“Listen to me, Monet!”
“Do you really have to study that damn Magic Material Compatibility Theory?”
“Alchemy is flourishing right now! You can mix any materials together and create something shocking.”
“In the time you’ve spent on this, I could have published ten papers…”
Monet swept the wine bottles off her body and scrambled up from the ground in a pathetic state.
Perhaps she had drunk too much, as she seemed to hear her colleagues’ chattering voices in her ears again.
A hangover headache began to set in…
Looking at the messy room before her, she spent 0.5 seconds recognizing her current situation — she had already spent this month’s rent on booze, so, barring any surprises, she would soon be kicked out by her landlord.
“Work, work… Money, money…”
Monet muttered, finally finding the right scratch paper on her messy desk.
“Once I finish scraping this article together, I’ll have money for alcohol again…”
But for some reason, only a short opening was written on the paper.
“Hiss… didn’t I already finish writing it in my dream?”
Monet scratched her head.
“Why do I have to write it again now that I’m awake? Is this a joke…?”
She complained with a groan, clutching her messy hair with both hands.
In this hysterical state, it was truly difficult to reconcile her appearance with her title — Associate Professor of the Alchemy Branch at the Avalon National Magic Academy and the youngest member of the Federal Alchemy Association in history.
“It’s over, it’s over… I don’t have a single lead.”
Monet’s research funding had been cut off.
She knew very well that if she didn’t produce anything this week… even that shabby laboratory would be reclaimed by the academy.
Feeling a sense of desolation, she reached for the wine bottles on the floor again, attempting to continue numbing herself with alcohol…
“Is there any wine left? Why are they all empty bottles — !”
Monet wailed… but suddenly, her fingers touched a cold reagent bottle.
“Eh? There’s a bottle of red left? How did I not notice it last night…?”
Monet muttered, only to find a note stuck to this bottle of “red wine”…
“To the esteemed Professor Monet…?”
***
Inside the library of the Carris Manor.
Rows of bookshelves were arranged neatly, filled with categorized books organized by height.
Their gold-stamped covers looked as new as if they had never been opened.
This library saw few noble children; it was more like a vanity project for the family.
Even the maids responsible for daily cleaning often ignored the building.
But recently, the arrival of a certain silver-haired girl had added a lot of life to this desolate building.
“Her Highness Luwei has been staying in the library for 1 week straight…”
“What’s wrong with Her Highness? Was she scolded by the Duke?”
Over the past 1 week, Luwei had flipped through almost all the newspapers and periodicals in the library.
She rubbed her aching neck and cast a faint glance around her.
Quite a few young faces had gathered here…
They gathered in the library, and although they held books in their hands, most were absent-minded.
Some even carried tea, treating it as if they were attending a social mixer.
They were mostly from branch families or minor nobles dependent on the Caris Family.
Luwei could already guess the reason these people were here…
Seeing the Duke’s eldest daughter frequently entering and leaving the library while their own children were idling about, these nobles had herded their younger generation here to be “studious”… and to see if they could strike up a good relationship with her.
‘Is this the downside of status…? A group of people watches no matter what I do.’
Luwei muttered to herself, the thought of leaving rising in her mind.
As long as she stayed here, these young nobles would try to talk to her.
Although Luwei only needed to glare at them for them to leave tactfully, she couldn’t handle the sheer number of people…
And seeing her attitude, it was inevitable that gossip would spread among them.
Luwei didn’t care at all, however.
She had come to the library with an important purpose — to understand the current events of this world and seize opportunities…
Whether they thought she was being pretentious or believed she had changed her personality, none of it mattered to her.
After all… few people in this era could understand what she wanted to do.
Just then, a commotion came from the door…
“I want to see Her Highness Luwei! Let me in!”
“Please show your noble identification.”
“Is a degree certificate not enough? Here, I also have an invitation from Her Highness Luwei…”
“My apologies… too many people have wanted to see Her Highness lately. If everyone could enter based on a few scraps of paper, this library, meticulously built for noble lords and ladies, would fall into chaos…”
Hearing the disturbance at the door, Luwei didn’t take it to heart…
She wished the guards would block everyone outside so no one would disturb her.
Thinking this, Luwei took the newspapers and books she hadn’t finished reading and walked straight out of the library…
But just as she passed the figure being blocked by the guards, the person nearly jumped on the spot.
A faint ripple of magic appeared, and the guards at the door were suddenly pushed a few meters away.
“Your Highness Luwei!!”
A shouting voice rang in Luwei’s ear, followed by a strong smell of alcohol…
“I… I-I…”
The person seemed somewhat incoherent.
“I am that… that esteemed Professor Monet!”
“Haven’t you always wanted to meet me?”
Luwei’s brows furrowed slightly at the words.
“My apologies, but among the people I know, no one is called ‘Esteemed Professor Monet’…”
She sized up the uninvited guest — a woman in her 20s or 30s with eyebags so heavy they could reach the floor and a mess of brown hair hanging loosely.
Her clothing was decent enough, but the magic robe marked “National Magic Academy” was washed out to the point of being pale.
“Your Highness Luwei, please stop joking with me!”
the person claiming to be Monet wailed.
“Since you can brew this kind of potion…”
She pulled a familiar red reagent from her bosom.
“Then you must have read my paper, right?”
Seeing the Healing Potion produced by Floxi, a look of realization finally flashed in Luwei’s eyes.
It seemed the net she had cast had finally caught a fish.
But hearing what Monet said next… Luwei’s expression became puzzled again.
“The research paper about Material Compatibility!”
Monet’s expression became confident.
“Different materials have different compatibilities. If compatibilities conflict, antagonism occurs; if they harmonize, synergy is produced…”
Monet caught hold of Luwei as if she had met a soulmate once in 100 years, almost leaning her entire weight onto her.
But Luwei just kept a stiff face.
‘This person is getting really close…’
Facing Monet, who was eager to show off… Luwei pretended she could understand, but her mind drifted elsewhere.
The other party’s height was actually quite oppressive.
After all, Luwei felt she wasn’t short; most peers were only 1 head taller than her…
Moreover, it wasn’t just the height that was oppressive.
That vulgar chest almost completely blocked Luwei’s vision — she couldn’t even see Professor Monet’s face anymore!
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