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Chapter 2
People who recognized him began whispering here and there, catching sight of the sunset-colored hair peeking out from beneath his hat.
“Look, it’s Duke Ipsel!”
“Oh my, he must have come to escort his wife to the research lab. How gentle of him.”
Adelia’s cheeks grew redder and redder as she heard them.
Truly, the most handsome man in the Kingdom of Regan.
Even if he were placed in the very center of the capital, at Del Bottom Street No. 3, there was no way anyone could fail to recognize such a striking man. That man was Roerston.
He was tall, his body strong and well-built from rigorous training. His perfectly tailored frock coat and polished top hat suited him flawlessly. And beneath it all, his hair glowed like the setting sun.
Once, a poet had even described him like this in a collection of poems shared among friends:
“A fairy who slipped from the edge of a path of light, as a burning sunset slowly seeps through a deep and dense forest.”
With just the simple gesture of slightly lifting the brim of his hat in greeting, dozens of young ladies would surely lose sleep tonight.
Perhaps even some men.
Adelia felt a strange, prickling feeling rise inside her chest.
Meanwhile, Roerston wore a relaxed expression, clearly enjoying the whispers around him. Then, he lightly pressed his lips against Adelia’s cheek.
Smack.
“…Hk!”
Her already flushed face turned as red as a baked apple about to burst.
Startled by the sudden attack, Adelia tried to step back—but at that moment, Roerston pulled her tightly into his arms.
As a result, she ended up practically throwing herself into his embrace.
The murmurs around them grew louder.
Then Roerston spoke softly.
“You shouldn’t run away over something like this, junior. What kind of relationship do we have?”
“M-married… we’re married…”
“That’s right. Don’t ever forget it.”
Only then did he release her, flashing a smile that could charm anyone in an instant.
He then took her hand and gently kissed the back of it.
“Have a good day, my wife. I’ll see you this evening.”
Adelia carefully bowed her head, playing along with his act.
“Y-yes… dear…”
Turning stiffly like a wooden puppet, Adelia’s mind spun wildly.
Even though she was finally standing in front of the Royal Research Laboratory—the place she had long dreamed of—there was only one thought filling her head.
Is this really okay?!
No matter how much this was supposed to be a fake marriage, was it really necessary to go this far?!
The Royal Research Laboratory.
This place was established to select top graduates from the Royal Academy based on their grades, allowing them to devote themselves to deeper academic research.
It embraced a wide range of fields—not only science and mathematics, but also literature, music, and art. For students of the Royal Academy, it was both a dream and a goal.
Adelia wandered for quite some time before finally finding the laboratory of the professor who would be in charge of her: Professor Sieren.
Professor Sieren was considered one of the best in the kingdom in microbiology and fungal research.
All the researchers who trained under him had gone on to hold important positions in related institutions.
Of course… he was also infamous for his brutally harsh evaluations of papers.
Ugh, I’m so nervous…!
Standing in front of his laboratory door, Adelia tried to calm her trembling heart.
She reached for the doorknob—then quickly pulled her hand back and knocked instead.
I almost committed a huge mistake…!
Taking another deep breath, she lightly tapped the door with her small fist.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
A cold, low male voice came from inside.
She carefully opened the door and stepped in.
Inside, a man with messy black hair was peering into a microscope.
“H-hello! My name is Adelia Whitton. I’m a new research student—”
“Lower your voice.”
Gasp.
Adelia’s mouth snapped shut instantly.
After hesitating awkwardly for a moment, she slowly approached him, holding the gift she had prepared.
Her lips remained tightly sealed.
On Professor Sieren’s desk were three petri dishes and a microscope.
She couldn’t help but wonder what he was observing.
Could it be some new fungus or microorganism?
Amazing. I really want to see it.
“What are you staring at?”
“Ah—no! I mean, this…!”
Sieren glanced at the luxurious gift bundle she held out, then spoke indifferently.
“Put it over there.”
“Yes!”
“And keep your voice down.”
“Y-yes…”
He really is as scary as they say, Adelia thought.
According to those who had graduated before her, Professor Sieren’s nickname was “Sieren the Iron Wall.”
No matter how much you pleaded or begged, once he made a decision, he never changed it.
Infamous… no, famous for that.
“Would you like to take a look?”
When Sieren straightened up and looked at her, Adelia felt an indescribable sensation.
His black eyes, matching his hair, were cold and unyielding.
H-he really does feel like an iron wall… so scary!
She felt cold sweat run down her back.
Just as she inhaled sharply to respond, Sieren pointed at the microscope lens and spoke again.
“This. Do you want to see it?”
“Ah—y-yes! Of course! If you permit me, I would love to!”
“Look carefully. And don’t make any loud noises.”
With her body stiff from tension, Adelia leaned in and looked through the microscope.
Inside, a strange triangular-shaped microorganism moved around, as if searching for direction.
Forgetting even that she was with Sieren, Adelia clasped her hands together, her face filled with wonder.
“They’re… so, so adorable…”
She realized too late that she had spoken a bit too loudly and quickly covered her mouth.
But what was this microorganism?
She had never learned about it in school, nor seen it in any recent papers.
“Watch closely.”
Sieren lightly tapped the side of the petri dish with his finger.
At once, the triangular shape of the microorganism collapsed—then slowly gathered itself back into a triangle again.
“Oh my goodness!”
“That’s why I told you not to make noise. They react to vibrations and change shape.”
Adelia’s large eyes sparkled brightly.
“P-professor… what exactly is this microorganism? Is it bacteria? Fungi? I’ve never seen anything like it…!”
“Of course not. I discovered it recently.”
“Ah…!”
“There’s a type of moss called ‘Changer’ that grows only in the western forest. I found it there.”
“Changer… is it named that because it changes form?”
“That’s right. It collapses its shape in response to vibrations—like the flapping of birds’ wings or the footsteps of animals. The collapsed form looks like it’s decayed, so other creatures don’t try to eat it.”
Adelia’s eyes now shone like polished jewels.
“That’s incredible…! Truly amazing! Something so small having such a survival method…!”
She was completely captivated by these tiny, adorable creatures.
Does this mean I’ll get to see more of them if I stay in this lab?
And—and I’ll even be the first to see newly discovered ones?!
Yes. Coming to this laboratory was absolutely the right choice.
Even if it meant entering a fake marriage.
“Listen, junior.”
“…Yes?”
“I need a fake bride who can save me from constant nagging about marriage. And you want to join the research lab, don’t you?”
“I-I do, but…”
“Getting married won’t change your situation. In fact, you might receive even more support if you marry me.”
At first, she had firmly refused, saying it was ridiculous.
But Roerston had been persistent.
As if he had been waiting for someone exactly like her, he never stopped persuading her.
If she had continued to refuse… he might not have let her leave.
No, that would make him a kidnapper. Senior wouldn’t go that far… right?
…Anyway, in the end, Adelia gave in to Roerston’s endless persuasion and said yes.
It had happened when she was half-asleep and drowsy.
She tried to argue that she hadn’t been in a sound state of mind—but once she agreed, everything moved incredibly fast.
Filling out the marriage registration papers.
Getting approval from the church.
Announcing the marriage in the newspapers in huge headlines!
Roerston handled most of it, but Adelia struggled just to adjust to her new life.
Even dealing with maids who followed her around all day offering to serve her had been exhausting!
But still… still! Being able to come to this lab makes it all worth it…!
