Standard Contract Guidelines for a Fraudulent Marriage - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 12

Adelia returned to the Laboratory and threw herself into repeated rounds of Pattern Experimentation and observation.

She was so absorbed that she didn’t notice lunchtime had long passed. Only when her stomach growled audibly did she realize she’d forgotten to eat.

It was an old truth: no one could study on an empty belly.

Adelia headed out to find lunch.

On her way, she glimpsed into Siern’s office and found him asleep with his legs stretched across the table, so she slipped back out without disturbing him.

The weather was beautiful.

Adelia stretched toward the sun, then gazed up at the sky. Light sparkled in her bright green eyes, dancing and shimmering.

‘He said the Fake Marriage alone was enough, but still… I wish I could repay what he’s done for me.’

Though Loarston’s proposal had been absurd to begin with, it offered Adelia precious little downside.

In fact, the terms were almost too good.

She was grateful she knew Loarston, at least somewhat—otherwise she would have taken him for a scoundrel scheming to sell her off to a tuna boat.

If she could repay even a fraction of his kindness, her own heart would rest easier.

While turning these thoughts over, Adelia caught the aroma of a promising shop and pushed open its door.

“My goodness, Adelia! Hello there!”

Startled by the unexpected greeting, she gripped the door handle tightly with both hands.

“Ha ha! That squirrel-like trembling—it’s just the same as when you were a first-year!”

Adelia blinked at the woman laughing heartily with her mouth wide open.

“Mrs. Smittles? How did you…?”

Mrs. Smittles.

Until this year, she had been the owner of the most famous pastry shop in front of the Academy, selling cakes and pies.

Her Meat Pies, made with a special recipe, flew off the shelves during exam season, and her Jam Pies sold out daily—business was that good.

Senior students drowning in final exams sometimes ordered the “Special Pie,” and rumors about what went into it were endless.

Some swore it contained pickled sardines; others claimed it was heavily spiced eel; still others insisted it held some unheard-of fiery ingredient (?) that was impossibly hot.

Adelia herself, whenever she scraped together pocket money, would often visit Mrs. Smittles’ shop to buy a pie or Cookie.

She’d known the woman since childhood, so of course her face was familiar.

“But why are you here?”
“My foolish son came back home. He won’t look for work, so what can I do? I told him to run a pie shop instead.”
“Oh, so….”
“The useless boy can’t do much of anything, but he’s actually quite good at cooking, so I handed over the old shop to him. I opened this new place instead. I heard rumors you’d joined a research lab, but I never thought we’d bump into each other so soon!”

Mrs. Smittles burst into hearty laughter again.

Adelia felt both delighted and flustered, lingering at the pie display case.

“So tell me, how are things these days? Still studying those Microorganisms and Fungi?”
“Yes, exactly! I’m learning in Professor Siern’s Laboratory.”
“Professor Siern? Ah yes, that famously exacting man.”

Adelia’s eyes lit up.

“You know the professor too?”
“Me? Not at all. But people who’ve recently graduated from his lab come through here, and whenever I look at their pale faces, they inevitably mention Professor Siern complaining about something.”

Good heavens, Adelia murmured to herself.

Even after graduation, they still show signs of suffering…?

‘This is so exciting!!’

As Adelia’s eyes began to gleam with excessive enthusiasm, Mrs. Smittles made a dismissive gesture as if she saw it coming.

“Yes, yes. It suits you perfectly. You’re such an odd child—the harder the exam, the happier you get.”

Adelia blushed slightly and selected a small Jam Pie and Meat Pie set. It was a new menu item—the old shop hadn’t carried it before.

“But there’s something else I’ve been curious about.”
“Yes?”
“Adelia, I’ve been hearing that you’ve become the Duchess of House of Insel. What on earth is that about?”

Adelia’s eyes widened as she waited for her pies to be wrapped.

Mrs. Smittles continued, pulling the freshly baked pies from the oven.

“Everyone who walks past keeps talking about it. I wondered if there was another Adelia somewhere in the world.”
“Ah….”
“Surely it’s not you?”

Adelia rolled her eyes and spoke.

“It’s… actually me.”

Mrs. Smittles’ eyes went wide as saucers. Her mouth fell open in a stunned O-shape and gaped soundlessly several times.

“Good heavens. Is that really true?”
“Yes, it really is.”

Mrs. Smittles was quite taken aback.

Thanks to her excellent skill, she occasionally supplied pies to Royal Palace parties, and through those connections, she’d learned her share of frivolous court gossip.

‘I heard the Princess was so stubborn about only marrying the Duke of House of Insel—surely she didn’t give up?’

After setting the pies on a tray, Mrs. Smittles filled a pitcher with Apple Juice—which Adelia hadn’t ordered—and spoke.

“Tell me, how did this come about?”

***

Meanwhile, Loarston was being fitted for a new suit to wear to a party a few days hence.

The tailor at his usual shop always kept time open for the Duke of House of Insel, which meant he could stop by anytime and have his measurements taken and orders placed without fuss.

“The timeline is a bit tight—are you sure you can manage?”
“Two days, sir? No trouble at all.”

The Tailor glanced at the measurement papers and was already selecting fabrics.

Loarston sat on a flawless leather sofa, took a sip of the tea a maid had brought, and surveyed the Tailor Shop with fresh eyes.

Fine leathers and fabrics, elegant ready-made hats and shoes were tastefully displayed.

“When you were young—well, you’re a Duke now—you used to come into the shop and whine about the leather smell. Feels like yesterday.”

The elderly Tailor spoke with a nostalgic tone.

Because he’d been coming here for so long, Loarston sometimes felt as though the shop were a relative’s home.

While the Tailor waited patiently, Loarston spread out several fabrics, touching and examining them.

Then he picked one up with a slight smile.

Loarston spoke.

“How long ago was that? And you still remember? Excellent memory.”
“I remember when you had your first suit made too. Your late father chose the fabric very carefully. Time does fly—to think you’re already married.”
“Don’t you want to see my wife?”

The Tailor looked up, a fond smile playing at the corners of his lined mouth.

“Of course I would. I’m curious what sort of person she is.”
“She’s an oddball, but an entertaining one. She was my junior at the Academy.”
“Well, calling your lady wife an oddball when you’ve only just married—is that the thing to do?”
“But she is an oddball. Isn’t that right, Rudolf?”

Rudolf stood there impassively, unbothered.

He knew what was coming: he’d have to listen to Loarston wax lyrical about his wife again.

Loarston did praise Adelia often to those he met.

Not just that she was brilliant at her studies, but that she looked endearing when she sulked, or that the way she calmly learned new things was impressive.

When someone teased him about being so besotted with his wife, he didn’t deny it.

It came so naturally that it wouldn’t be strange if the whole social circle soon heard he was a devoted husband.

This was precisely Loarston’s original plan, so his behavior wasn’t odd at all.

However, a problem had recently emerged.

“I don’t know how brilliant she is. When she was at the Academy, there were even rumors they had to grade her separately. A+ wasn’t enough—she apparently had no weak subjects.”
“Is that so.”
“Right. Most people, no matter how smart, have at least one stumbling block. But not her.”

Whether consciously or not, Loarston’s praise of Adelia had become endless.

It was almost as passionate as when he spoke of Microorganisms.

Though the Tailor didn’t yet know this fact….

“But sometimes her behavior is like a squirrel’s—the kind that forgets where it buried its acorns and runs around frantically. It’s so amusing to watch.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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