🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 3
Ciern gazed silently at Adelia, seeming rather pleased by her reaction—she looked completely overwhelmed, lost in emotion and imagination.
“But…”
Adelia lifted her eyes to him, filled with anticipation.
“Who exactly are you?”
“…Huh?”
For a brief moment, Adelia froze in confusion. Then she quickly clasped her hands together and straightened her posture.
“My name is Adelia Whitten. Starting today, I’ll be working and studying here as a new researcher.”
“Adelia Whitten? I’ve heard that name somewhere. Adelia Whitten… Ah.”
Could it be… he remembers me?
Adelia’s heart began to pound as she pressed her hands together like she was praying.
The idol of microbiology—the god of microbes—remembering her… what an honor!
“You’re the academy’s top graduate this year, aren’t you? I heard the old professors nearly came to blows trying to take you as their student. Is that true?”
Adelia’s eyes trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
She had heard something similar from Principal Moit of the Royal Academy—that renowned professors from fields like literature, mathematics, and astronomy had argued fiercely over taking her in.
B-But I never heard anything about them pulling each other’s hair…
Ciern stroked his chin as he spoke.
“Funny thing is, I didn’t even fight those old men, yet I somehow ended up taking you as my student.”
“I… I suppose that’s true…?”
“So that means you joined this lab of your own will?”
Adelia’s lips pressed into a straight line.
It sounded like a simple question—but…
I have to answer carefully!
If she showed even a hint of hesitation or anxiety here, she might never gain Professor Ciern’s trust.
“Yes, Professor. I applied here myself.”
“Why? The microbiology taught at the Royal Academy is barely more than surface-level. If you join this lab, you’ll have to start from the beginning again.”
“That’s because…”
A faint spark of amusement flickered across Ciern’s face.
“Because?”
“I…! I love microorganisms!”
Her clear, ringing voice echoed through the quiet laboratory.
Ciern’s expression turned oddly subtle, his eyes narrowing.
“…You love microorganisms?”
“Yes! Their countless forms and colors… and their endless possibilities! Once you understand what those tiny creatures—so small we can’t even see them—do in our lives, it’s impossible not to love them! Especially G7-3-I from your last paper, Professor! That perfectly spherical form—it left me in awe. And despite the short clinical trial period, its incredible effects—!”
“That’s enough. Stop.”
“…Pardon? But I still have so much more to say—”
“I understand well enough why you came here.”
Completely unaware that she had just overwhelmed even the great Ciern himself, Adelia continued to look at him with shining admiration.
She’s certainly… an unusual one, Ciern thought.
In truth, microbiology was not a field that attracted much public interest.
Even groundbreaking discoveries would simply be buried if they weren’t immediately practical.
Most people seeking fame would choose chemistry or the rapidly advancing field of electrical engineering instead.
And yet, despite graduating top of the Royal Academy, she had chosen this obscure laboratory…
“Very well.”
Ciern concluded his thoughts and spoke.
“First, go change your clothes. Today, I’ll give you a brief tour of the lab and introduce you to the equipment. I’ll also explain the safety precautions.”
“Ah—yes! That sounds great!”
“And prepare a brief summary of the topic you wish to research… Why are you drooling?”
“Oh—!”
Oh no.
She had gotten so excited she hadn’t even noticed.
Embarrassed, Adelia quickly wiped her mouth and pretended nothing had happened.
Ciern watched her with another peculiar look before continuing.
“Each semester, you’ll be required to write a short thesis. And once a year, you must prepare research to present at the regular symposium. It won’t be easy, so steel yourself.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Think carefully about what you want to study.”
“Yes!”
“Good. Go change and come back. The women’s changing room is to the right outside.”
Beaming, Adelia hurried out of the lab at once.
Tap, tap, tap—!
Her footsteps were so lively that Ciern let out a small chuckle.
“What is she so happy about? She really is a strange one.”
Meanwhile, Roerston, who had escorted Adelia to the laboratory, headed straight for the royal palace.
He was on his way to attend the weekly council meeting.
Strictly speaking, he had no need to hold an official position.
However, his father had spent his entire life as a government official, leaving behind both accomplishments and unfinished work.
To complete those, Roerston had no choice but to involve himself in state affairs—whether he liked it or not.
In truth, his participation was rather nominal—more of a formality than anything else.
But those who were dazzled by his overwhelming beauty tended to fall under the collective illusion that his mere presence at meetings was contribution enough, whether he actively participated or not.
“Well, if it isn’t the Duke of Ipsel!”
“It’s been a while, Marquis Gixon.”
“Haha! My goodness. Do you have any idea how shocked I was by that news of yours? My daughter brought me stacks of newspapers, and I still couldn’t believe it!”
“It was decided rather suddenly, so I didn’t have time to inform everyone. I am considering holding a proper ceremony later.”
“Yes, yes, you should. Ending a marriage with nothing but a church registration—how could that be acceptable?”
A secretive smile touched Roerston’s lips.
As expected, his sudden marriage to Adelia had caused quite a stir.
I knew this would happen—that’s why I deliberately skipped the formal wedding.
By registering the marriage without a ceremony, the story that the Duke of Ipsel had married his “junior” spread even more widely.
Such a shocking event was rare in conservative noble society.
At the same time, the haste of the registration gave people the impression that Roerston had desired Adelia deeply.
From now on, people would watch his every move—and inevitably think of that woman, “Adelia,” who had suddenly risen to become a duchess.
It was the most effective way to quickly establish her identity as the Duchess of Ipsel.
After all, there was a saying:
Good news should be loudly proclaimed to the world, while bad news should be swallowed quickly—like soup—and forgotten.
Roerston wanted news of his marriage to spread far and wide, loudly and unmistakably.
Only then could he free himself from the relatives constantly pressuring him to marry.
And also…
No. That’s not something I should think about right now.
In any case, things had turned out very well.
Of course, he had been slightly worried that Adelia might feel disappointed about having no wedding ceremony.
But she had not betrayed his expectations.
Instead, she had said this:
—A wedding? You mean wearing a white dress in front of everyone… and throwing a bouquet? A-and dancing too?
—Well, if we were to have a ceremony, yes.
—I-I absolutely can’t! I’d rather… I’d rather…!
—Rather?
—I’d give up microbiology and become a classical literature researcher!
He wasn’t quite sure how those things were connected, but one thing was clear—she truly didn’t want a wedding.
“By the way, about that Miss Whitten you married…”
“Yes?”
“Did you know her beforehand? Or perhaps…?”
As Marquis Gixon’s gaze turned slightly suggestive, Roerston responded with a smile of pure innocence.
“She was my junior at the academy. A very intelligent young woman.”
“Yes, yes, I’ve heard. Top of her class this year, wasn’t she? And she joined some rather demanding laboratory.”
“That’s right. I had my eye on her since our academy days. The more I saw of her, the more I liked her—so I proposed.”
“Haha! So even someone as unapproachable as you couldn’t help yourself when faced with a lady you liked!”
Laughing heartily, Marquis Gixon slapped Roerston on the back.
Roerston subtly avoided the touch, his face faintly flushing.
Tilting his head slightly, he gave a shy smile—so beautiful that one might indeed call him “the most beautiful being under heaven.”
But of course, Roerston wasn’t actually shy.
It was merely one of his many skills.
Whenever he found himself in an awkward situation, acting bashful like this would prompt the other party to back off on their own.
And besides—
When telling a lie, it’s best to mix in a little truth.
