang out with a ding…

The newspaper was folded with a crisp snap.

The servants who had been waiting at a distance from the table brought over breakfast, coffee, and tableware, setting everything down in orderly succession.

The man seated at the table—the head of the household, Duke Ipsel—calmly watched the clock as he lightly smoothed his sunset-colored hair.

8:01. 8:02. 8:03…

BANG!

The dining room doors burst open noisily.

Only then did the Duke give a faint smirk and elegantly take a sip of his coffee.

Meanwhile, a woman with wavy brown hair that had become completely disheveled came running in on tiptoe with a rapid tap, tap, tap, before taking the seat across from him.

As the woman tilted her head back and caught her breath, breakfast, tea, and utensils were swiftly arranged before her as well.

Once the servants withdrew, she abruptly straightened herself.

Then she slapped both palms against the table several times to get the man’s attention.

The Duke’s eyes were emerald green, reminiscent of a deep forest. They were breathtakingly beautiful, yet today they were unbearably irritating.

“This isn’t what we agreed on, Senio—!”

The woman’s, Adelia’s, words abruptly cut off.

She glanced at the head butler standing stiffly behind the Duke.

Then she pressed her lips together and clenched her teeth.

“This isn’t what we agreed on… D-Darling.”

The Duke glanced at her over the rim of his coffee cup before leisurely taking out his pocket watch.

Without taking his eyes off Adelia, he snapped his fingers to summon the head butler.

“Go and check whether there are any important invitations.”

“Understood, Lord Roarston.”

The elderly butler left the room.

Soon, the dining room was empty, leaving only the two of them.

Only then did Roarston, Duke of Ipsel, smile brightly, relax his previously rigid posture, and prop his chin on one hand.

“What could our adorable Junior possibly be so unhappy about this time?”

Adelia, who had been waiting for the butler to leave, slammed her palms against the table again.

“Senior! Are you seriously going to keep doing this?”

“What are you talking about?”

“How can you do this every morning?”

“What exactly am I doing every morning?”

“Everyone is looking for me from every direction! I… I…! I’m already too busy just taking care of myself! And now I have to wash my face three times a day? It’s a waste of time and water!”

“All noblewomen do that, Adelia.”

Adelia clamped her mouth shut for a moment before arguing again.

“The contract I agreed to never said anything about having to wash my face three times or having this many things to check every morning.”

Roarston then pulled a neatly folded sheet of paper from the inner pocket of his jacket.

At the very top of the paper was an impressively long title:

[Standard Guidelines and Contract Confirmation for the Successful Marriage Fraud of Adelia Whitten and Roarston Ipsel]

It was a title that was, depending on how you looked at it, either long or short.

“Here. Look at this.”

Roarston pointed to it.

“Clause Three of the contract.”

“……”

“After submitting the marriage registration, Adelia Whitten shall conduct herself in accordance with the role of the lady of the Ipsel Ducal Household.”

“……”

“Conduct herself in accordance with the role of the lady of the household.”

He repeated the words for emphasis.

Adelia made a strange little groan and waved her hands awkwardly.

She desperately wanted to rub her face, but if she did, her makeup would obviously be ruined. All she could do was punch the air in frustration.

“It says it right here in the contract. Washing your face three times is one of the duties of the lady of the household.”

“Then please add a special provision allowing me to wash my face only once.”

Roarston clicked his tongue and wagged a finger at her.

“No can do. Noble ladies generally spend about two hours getting dressed and made up immediately after waking. Since you can’t possibly do that, I specifically exempted you from that part.”

“Even if I wash my face three times, once I start experimenting, it’ll look like I haven’t washed my face in days anyway…!”

“Even so, if we reduce your grooming time any further, the servants will start talking.”

“……”

“Oh? It’s almost 8:30 already. Don’t you need to eat breakfast? If you go to the laboratory without eating anything, you’ll be completely exhausted by lunchtime.”

Only then did Adelia gasp and quickly take a sip of tea.

She tore off a piece of bread and stuffed it into her mouth, scooped up some soup with her spoon, and used her other hand to pick up some tender sautéed green beans with her fork…

Watching her, Roarston burst out laughing.

“Normally, eating like that would also be a violation of the contract, but I’ll let it slide just this once.”

Adelia’s cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish.

Roarston let out a little chuckle.

“I’ll drive you there in my carriage, so eat slowly. Don’t make yourself sick like last time.”

He could’ve told me that from the beginning.

Adelia’s hand trembled around her spoon.

The carriage traveling down the main boulevard began to slow.

Adelia quickly picked up the leather case she had placed beside her.

“Wait a moment, Junior.”

Roarston reached out, and the scent of lavender and apples brushed against the tip of Adelia’s nose.

As he adjusted her slightly crooked collar, his fingertips brushed against her neck.

Each time the neatly trimmed tips of his nails gently grazed her skin, her knees felt strangely ticklish and her toes curled inward.

“And the ribbon.”

He’s still not finished?!

Adelia desperately tried not to lower her head and instead fanned herself pointlessly with her hand.

As the finely woven silk ribbon was undone and then tied again by his hands, her heart raced.

When are we going to arrive?

Just as Adelia was struggling to steady her dizzying vision—

Screech.

The carriage came to a stop.

In the process, Roarston’s fingertips lightly brushed along her jawline.

Why are even his fingertips so soft?!

Adelia’s face had turned completely red, and her eyes shook as though an earthquake were happening.

“Hmm. Pretty. I’m glad we went with the blue ribbon after all.”

“Um… c-can I get out now, Senior?”

“Why are you in such a hurry? We arrived ten minutes early, after all.”

“But…”

Adelia kept turning her slender neck back and forth, looking out the window one moment and then at Roarston the next, not knowing what to do.

Her cheeks were flushed, and heat was rising across her forehead.

This kind of contact first thing in the morning is too much! It’s really too much!

Regardless of what was going on inside Adelia’s head, Roarston maintained a calm expression as he spoke again.

“Have a good day. And once you’re finished with your schedule, wait until the carriage comes to pick you up. Don’t even think about walking back by yourself. Understood?”

“It isn’t even that far. Walking is good for your health—”

“What did Clause Three of the contract say?”

“……”

“Do I need to read it to you again?”

Roarston rummaged through his jacket, making a rustling sound.

Is he really going to take out that ridiculous contract again?

Adelia immediately waved her hands in alarm.

She was already running short on time; this was no time to bicker over something like this.

“No, no! It’s fine! I’ll wait. I’ll wait for the carriage.”

“Good.”

Looking satisfied, he opened the carriage door and stepped out first.

Then he took Adelia’s hand and helped her out of the carriage.