Chapter 1 — Continued

The people who recognized the sunset-colored hair peeking out from beneath his hat, along with his unmistakable face, began whispering among themselves.

“Look! It’s Duke Ipsel!”

“My goodness, he must have come to escort his wife all the way to the laboratory. How considerate of him.”

As Adelia listened to them, her cheeks grew even redder.

Truly, he was the most handsome man in the Regan Kingdom.

Roarston was the kind of handsome man who could be dropped right in the middle of Del Bottom No. 3, in the heart of the capital, and there was absolutely no way anyone could fail to recognize him.

His tall, straight stature and strong, well-built physique, honed through courtly life; his perfectly fitted frock coat and gleaming top hat; the sunset-colored hair visible beneath it…

One poet had even described him in a collection of poems he distributed among his colleagues as a keepsake:

[A fairy that slipped from the edge of a path of light when a blazing sunset slowly seeped through a deep, dense forest.]

Even the simple gesture of slightly lifting the brim of his hat in greeting was enough to leave dozens of young ladies unable to sleep that night.

Perhaps even the men.

Adelia felt something in a corner of her heart inexplicably bristle.

Roarston, on the other hand, leisurely enjoyed the whispers surrounding him before lightly kissing Adelia on the cheek.

Peck.

…Gasp.

Her already-red face turned the color of a baked apple on the verge of exploding.

Just as Adelia, having been suddenly ambushed(?) like that, was about to hastily step backward—

Roarston pulled her tightly into his arms.

As a result, she ended up looking as though she had thrown herself straight into his embrace.

The whispers from all around them grew louder.

Then Roarston spoke in a low voice.

“You can’t run away from me like this, Junior. What exactly are we to each other?”

“M-Married… We’re… married.”

“That’s right. Never forget it.”

Only then did Roarston release her, wearing a smile so captivating it seemed capable of ensnaring anyone at a glance.

Then he kissed the back of Adelia’s hand as well.

“Then have a good day, my wife. I’ll see you tonight.”

Adelia carefully lowered her head and played along with his performance.

“Yes, y-yes. Darling…”

She turned away stiffly, like a wooden doll being operated by strings, her head spinning.

Even though she was standing in front of the entrance to the Royal Laboratory, the place she had long dreamed of entering, there was only one thought occupying her mind.

Is this really okay?!

Even if we’re only pretending to be married as part of a scam, is it really necessary to take things this far?!

The Royal Laboratory

The Royal Laboratory had been established to select research students from among Royal School graduates according to their academic performance, allowing them to devote themselves to more advanced scholarly research.

It covered a wide range of fields, from science and mathematics to the arts, including literature, music, and painting. It was the dream and ultimate goal of every student attending the Royal School.

Adelia wandered around for quite some time before finally finding the laboratory of the professor assigned to her, Professor Siern.

Professor Siern was so accomplished in microbiology and mycology that calling him the best researcher in the kingdom would hardly be an exaggeration.

Every research student who had trained under him had gone on to occupy important positions in related institutions, a testament to his exceptional abilities.

Of course, he was also notorious for being extremely harsh when evaluating research papers!

Ugh, I’m nervous…!

Standing before the professor’s laboratory, Adelia barely managed to calm her trembling heart.

She reached for the doorknob, then suddenly realized her mistake and knocked instead.

I almost committed a huge breach of etiquette…!

Adelia took another deep breath before lightly tapping on the door with her small fist.

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

A cold, low male voice came from inside.

She cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.

A man with untidy black hair was peering through the lens of a microscope.

“Hello! My name is Adelia Whitten. I’m the new research student who was assigned—”

“Keep your voice down.”

Gulp.

Adelia’s mouth snapped shut instantly.

She stood there, unsure what to do, hesitating for quite some time before…

She cautiously approached him with the gift she had prepared.

Her lips, of course, remained firmly sealed.

Three Petri dishes and a microscope were arranged on Professor Siern’s desk.

Adelia couldn’t help wondering what exactly he was looking at.

Could it be some new fungus or microorganism?

Amazing. I really want to see it.

“What are you staring at?”

“Huh? Oh, no! I-I… this…”

Ignoring the lavish gift bundle Adelia held out to him, Siern said,

“Put it over there.”

“Yes!”

“Keep your voice down.”

“Y-Yes…”

He’s just as scary as everyone said.

According to those who had already graduated from the laboratory, Professor Siern’s nickname was “Siern the Impenetrable Wall.”

Whether someone pleaded, begged, or groveled, once he made a decision, he was infamous—

No, famous—

for never going back on it.

“Would you like to take a look?”

The moment Siern straightened up and looked at Adelia, she experienced an indescribable sensation.

His black eyes, nearly identical in color to his hair, were unbelievably cold.

He’s… he’s really like an impenetrable wall. He’s scary!

Adelia felt a cold sweat trickle down her back.

She inhaled sharply and was about to answer when—

Siern pointed toward the microscope lens and spoke again.

“This. I asked if you wanted to take a look.”

“Oh, yes, yes! Y-Yes! Of course. If you’ll allow me, I’d love to see it.”

“Look carefully. And don’t make any loud noises.”

Adelia’s entire body stiff with nervousness, she brought her eye to the microscope lens.

An unfamiliar microorganism with an overall triangular shape was moving this way and that, as though trying to find its direction.

Adelia completely forgot that Siern was standing beside her. With an almost ecstatic expression, she clasped both hands together.

“They’re… they’re absolutely adorable little things…”

Realizing that she had exclaimed a little too loudly, Adelia immediately looked embarrassed.

But what exactly is this microorganism? I’ve never studied it at school, and I haven’t seen it in any of the latest papers either…

“Watch closely.”

Siern spoke quietly as he lightly tapped the side of one of the Petri dishes with his fingertip.

The microorganism, which had been triangular in shape, briefly collapsed.

Then it slowly gathered itself back together and returned to its triangular form.

“My goodness!”

“That’s why I told you not to make any loud noises. They change shape in response to vibrations.”

Adelia’s large eyes sparkled.

“P-Professor, what exactly is this microorganism? Is it a bacterium? A fungus? I’ve never seen anything like it before…!”

“Of course you haven’t. I discovered it recently.”

“Gasp…”

“There’s a type of moss called the ‘Changer’ that only grows in the western forest. I discovered this microorganism in that moss.”

“Changer… Is that where it got its name because its appearance changes?”

“That’s right. It reacts to vibrations, such as the flapping of birds’ wings or the footsteps of animals, causing its form to collapse. Its collapsed shape makes it look as though it’s rotten, so other creatures don’t eat it.”

Adelia’s eyes were now sparkling so intensely they looked as though they had been turned into crystal.

“That’s amazing…! It’s really amazing! To think these tiny little things have such a survival mechanism!”

Adelia had completely fallen for the adorable little creatures she was seeing for the first time.

If I stay in this laboratory, I’ll get to keep seeing adorable little things like these?

And—and I’ll even get to see newly discovered pretty little things before anyone else?!

As expected. Coming to the laboratory really was the best decision I ever made.

Even if it meant getting involved in a “marriage scam” to do so.

“Listen, Junior.”

“Yes?”

“I need a fake bride to save me from all the nagging about getting married. And you want to go to the laboratory, don’t you?”

“I-I do want to go, but…”

“Don’t worry. Nothing about the situation will change just because we get married. In fact, if you marry me, you might even receive more support.”

At first, Adelia had jumped up, insisting that he stop talking nonsense, but Roarston had been quite persistent.

His persuasion seemed endless, as though he had been waiting specifically for someone like Adelia.

Perhaps if she had continued saying no until the very end, he wouldn’t have let her leave…

No, that’s something a kidnapper would do. Senior isn’t that much of an uncivilized gentleman.

…Anyway, after Roarston’s endless persuasion, he simply refused to give up until Adelia finally answered:

“Yes.”

It had happened when she was already so sleepy that she was practically half-asleep.

Adelia had wanted to argue that she had been in a state of diminished mental capacity, but once she gave her answer, everything proceeded at lightning speed.

Filling out the marriage registration documents.

Obtaining approval for the marriage from the church.

Publishing their marriage announcement in huge letters in the newspaper!

Roarston had handled almost everything, but Adelia had still been having a miserable time adjusting to her new life.

It had been exhausting enough just having maids following her around all day, insisting that they were there to attend to her every need!

But, but! Getting to come to this laboratory… It was absolutely worth it!