Chapter 21

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Imprinted with the Male Lead 29

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It took a total of fourteen days from requesting the new materials needed for her research until they finally arrived.

Of course, it was precisely because she'd stuck to this cumbersome method that she'd managed to keep her research hidden this long. Still, two weeks was just too damn long.

Wasn't there a way to catch two rabbits at once?

Perhaps it was because her heart was racing with impatience, but Luciana couldn't stand all the time wasted just waiting.

"And to top it off, the male lead pops up right when I'm starting to forget about him, being all rude and obnoxious. I need to sever this imprint fast."

They said getting imprinted meant you'd inevitably fall in love?

Of course, she wasn't hoping for anything like that, but no matter how she thought about it, it felt like a total lie.

Every time something happened, he'd treat her like trash, tossing her aside, and his words were always so crude.

"And when rut hits, he's just...!"

As Luciana recalled the outrageous things Richt had done to her, she huffed in anger and unlocked the lock.

"?"

The next moment, Luciana froze with a dumbfounded look on her face, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

She'd expected the box to be stuffed full of magic herbs like always. What was this?

Am I seeing things right now?

This box looked like it might contain an engagement ring or something equally extravagant. What the hell was it?

Luciana came to a halt, staring at the bizarre intruder plopped right in the center.

I don't remember ordering something like this.

She picked up the case gingerly, as if it might carry some contagious disease.

This cream-colored box, about the size of her palm, didn't look like it could possibly hold the magic herbs she'd requested, no matter how she squinted at it.

"No, you never know. Maybe it's from a supplier who puts extra emphasis on packaging...?"

Convinced she'd overreacted out of excessive caution, she forced a thin smile and slowly lifted the lid.

"Gasp...!"

This... had absolutely nothing to do with the materials she'd ordered?

Luciana swallowed hard, her throat dry as she gazed at the jewel radiating an almost burdensome brilliance.

Its dazzling glow was so overwhelming that she hesitated even to touch it, exuding an aura that left her speechless from the first glance.

"A mana stone?"

It couldn't be that another rut was incoming, could it?

Though spring was just twenty days away, winter's chill winds still blew strong.

Suspecting the duke might have sent her a new magic artifact, Luciana channeled some mana into it. But the gem simply twinkled silently, absorbing none of her power.

"So it's just a regular jewel?"

At that moment, a snippet of conversation she'd had with the young ladies flashed through Luciana's mind.

"Have you heard the rumors? There's a new gem trending in the capital lately!"

"You mean Lunet, right? They say it blends two colors so beautifully. Ahh, I'd love to see one in person just once."

"Could it be... Lunet?"

This incredibly rare and elegant mineral imported from the Ebnia Kingdom.

Having distanced herself from high society to focus on her research, Luciana had only heard about it belatedly, but she recognized it easily enough.

"They say the pink and gold melt together like an autumn twilight. Doesn't it kinda remind you of Lady Leslie's vibe at first glance?"

"Oh my, now that you mention it, it does! It would suit you perfectly!"

She'd heard all about Lunet ad nauseam from the young ladies, who were obsessed with gem talk at the time.

"I thought it was weird when they said it resembled me at first, but looking at it now... yeah, kinda."

The specks of gold peeking through the pink kept stealing her gaze.

Perhaps that was why it was the talk of even the pickiest nobles.

Luciana, who had lived as the marquis's daughter and been surrounded by luxuries to the point of boredom, still felt something uniquely special about Lunet—something no other gem possessed.

"Maybe because it didn't exist in my previous world."

But right now, idle admiration was beside the point.

Luciana carefully placed the Lunet back in its spot, her expression a complicated mix of emotions.

Her eyes still swirled with confusion.

Currently, Lunet was so rare that even a single tiny shard had nobles lining up in droves—there were even jokes about it.

"Not only is it a Lunet, but... that size, and that quality...!"

One glance told her it was no ordinary top-grade stone.

Back when she'd just entered the academy, Luciana had once gifted her brother Lorraine cufflinks embedded with blue diamonds for his birthday.

"I had to empty all my saved allowance for those."

Choosing a shop run by a famous artisan because she wanted to give him something nice had been her downfall.

In this class-based society, where status was determined from birth, Luciana had learned firsthand that a gem's value could differ vastly based on its quality.

That's why she knew exactly how exorbitantly top-tier jewels traded hands—especially if they were crafted by a renowned artisan like Jean Perdu.

When she spotted the quality assurance card bearing the artisan's name, worry creased Luciana's brow.

Why on earth would the male lead send something like this to her?

"What the hell is he thinking?"

Thinking of the inscrutable sender left her speechless once more.

"It can't be... a birthday present, right?"

Ugh. Just imagining it gave her goosebumps all the way to her toes.

Her head knew there was no way, but her body rejected the idea instinctively.

"Besides, the male lead doesn't even know my birthday."

Obviously, Luciana hadn't sent Richt an invitation or dropped any hints.

To be precise, though they were bound as mates, they weren't close enough to sweetly look after each other. That would be as impossible as the sun rising in the west.

"Ah, but if it were the heroine, things might've been different?"

Unlike with her, the heroine was practically his destiny—he'd probably hand over his heart and soul without a second thought.

"I don't know the details, but it's probably just a mix-up."

Luciana nodded lightly and shut the case without a second glance.

She still wondered why Richt had sent her something so precious, but did she really need to dig into it? She could just return the gem later—no need to overthink it.

"Right now, I need to focus on more important things."

Luciana began meticulously inspecting the magic herbs Richt had sent.

Checking for any flaws, ensuring they weren't old stock.

Richt had always kept his promise to send only the finest, but she made it a habit to double-check just in case.

"Good. Condition looks perfect."

Luciana carried the box to her lab bench, pulled out a fresh sheet of paper, and sat at her desk.

"Today, I absolutely have to tell the male lead about trying a different way to contact each other...!"

This was one of the issues Luciana had been mulling over for a while.

She did have one idea in mind, but she couldn't guarantee Richt would go for it. If he insisted on the current method, all her plans would go up in smoke.

"Hm. No way to know until I try. Let's draft the letter first."

Hoping the duke would quietly go along with her suggestion, Luciana took up her pen.

"Ah, Your Grace."

"Coming from Lordwell Street?"

"Yes, sir."

On his way to the office, Richt spotted Rick approaching from the opposite direction and gestured toward the box.

"Good work. You're dismissed."

"Understood."

After handing over the package wordlessly, Rick left. Richt entered the office and immediately unlocked the clasp.

Click.

A letter?

Finding the unfamiliar envelope, he used his letter knife to slice open the wax seal and read the contents.

To his surprise, it contained an unexpected proposal.

Richt gazed quietly at the neat handwriting.

He could clearly sense Luciana's eagerness to complete her research as soon as possible woven into every word.

For someone in her position, reliant on him like this, it was truly grateful that she'd taken such an active step.

And yet, there was this undercurrent of dissatisfaction with the situation that he couldn't quite place.

"...Idle thoughts again."

He didn't need to know what that was, and he shouldn't even try.

Richt shook off the stray notions with effort and refocused on the letter.

"She has a point."

In his focus on security to avoid pesky scandals, he'd overlooked other aspects.

The method he'd proposed was something he'd come up with on the spot, so it was only natural it would have flaws.

"So, she's suggesting a way to fix the issue now?"

Richt read on to the end.