Chapter 2.1

“Ophelia, aren’t you going home? The Earl of Granville’s complaints about you are spreading again today.” 

Ophelia, who had been observing the reaction of mixing several chemicals in a beaker, looked up at Nina’s voice. 

In Nina’s hand was a letter of protest sent by the Earl of Granville. It was obvious that it contained a request for Ophelia to return home. Moreover, it was likely that a knight and a carriage had been sent, citing the dangers of traveling at night. 

When she looked out the window, the darkness of the night had already swallowed the red sky. Even though there was no need to worry since knights were sent to guard her when she worked late at the laboratory or stayed there overnight, the Earl and Countess always seemed anxious. 

There were quite a lot of people who stayed overnight at the laboratory. Most of them hadn’t been able to return home recently, as they were busy preparing for exams and theses. 

With exams and theses to prepare simultaneously, this was the busiest time for the Royal Academy graduates. Especially for research students, who had to produce results, they were much busier than students from other departments. 

Thus, even though the Earl and Countess pleaded with Ophelia to come home just to show her face, she couldn’t fulfill their request. 

Ophelia planned to write her graduation thesis on the formulation and effects of a painkiller. It was a medication that lasted longer in alleviating pain and suppressed a wider range of inflammation compared to the painkiller she had invented at the age of eight. 

Since it was almost complete, just a little more refinement would allow her to finish a powerful painkiller before graduation. 

She had been practically living in the laboratory, staying up most nights. Now that all the exams were finally over, perhaps she could go home for the first time in a while. 

“I’ll leave after I finish this.” 

“Then I’ll go first. You must go home today!” 

Nina strongly emphasized her point as she prepared to carry the items she had packed to take home. The floor was piled with things Nina had to bring with her. 

“You’re taking all of this home?” 

“I use a lot of plants. This is just a tiny portion.” 

Currently, Nina was working on a thesis about natural hair growth stimulants. It seemed she was taking items related to her research, and she was determined to carry all of it alone. 

“You have so much luggage. Let me help you. I’ll carry it to the carriage.” 

Unable to ignore Nina’s groaning, Ophelia approached her. 

“Really? I would’ve had to go back and forth multiple times on my own, but if you help, that’ll save me a lot of trouble.” 

Groaning and straining, Nina and Ophelia moved the luggage. By splitting the load, they managed to move everything in just two trips. 

After loading all the luggage onto the carriage, Ophelia had to return to the laboratory alone. The distance wasn’t far, so it wasn’t a big deal, but she was uneasy about having to pass through a spot rumored to be haunted. 

When she had been walking with Nina earlier, she hadn’t been bothered by it. But now, the thought of walking back to the laboratory alone made her a little scared. 

The laboratory wasn’t far, so she figured she could just run and get there quickly. 

With that thought in mind, she hurried through the eerie area. 

“Ophelia?” 

Startled by someone calling her name, Ophelia flinched. She hadn’t expected anyone to be in such a secluded place. 

When she turned her gaze, she saw Cedric holding something in his hands. Though she couldn’t see clearly, it looked like one hand held a small bottle, while the other held what seemed to be an envelope. 

Why hadn’t he gone home yet? He usually didn’t even acknowledge me, so why was he calling my name and startling me now? 

Even though his face wasn’t clearly visible due to the distance, she could feel that their eyes had met. 

She considered responding but decided against it. She realized a moment later that he wasn’t alone—there was a woman with him. 

Could they be having a secret rendezvous? 

No, that couldn’t be it. If that were the case, Cedric wouldn’t have called her name so confidently. Thinking it was nothing significant, Ophelia ignored Cedric and kept walking. 

The laboratory wasn’t far, so she reached it quickly. Just as she was about to open the door, she felt an unfamiliar sensation on her shoulder. 

Startled, Ophelia quickly turned her head. To her surprise, the unexpected figure of Cedric was standing there, looking down at her. 

Cedric? Why is he here? Did he follow me all the way here? 

“W-Why are you suddenly here?” 

“You heard me calling you earlier. Why did you pretend not to?” 

“Don’t tell me… you followed me here just to ask that?”  

Had they ever had such a casual conversation before? If they had, it must have been so long ago that it was difficult to recall. They had barely spoken to each other. 

Come to think of it, the last time they had exchanged words was two months ago, when they attended a banquet together. 

‘How long are you going to keep stepping on my feet?’ 

‘I’m sorry. I’m trying my best not to step on them!’ 

Ophelia was terribly clumsy. No matter how hard she tried, she would inevitably step on Cedric’s feet at least once. 

She practiced until she stopped making mistakes. But the problem always came during the actual event. When there were many people around, she would get so nervous about their presence that she couldn’t focus. 

Ophelia had stepped on the feet of so many men she danced with that whenever she appeared at a banquet, the men would quietly avoid her. To the point that she had earned the nickname “The Advancing Gloomy Young Lady” exclusively within the banquet hall. 

By the time she finished focusing on not stepping on Cedric’s feet, the song would already be over. That was why she barely had the chance to talk to him even at banquets. Outside of dancing, they each went about their own business, so they had even fewer interactions. 

But now, what wind had blown to make him speak to her first? And to think he had chased her all the way to the laboratory just because she ignored him? 

As Ophelia stared at Cedric with a gaze full of suspicion and wariness, he casually extended a thick paper envelope he had been holding toward her. 

“Do I look like such a petty person? I had business with you in the first place. Here, take this.” 

Ophelia’s eyes widened as she looked at the envelope Cedric handed her. 

Wasn’t this the same envelope he had been holding when our eyes met from afar earlier? So, it wasn’t for someone else but for me? 

Staring blankly at Cedric and the envelope, Ophelia hesitated before reluctantly opening it. 

Inside was a pie topped with strawberries. However, the strawberries were of a kind not commonly seen in the kingdom. The strawberries in the Siren Kingdom were usually finger-sized, but the ones on the pie were as small as the joints of a hand. 

Gulp. Her mouth watered, but she tried to maintain a composed expression as she asked, 

“What is this?” 

“I had to go to the Parkon Empire today on an errand for my father.” 

“I know.” 

Even if she didn’t want to hear news about Cedric, she would always end up hearing it through rumors. She had heard multiple times today alone that he had taken his practical exam early yesterday due to urgent business. 

“It’s a souvenir. It seems it needs to be eaten by today.” 

“Don’t tell me… you just got back?” 

“Yeah. I just arrived and came straight to the academy. I figured you’d still be here.” 

“What if I hadn’t been at the laboratory this late?” 

“Then I would’ve delivered it directly to the Granville estate.” 

Surprisingly thoughtful. 

The strawberry pie made her heart flutter, but she couldn’t feel entirely happy. She couldn’t understand why Cedric had suddenly brought her dessert. 

Why now, after ignoring her all this time? What’s the reason for suddenly being nice? 

Still watching Cedric with suspicion, Ophelia shook her head. There was no point in doubting him when he was offering such a delicious-looking dessert. 

She felt there might be some ulterior motive, but she didn’t want to think too deeply about it. All she could see was the dessert. 

“I’ll enjoy it.” 

Since he had already given it to her, there was no reason to refuse. It wasn’t as if he would’ve poisoned it. 

She wanted to go into the laboratory quickly and try the dessert, but Cedric was still lingering, which annoyed her. He looked ready to follow her inside, so Ophelia couldn’t hold back and asked, 

“Aren’t you leaving?” 

“Huh?” 

He seemed momentarily surprised, as if he hadn’t expected her to say that.