Chapter 1: The Moment Everything Changed
The moment she opened the heavy door, a cloying perfume mixed with the faint smell of sweat assaulted her nose.
In the center of the dimly lit atelier, her husband Miffiore, the court alchemist, was tightly embracing a delicate young girl.
“Miffiore-sama…”
Lieselotte murmured in a daze.
Her name was Lieselotte Fart.
At present, she was the wife of this man, Miffiore Fart.
She had originally been a count’s daughter, but she had married into the Fart family, a lineage of court alchemists that had served the palace for generations.
She had long felt that her husband did not love her.
Even so, Lieselotte had loved him deeply.
And yet that very husband was now having an affair with another woman.
“What… is the meaning of this?”
“You can see it, can’t you.”
“She’s the woman I love.”
“Ah, Miffiore-sama…”
The woman called his name in a syrupy voice.
Lieselotte had seen that woman’s face before.
She was a newly appointed alchemist who had recently joined the royal court.
If Lieselotte remembered correctly, her husband had been assigned as her instructor.
‘Ugh… my head.’
Whether from overwhelming anger or the sorrow of betrayed love, a fierce headache surged through Lieselotte.
Meanwhile, completely unconcerned with his wife’s pain, Miffiore continued speaking.
“I’ve never loved a plain and heavy woman like you even once.”
“The only one worthy of my genius is her.”
The girl in Miffiore’s arms glanced toward Lieselotte standing at the doorway and twisted her lips in a mocking smile.
Her gaze was filled with superiority, as if saying, Sorry, but you’re nothing more than a disposable rival.
Faced with such cruel words and attitude, Lieselotte, his wife, lowered her head in defeat.
Until now, she had suppressed herself for his sake.
Night after night, she had stayed awake creating extraordinary potions.
The cold touch of the stone floor and the pain in her worn fingertips now felt unbearably hollow.
Just as despair threatened to tear her chest apart—
A shock like a lightning bolt striking the top of her head ran through her, and Lieselotte’s eyes widened.
Memories of her previous life resurfaced vividly before her eyes.
Lieselotte gasped and leaned back.
‘That’s right… this place.’
‘This is the world of “The Genius Alchemist and His Fated Muse.”’
It was a popular romance manga depicting the love between the pure and innocent yet impoverished noble girl Jita and the young genius alchemist beloved by the nation, Miffiore.
And Lieselotte realized the truth.
She herself was the miserable wife who existed only as a disposable rival to highlight the love between those two.
“What’s wrong, old lady?”
“Did it shock you that I stole your beloved husband?”
“How pathetic.”
“…I see.”
“So I was just the disposable rival.”
The moment she muttered those words, the love for Miffiore that had been churning inside her heart like thick mud suddenly vanished like the tide receding.
The spell completely broken, Lieselotte clapped her hands together and her eyes sparkled.
“Alright.”
“I don’t care anymore.”
Lieselotte smiled brightly.
“In that case, I won’t stand in the way of you two.”
“Hah?”
“I don’t need any compensation either.”
“I’ll leave immediately, so please sign this.”
Lieselotte smoothly took a divorce document out from the drawer of the desk.
In the original story, this was the moment when Miffiore himself would thrust the divorce papers forward.
Enraged, his wife Lieselotte would attack Jita, and that incident would lead to their divorce.
That was the purpose of the document.
With a radiant smile, she thrust it toward Miffiore.
“Y-you… what nonsense are you suddenly—”
“You love her, don’t you?”
“In that case, I will step aside.”
She quickly wrote her name on the divorce document and handed it to him.
“Now, please write your name.”
“Or do you still want me to stay here?”
“Are you afraid that once I leave, everyone will realize you’re not actually a genius?”
“What did you say?!”
‘That’s right.’
‘It wasn’t shown in the manga, but the true genius alchemist is actually Lieselotte.’
Lieselotte’s talent for alchemy was literally beyond any standard.
Until now, she had remained a quiet supporter behind the scenes, continuously supporting her husband.
The brilliant inventions he presented at court and the masterful potions of the highest quality he produced all existed only because Lieselotte was there.
However, in the original manga, all of that background had been completely cut out.
Even in the story after the divorce, almost nothing was depicted about Lieselotte’s work or what became of her.
Since the manga focused primarily on romance, anything unrelated to the heroine’s love story had simply been omitted.
“Damn you… looking down on me!”
Miffiore’s face turned bright red as he furiously scribbled his signature.
“There.”
“Are you satisfied now?”
“Get out already.”
“I never want to see the face of someone like you again.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Well then… goodbye.”
Taking the signed document, Lieselotte turned on her heel and left his room with light, carefree steps.
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