Thud, thud, thud, thud.
The heavy sound was the stacking of books upon thick volumes. One, two, three… Rensley’s resolute determination in front of the neatly piled books, each as thick as his wrist and numbering more than ten, crumbled like a tower of cards in an instant.
Feeling as if his mind was fading to white, Rensley, in as calm a voice as possible, asked Gezell, “Can His Excellency really read all these books in just a week?” If he had to not only read but also memorize them, it seemed an impossible feat for anyone other than an extraordinary individual.
Gezell calmly replied, “I can finish in three days, but I mentioned a week for Lord Maelrosen, coming from a foreign land. I thought you might need that much time.”
‘I see. His Excellency is indeed no ordinary person… But what do I do when my mind is below average?’
People often laugh when facing self-deprecation. When Rensley received the notification that he would become a bride to Aldrant instead of Ivet, he burst into laughter first. It was just too absurd. It wasn’t as extreme as back then, but even now, he felt like laughing.
The place where Rensley sat was not a library but the Duke’s underground research lab. Gezell had instructed the librarian to bring over books for Lord Maelrosen’s private tutoring session, and all the afternoon research tasks had been canceled.
Rensley was grateful for Gezell’s sincere effort in arranging a private tutoring session for him, but his heart gradually withered as he realized he wouldn’t be able to meet those expectations.
While Rensley struggled to recover his shattered concentration by flipping through a small book, Gezell busied himself combining substances in front of a table with various vials. When Gezell turned back to Rensley with a bottle about the size of a teacup in his hands, he said, “Drink this.”
The viscous and oddly colored liquid was unsettling even before tasting it. Rensley raised his eyebrows, looking at the bottle with suspicion. The dubious feeling dissipated.
“What is this?”
“It’s a temporary memory and concentration-enhancing potion. It’ll help with your studies if you drink it.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Rensley widened his eyes. There was doubt in his voice. “Isn’t it cheating to take such a potion while studying for an exam? I want to take the test fairly.”
“Why would seeking higher efficiency be considered cheating? There’s no rule that says you can’t use the power of magic to prepare for an exam, as long as it’s not during the actual test.”
Gezell seemed indifferent to what the problem was. When Rensley couldn’t answer, he continued, “It’s a potion commonly used by scholars and wizards. There might have been others among the candidates preparing for the entrance exam who used it. If calling this cheating, then wouldn’t all magic be considered cheating? When farming, you don’t necessarily have to rely only on natural forces, and when communicating, you don’t always have to send letters, do you?”
“Well, that’s true, but… Does His Grace also take such potions when studying?”
“Not now, but occasionally when I was younger. I wanted to read more books in the same amount of time.”
“Ah, I think I understand. There are times when I want to dance, play cards, and do other things all at once during the same time.”
“Since you’ve had a similar experience, you must catch on quickly. Now, please go ahead and drink it.”
Rensley hesitated but eventually took the glass bottle. Even before tasting, an unpleasant smell wafted from inside the bottle.
Though he had vaguely noticed from the beginning, magic in Aldrant was commonly used as a convenient technology. In contrast, in Cornia, unless one was part of the royal family, it was challenging to even catch a glimpse of a wizard. The current king of Cornia, fearing magic, strictly prohibited unauthorized magical research or use by law. This was due to the suspicion surrounding the first queen’s family, a prominent magical lineage, accused of attempting to assassinate the king.
While Rensley had encountered royal magicians a few times due to living in the royal city, they all emitted a frightening and stern aura. As he had spent his time in the royal city, he hadn’t directly handled magical tools or experimented with potions.
‘Really, is it okay to drink this?’
Feeling intimidated to swallow it in one gulp, Rensley decided. It wasn’t a time to be scared over such trivial matters. He tilted his head back, and in one breath, the bottle was emptied after about three sips.
The taste wasn’t as bad as he expected. However, there wasn’t a notable feeling of increased intelligence. When Rensley, with a slightly puzzled expression, looked at Gezell, the latter seemed to understand his thoughts.
“It takes a bit of time for the effects to kick in. Shall we decide which subject to start studying first?”
Seeing Gezell searching through the books, Rensley couldn’t help but smile. “I thought I had to pass the exam on my own strength, but you seem to be a very principled person, Your Grace.”
“Me? That’s the first time I’ve heard such an evaluation.”
Indeed, hiding the truth from people and performing the marriage ceremony as a man, everything felt detached from principles and rules. It might have been due to the stern expression, or the always dark attire, but something about Gezell felt distant. People cannot be understood by appearances alone. Rensley smiled a bit more.
“It’s interesting.”
“That’s good. Now, let’s see if the effects of the potion have started.”
Though Rensley didn’t mean that studying would be interesting, Gezell seemed to misunderstand. The book “Aldrent, History of the Sacred Kingdom in the Northern Continent,” a thick volume, was placed in front of Rensley with a display of weightiness.
“Let’s start with this book. After mastering history, understanding the other subjects will be easier.”
Rensley dropped his face towards the bookshelf. Looking at the expressionless face that couldn’t erase the boredom and mechanically reading, a slow sense of wonder spread as Rensley suddenly lifted his head. Gezell nodded as if to say, “It looks like there won’t be much time spent reading, even if there’s a lot to cover.”
For Rensley, who was often scolded for being distracted during class, it was a mysterious feeling he had never experienced before. The characters entered his eyes smoothly, settling quickly in his mind without any other thoughts interrupting.
‘Perhaps this is what people mean when they say their heads are spinning. People like the Duke, who enjoy studying, are always in this state, even without taking the potion, I suppose?’
Already flipping through several pages, Gezell sat beside Rensley. He pointed to a sentence on the page; it was a declaration where the founding king first erected a barrier. Recalling the old story he had heard before, Rensley concentrated more and read the line beneath his finger.
“It would be good to memorize everything, but the parts likely to appear in the entrance exam are predetermined. Let’s focus on reading those parts.”
“Yes!”
Rensley’s voice naturally grew louder. Following Gezell’s designated sections, as he read, the words automatically wove together in his mind, creating a mental map of information. It felt fascinating, almost crazy.
“Why doesn’t the King of Cornia use magic in such a way? He’s more foolish than I thought.”
Unable to contain the bubbling excitement deep within, Rensley couldn’t help but call out to his study partner sitting side by side.
“Your Grace!”
“Yes.”
“The book is so interesting. Let’s finish history today!”
At that moment, Gezell’s eyes and lips moved more noticeably than they did in the study room. It was still a subtle change, but this time, there was an unmistakable smile.
‘This person knows how to smile for real, doesn’t he?’ Rensley’s laughter became even brighter. The time spent preparing for the exam was becoming more and more interesting.
“That’s fortunate.”
Finding studying enjoyable. This was far more dazzling to Rensley than the fact that he had come to a distant foreign land in disguise, held a secret wedding in secret, and took the place of his stepsister.
Tell me how can I find a husband like Gezell ? (ﾉ≧∇≦)ﾉ ﾐ ┻━┻
ADHD meds for Rensley 😆
Lmaooo I was thinking the exact same thing, especially when Rensley mentioned he has trouble with inattention type symptoms