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Chapter 11
A cluster of young ladies, dressed as flamboyantly as peacocks, surrounded Roerston. They squealed and giggled, their cheeks flushed as they vied for his attention.
Even so… this was the research district, where laboratories lined the halls. Weren’t they being a bit too loud?
Adelia, who had unconsciously jutted out her lips, caught herself and quickly pressed them back in, startled at her own reaction.
Why do I even care? she scolded herself inwardly. Senior must be handsome down to his very cells—of course people would flock to someone like him.
Thinking such ridiculous things—ones that would have made Roerston laugh out loud if he’d heard—Adelia hurried her steps.
And whatever he does, it’s not like I need to pay attention to every little thing…
Muttering to herself, she quickly slipped into the laboratory.
“Hello!”
“Hello, Adelia.”
Professor Sieren’s low, indifferent voice greeted her, and for some reason, it put her at ease.
The laboratory, occupied by only the two of them, was always quiet. The steady hiss of the air purifier, keeping the space clean, brought a sense of calm.
Adelia changed into her lab coat and thoroughly sanitized her hands. Then she scurried over to Sieren, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the microscope.
“Professor, what should I observe today?”
“Today…”
Adelia’s eyes sparkled. The “assignment of the day” that Sieren gave was always challenging—and always exciting.
“Today, you should try doing whatever you want.”
Adelia, who had been fidgeting in anticipation with clenched fists, froze completely.
“…Pardon?”
“I don’t like repeating myself.”
“No, but…!”
“Research whatever you want. Freely. Today is a free assignment.”
“A f-free assignment…”
“Yes. Use Lab Room Two. You may use any specimens, except those marked as restricted.”
Still clutching her fists, Adelia turned stiffly and walked out of the lab.
Catching her breath, she bent forward and took a deep inhale.
Once… twice…
When she lifted her head again, her face was so bright and lively that even the stoic Sieren might have been stunned speechless had he seen it.
A free assignment!
A free assignment!
A free assignment…!!
That meant—she could research anything she wanted, didn’t it?
Ahh, where should she start? What should she begin with?!
As Adelia silently screamed in delight, Professor Sieren, still inside the lab, felt an inexplicable chill and tilted his head in confusion.
Some people hated “free assignments” with a passion.
But Adelia was different.
What was a “free assignment,” after all?
It meant she could research absolutely anything she wanted!
Considering the endless peculiarities of microorganisms, she could easily spend an entire day just choosing a topic.
“Hm, hm… which one should I look at first? Ah, that newly discovered fungal strain K-33 from last time sounds nice. Such a good little one—essential for forest growth. But then again, for a first free study, maybe I should go with the classics? What about Mold Sample No. 9…?”
Holding a container of mold samples—bluish-green, black, and white mixed together—Adelia gazed at it with a distant expression.
“Back then, I got curious about how mold tasted and tried eating it… ended up unable to move for three days and nights.”
It had been dry and sour, yet oddly nutty in the aftertaste—a strangely fond memory.
Without realizing it, Adelia swallowed.
Then, staring at the sample container, she hurriedly added, “N-not that I’m going to eat you! I’ve graduated from doing that. Besides, you cause food poisoning… I’ll just observe you, okay? Right?”
Spinning around once with the container in hand, she adjusted the microscope and carefully took out a portion of the mold.
Unlike other microorganisms, fungi weren’t particularly picky about their environment, making them convenient for research.
And there’s still so much undiscovered potential!
Peering through the microscope, Adelia jotted down its characteristics, then gently placed a foreign substance onto the petri dish.
The moment the acidic substance touched the mold, it was absorbed as though being sucked into a sponge.
“Oh? You’re quite something, aren’t you?”
Tilting her head, she added more of the acidic solution.
Once again, the mold absorbed it completely. Yet its spores showed no sign of damage.
“Huh… what?”
Adelia pulled her eye away from the microscope and stared intently at the mold in the dish.
Mold was easy to preserve—but when exposed to foreign substances, it typically broke down easily.
But these… were different.
The moment she realized that, Adelia sprang to her feet.
Good heavens—mold, of all things!
If… if this mold can neutralize acidity—or at least absorb it…
The Regan Kingdom was plagued by vast stretches of highly acidic soil. Farming there required tremendous effort.
To neutralize the land, special fertilizers were essential.
Yet the kingdom had not developed its own method of neutralization and relied heavily on imported fertilizers.
Neighboring nations, which monopolized that method, had more than once used it as leverage to make difficult demands.
But if Regan could produce its own neutralizing fertilizer…?
“Th-this could be a major discovery…!”
Thrumming with excitement, Adelia clenched her fists and bounced in place before dashing out of the lab.
She flung open the door to Sieren’s lab.
“Professor!”
Sieren lifted his weary gaze toward her. Still wearing his antimicrobial gloves and mask, he trudged over to the doorway.
“What is it?”
Leaning against the doorframe, his shadow loomed as if to swallow her whole.
Startled, Adelia hiccupped slightly before stammering, “I—I think I may have discovered something.”
“What discovery?”
“Th-the mold…”
“It hasn’t even been thirty minutes since you started your free study. Don’t use the word ‘discovery.’”
“Ah—yes, sir! I’m sorry!”
“When you have enough samples and patterns to write a report, then we’ll talk.”
“Yes, sir!”
With that, the door slammed shut right in front of her.
Adelia’s cheeks flushed bright red.
W-well… he’s right. Getting this excited over just two trials… honestly…
Turning around, she trudged back toward her lab.
Then suddenly, her eyes lit up again as she clenched her fists tightly.
This isn’t the time to feel discouraged! If this works the way I think it will, then this… this…!
This could be a chance to make a fortune!
I-if this experiment succeeds, I could file for a patent, right?
And once that patented technology was commercialized, the kingdom could produce its own neutralizing fertilizer.
Even if it were only used domestically, it would generate enormous profit…
So much money that counting the zeros would be exhausting!
If she succeeded, that day would come closer.
I’ll be able to repay, at least a little, the support the former Duke Ipsel gave me—through Senior!
A spark ignited in Adelia’s resolve.
Hadn’t her goal always been to repay the Whiton ducal family’s kindness and stand on her own?
If their fraudulent marriage were ever exposed, Roerston would suffer far greater consequences than she would.
…If the secret of our marriage ever gets out, Senior will be in serious trouble. I want to prevent that at all costs.
If she achieved something remarkable here, she could secure a stable independence.
Not only could she repay her debt, but she could also end her marriage to Roerston amicably—and bury this grand deception forever.
Determination shone brightly in Adelia’s eyes.
