Chapter 3

‘In other words, it’s a complete blue ocean.’

In a world like this, a medicine that guarantees contraception would be highly sought after. In conclusion…

‘I’ll change the tragic fate of the heroine, and help other women too. Paying off the family debt would be nice, too.’  

If Erin succeeded, she’d be doing good deeds and could enjoy a comfortable life on a pile of money.

Having reached this logical conclusion, Erin, having failed the Imperial Certified Alchemist exam, immediately set up a laboratory. It was funded by the tiny savings she’d scraped together through academy entrance tutoring and every loan she could get her hands on.

Her family was already buried in debt, so her credit was terrible, and she’d struggled a lot, but just having her own lab was a good thing.

The building was shabby, the rooms were full of cobwebs, and the furniture was all rotting, but—

‘Now, it’s just the beginning!’

There was still time before the heroine graduated.

After graduating from the academy and coming of age, the heroine would soon be confined by the male lead and begin the steamy days of ‘no, no, yes, yes.’

Up until then, thanks to being a minor, the worst she’d faced was bullying led by the villainess or the male lead’s rollercoaster moods. But after coming of age, she’d face the hardcore, tragic path where contraception was essential.

‘I just need to do something before then!’

Erin didn’t give up; she spread her business plan everywhere.

She was sure there was demand and believed someone would invest sooner or later.

…And unexpectedly, she landed a big shot.

‘Duke Aston…?’

‘Yes. He wishes to sponsor you, Lady Erin Leshamur, daughter of Baron Leshamur.’

It was Duke Aston Clebania’s steward who had come to see her.

Erin already knew about Duke Aston Clebania.

He was a reclusive, mysterious duke whom only close stewards and retainers had ever seen.

Yet, he was so wealthy and involved in business that almost every major enterprise in the Empire went through Clebania. Rumor had it he controlled half the Empire’s wealth.

As for why he never showed his face, society was full of speculation.

Some said he was extremely ugly, had major flaws on his face or body, or was bald…

But all were just guesses—no one knew the truth.

Anyway, the duke was so famous that even Erin, who rarely attended social events and was always busy paying off debts, had heard about him.

‘Even though he stays hidden, he runs his business and family affairs perfectly, right?’

She’d heard he supported various artists and researchers, too…

‘Such a person wants to support my research?’

She was so happy she wanted to jump for joy.

On top of that, Duke Aston Clebania was famous for being generous to those he sponsored.

Even if academic research dragged on for years, he’d patiently promise funding. If artists couldn’t finish their next work, he’d even give them a vacation grant. The duchy’s resources were so plentiful that he could afford it.

The steward looked at Erin seriously and spoke.

‘But you must deliver results.’

‘Yes! Of course!’

‘That was already three years ago…’

Erin, feeling emotional, took out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes.

Just because she’d gained the support of the richest man in the Empire didn’t mean things went as she wished.

First, it took a lot of time just to compare the medicines and ingredients she remembered from her previous life to the alchemical ingredients of this world. Some ingredients hadn’t even been discovered here, so she had to find those, too.

‘It was really tough.’

As a result, Erin became the first discoverer of several unknown and overlooked ingredients, and even got her name into academic circles.

‘Though it was just a fleeting mention in an obscure journal.’

That was fine. She thought it was natural. The duke wasn’t the type to pressure or rush his protégés.

And Erin hadn’t been slacking, either.

She worked with utmost care, doing her best and working quickly. For pharmaceutical or medical research, her progress wasn’t bad at all.

But for some reason…

‘He said he wouldn’t rush! He said he wouldn’t pressure me!’

That’s what she’d heard, and other protégés she met at annual progress meetings praised the duke’s generosity.

But Erin was a unique exception.

‘The Duke asks if you have any results yet.’

‘Ah, well, could I have a bit more time…’

‘It’s already the second year. Your experiments are dragging on.’

‘Medical research doesn’t yield results that quickly…’

‘Ahem.’

‘……’

Duke Aston’s steward would come by periodically to pressure her for results, even pushing for deadlines that weren’t clearly set.

Erin honestly felt it was unfair.

‘He doesn’t do this to other researchers!’

Some sponsored researchers spent years just enjoying their funding and traveling, facing no pressure. Some just submitted reports to get paid. Some even shared tips on how to pretend to work hard and get more funding!

Compared to them, Erin believed she was a diligent and passionate protégé. And that was simply true.

She was slow but steady, producing meaningful results.

‘So why only me!’

Was this experiment especially important to Duke Aston?

It wasn’t just the steward visiting. While others reported quarterly, Erin had to write monthly reports and letters to the duke.

‘This won’t do.’

Erin, who was used to working alone, hired an assistant for that reason. She needed someone to help her as both an assistant and a secretary.

Most of her budget went to experiments, materials, and paying off debts. With what was left, she barely managed to hire Ash.

‘You… Mr. Ash Hamilton?’

‘Please, just call me Ash.’

‘Research assistant…?’

At first, she was hesitant.

Ash was different from typical researchers—he was already tall and muscular.

He’d worn a hood at first, so she hadn’t realized…

‘Wow.’

‘…Sorry. I forgot to take it off because it’s hot…’

‘Why do you hide yourself?’

‘…Pardon?’

‘You’re really beautiful.’

‘……’

‘Ah. Sorry. I didn’t mean to judge, you’re just really good-looking!’

It was early summer, not long after Erin hired Ash.

She barged into the lab without knocking, not knowing Ash was already there, and was stunned when he took off his hood.

‘He’s really handsome.’

Gray hair and red eyes weren’t a common combination and might seem ominous to some, but on Ash, they just made him look more mysterious.

His long lashes, delicate nose, graceful lips, and sharp yet masculine jawline were all perfectly balanced.

Even his awkward smile was enough to dazzle anyone.

‘…Should I say thank you?’

‘No, I didn’t mean it as a compliment…’

‘And please, just call me Ash.’

‘Ah, o-okay!’

‘You can speak comfortably, too.’

‘…Alright, Ash! By the way, I’m picking flavors for the medicine. Could you help me test them?’

She said anything to cover her embarrassment, and the fresh scent Ash carried was something else.

‘Think good thoughts, think good thoughts.’

Erin had to chant ‘He’s my assistant, I’m the doctor…’ dozens of times to escape her confusion.

‘Does he hide his looks to avoid attracting attention?’

She worried she might neglect her research because she was too focused on Ash’s face…

Fortunately, Erin’s instincts reminded her that research was more important.

When she needed to concentrate, she could ignore Ash’s looks and focus on her work—proof she really was a former big-company researcher.

But the research didn’t speed up dramatically.

Ash could only help with things like drafting reports for the duke or organizing paperwork, or assisting with non-specialized parts of the experiments.

Still, time passed steadily.

Until just recently.

The usually generous Duke Aston sent his steward to deliver something close to an ultimatum.

‘What?! If I don’t get results soon, he’ll withdraw his support?’

‘Yes. The Duke feels he’s given you enough time.’

‘But…’

No matter how she thought about it, this wasn’t right.

‘He said he’d pay you generously for your hard work, though…’

‘…Ten months! Just give me ten months!’

‘Ten months?’

‘Yes! That’s all I need!’

‘How can you do in ten months what you haven’t in three years…’

‘I’ll do it! I can do it! I absolutely will!’

So Erin clung desperately to the steward’s pants.

She had a reason for insisting on ten months.

She absolutely had to produce results within that time.

‘In ten months, the heroine will graduate from the academy!’