“Please go to the Imperial University.”

The central part of the capital was bustling, as it was the first time Aidel had gone out in a long while. As instructed by the Countess, she had come out under the pretext of going to the dressmaker’s shop.

After stopping by the dressmaker’s, instead of taking the Count’s carriage that she had arrived in, she hailed a postal carriage to ride.

“Young lady? Why are you suddenly going to the Imperial University? And riding a postal carriage at that……”

Bien, the maid from the Count’s household who had followed her, asked in a startled voice.

As soon as they entered the dressmaker’s shop, the young lady surveyed the displayed dresses with a detached gaze.

“I’ll take this one,” she said, hastily selecting a dress without properly trying it on and quickly completing the purchase. Then she asked, “Is that the back door?” and hurried out of the shop.

Bien had followed the young lady as she caught a passing postal carriage and hurriedly boarded it.

“Were you surprised? Please bear with me for a bit, Bien. I heard there’s a book I’ve been wanting to read so badly at the Imperial University library…..”

As the young lady spent all day with her nose buried in books, it was somewhat understandable that she would go to borrow a book she really wanted to read. However, such impulsive behavior was unlike the usually cautious young lady.

If the Countess found out about the young lady’s escapade, she might throw a fit.

“As you know, this is my first outing in a really long time. Once I get married, who knows what will happen…..”

“Young lady……”

Her expression as she quietly murmured while gazing out the window looked so forlorn. The warm morning sunlight streaming into the carriage illuminated her delicate features that were like a porcelain doll. The scene was imprinted in Bien’s sight like a beautiful painting.

‘Such a lovely young lady… being rejected because she lacks fragrance……’

Bien was the daughter of Viscount Ingrid’s household, which was a vassal family of Count Fluor. Thus, following her family’s orders, she had served Aidel since she was a young girl. Naturally, she was well aware of the treatment Aidel had received while growing up in the Fluor household.

The Count, who was busy with external affairs, was indifferent to household matters. Taking advantage of the Count’s inattention, the Countess had cunningly scorned and isolated the young lady.

Roselyn, who was praised by the world as being as lovely as a fairy, had also subtly gone along with it, which Bien, who had been by her side, was not unaware of.

If the young lady had not been born into the Fluor family, there would have been no reason for her to be mistreated for lacking fragrance.

If that were the case, such an elegant, beautiful, and intelligent young lady would have been a beloved lady cherished by everyone. Thinking that made Bien’s heart ache.

‘And of all things, the marriage arrangement she’s caught in……’

The Chalet family, into which Aidel was soon to be married, appeared wealthy on the surface, but due to the inexplicable successive deaths of the Marquis’ wives, it was a position that any noble family with a marriageable daughter would avoid.

The Marquis, who was of a similar age to Count Fluor, had continuously taken young ladies from lower noble families whose fortunes were declining as his later wives.

After the death of the most recent Viscount’s daughter he had married, to think the one to fill that position would be Young Lady Aidel…… She had hoped the young lady would leave the Count’s family and live happily by making a good match……

‘The pitiful one……’

Bien took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. Although the Countess might scold her severely if she found out later…… If there was anything she could do for the young lady, she decided to willingly go along with this small escapade, which might be the last.

‘I’m sorry, Bien.’

As it happened, the entrance exam was being held at the library. Aidel swallowed her guilt and inwardly apologized to Bien, who unwaveringly believed the lie that she was going to borrow a book.

Aidel turned her head to take in the view of the Imperial University in the distance.

She had to thoroughly deceive even Bien so that when the truth was revealed later, she would get in less trouble.

“Could you wait for me here? I’ll go borrow the book from the library and come out. It might take a while since it’s my first time, so rest comfortably.”

Leaving Bien at a café terrace on the university campus, Aidel moved on. The Imperial University, which she was visiting for the first time, was much bigger and more expansive than she had thought.

She passed a plaza with a large fountain and headed towards the library where the exam was taking place. Although she had deliberately pulled the brim of her cloche hat low over her eyes, she could feel the gazes of people directed at her.

It wasn’t as if there were no female students at all in the university. Among the relatively wealthy middle class or lower nobility who could afford the tuition, there was a small but growing number of women enrolling in universities.

However, among the upper nobility who valued noble dignity, such women were treated as either damaged goods who could not marry despite coming of age, or as outcasts who did not belong in high society.

“I’ve come to take the entrance exam.”

At the clear and gentle voice of the woman, the man serving as a guide was startled and looked ahead. Although her face was not fully visible due to the pulled-down hat, her fair lips peeking out from under it and her slender silhouette were enough to guess that she was a beauty.

“I am Aidel, number 136.”

For the sake of unbiased administration, the exam only confirmed identities using examinee numbers and names. The dazed man fumblingly handed over the exam ticket and directed her to the exam hall. Aidel, who gave a brief bow in greeting, turned and headed toward the exam room.

Seeing the fair and white hand receiving the exam ticket and the elegant way she walked away, the male guide had thought she might be a noble lady from a high family, but soon shook his head.

‘There’s no way a lady like that would be taking the Imperial University exam.’

Judging by her plain attire, she was probably the daughter of a noble family that had once received a good home education but had since fallen into ruin.

Even noble men, who were said to be very capable, failed the notoriously difficult entrance exam in droves. The guide wished good luck to the woman, whose chances of passing were likely very low, as she was a rare beauty to be seen at the Imperial University.

.

.

.

‘This is… easier than I thought.’

After carefully examining the exam questions, Aidel wrote out the descriptive answers without hindrance.

From the foundations of the empire’s history to views on new laws and administrative measures that should be enacted in line with the changing society and economy…… The questions continued in depth, but due to her daily preparations late into the night, she had no great difficulty.

Finally, Aidel, who had reviewed her carefully and meticulously written answers, submitted her exam paper. As Bien was waiting, she did not have much time to linger.

‘Already……?’

The middle-aged man who was the exam proctor looked at the woman who submitted her answer sheet first with surprised eyes. She handed over the exam paper demurely and quietly left the exam room.

Her graceful gait, which made no discernible sound, seemed like that of a properly trained lady.

‘Could it be that she gave up……?’

Other examinees were still seen frowning and pondering over their exam papers. Professor Nichen, the proctor from the Department of Public Administration, assumed that she had given up midway because the exam was too difficult. So he skimmed through her answer sheet without much expectation.

However, the paper he had expected to be blank was neatly filled with tidy handwriting. Moreover, as she had clearly answered in the inverted pyramid style, one could tell it was a properly written answer just by reading the first sentence.

‘Who on earth……?’

As he read through the answers, he found himself nodding in agreement with the apt responses. The shocked Nichen held up the near-perfect answer sheet and blankly stared at where the woman had disappeared.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aidel left the exam room and headed to the library stacks where the books were. As she had come under the pretext of borrowing books, she intended to select a few suitable books to check out.

Since it would be good to borrow books in the rapidly changing field of social sciences, she moved to where the related books were located.

Perhaps because of the entrance exam, the library was quiet with no sign of people. Taking advantage of being able to freely browse the books, Aidel took off the stuffy cloche hat that obstructed her vision.

Her lush wheat-colored hair softly cascaded down. Strands fluttered in the breeze coming through a slightly open window.

‘I haven’t seen this book before.’

Aidel exclaimed with delight upon discovering a book she had never seen before, perhaps recently published. After a moment of hesitation, unable to contain her curiosity, she slightly opened the book she was holding.

‘I’ll just look at the table of contents.’

Contrary to her resolution, Aidel was naturally drawn into the book and turned to the next page.

She wanted to read more, but there was no time. Remembering Bien who would be waiting, she was about to turn her body with her eyes still fixed on the text.

The moment she turned around, something blocked her path. It was a man’s broad chest. He was so tall that she had to look up, with wide shoulders that seemed to fill the quite spacious library aisle, making his large body feel imposing.

Perhaps because she had been too absorbed in the book, Aidel only belatedly noticed the man’s presence when he approached within close range, and she gasped in surprise. As she hurriedly took a step back, she lost her balance and dropped the book she was holding.

“Ah!”

At this, the man grasped her wrist with one hand to steady her swaying form, and easily caught the falling book with his other hand.

As it was a corner of the library that didn’t get much sunlight, and the sun was obscured by clouds, the man’s shadowed features were not clearly visible.

However, his motion of handing over the book while wearing an elegant frock coat made of high-quality fabric was impeccably graceful, hinting that he was the son of a noble family.

“……Thank you.”

Having regained her balance and received the book thanks to him, Aidel expressed her gratitude.

“……?”

But for some reason, the man still did not release her wrist.

Aidel looked up at the man as if puzzled. She immediately met his deep blue eyes gazing down at her. Even in the darkness, his eyes glowed distinctly.

Her surprised heart began to beat even faster, pounding loudly. It was burdensome to be alone with a strange man in the library. The desire to escape this situation as soon as possible took precedence.

The moment she tried to pull away from the man’s grasp on her wrist, the sun emerged from behind the clouds, illuminating the previously dim library. Only now, as the light fell upon him, were the man’s features revealed.

“You… could it be……?”

Upon seeing the man’s face, her eyes trembled violently as if she couldn’t believe it.

‘His noble and overwhelming presence evokes the sense of wonder one feels standing before a masterpiece sculpted by a great artist.’

The description of him in a newspaper article she had once read now felt somewhat lacking… His flawless appearance inspired pure amazement.

Possessing the authority and dignity that comes from being born with the royal blood of the Jupiter imperial family, this man who was truly praised as the noblest of nobles was……

“……His Highness, the Grand Duke of Ellios……?”

Caeron Roman de Ellios. The one and only young grand duke of the Jupiter Empire, whom she had only seen in newspaper photographs.

The difference between him in the black and white photos and the vivid sight of him in person was so great that Aidel’s mind went blank.

His status was too high for her to protest the rudeness of him holding her wrist and not letting go. But it was also unreasonable to pay proper respects to him in this situation.

Aidel spoke as carefully as possible, keeping her voice low.

“Your Highness, I would like to show proper etiquette, but… could you please release my hand first……?”

However, the man remained unyielding despite her words.

The part of her wrist held by him felt increasingly hot, like his gaze. He slowly opened his mouth as he stared at her piercingly.

“There’s something I want to ask.”

“……?”

“Are you wearing perfume by any chance?”

“……!”