“Ah, it’s so bright.”

Mirabell’s slender head tilted to the side, avoiding the sunlight streaming through the window.

The scattered rays of light through the interview room window were so dazzling that she couldn’t see the face of the blond man sitting across from her.

Seeing Mirabell leisurely resting her tilted cheek on her palm, the blond man cleared his throat.

“Ahem. Excuse me.”

“Sorry. The light is just so bright.”

Mirabell straightened her posture and sat upright.

As a result, her short, soft auburn hair swayed gently over her porcelain-like skin.

The striking white polka-dotted dress on a vivid blue background, which accentuated her snow-white skin, suited her so well that she looked like a mannequin straight out of a department store luxury boutique.

The blond man slightly furrowed his brows, then spoke the words he had to say.

“I’m your interviewer, Professor of the Department of Magic, Nathan Christopher.”

***

Just as I expected.

A cool, appropriately deep masculine voice!

‘Ahhh. That voice. It’s lethal.’

I fangirled inwardly and tapped my high-heeled feet on the floor.

Nathan glanced briefly at them, then sighed heavily and said, “You’re here for the special interview at the Imperial Academy, correct?”

“Yes! Hello. That’s right. I’m Mirabell Pearl.”

“…Yes. It is clearly, c-l-e-a-r-l-y written here.”

Tap, tap. The sound of the pen tip tapping on the file echoed, creating a subtle tension between us.

As the pages of the file turned, the tension heightened.

He probably saw me as a nouveau riche who got into the school by donating a huge sum.

‘He can think that if he wants. He’ll find out the truth eventually.’

Ten-year veteran of heavy romance-fantasy readership.

On the first day I transmigrated, I shouted:

“I, I finally transmigrated toooo!”

Into the daughter of a baron—an extra—in the romance-fantasy novel [For Princess Ratina], which I had read and reread until my smartphone battery died.

Since it came to this, I became a millionaire using the original story. Then I studied like crazy and applied to the academy.

Why? To meet my stag-like favorite.

‘Calm down, Bae Mira! Don’t go dropping snot into fully cooked rice!’[1]

No ruining! I struggled to keep my overly excited butt planted on the chair.

‘This isn’t a dream, right? Nathan is in front of me!’

I don’t care about the female lead who married the Northern Grand Duke male lead.

All I care about is this man, Nathan Christopher.

The youngest genius professor in the Department of Magic at the Imperial Academy, Nathan. My favorite.

An unbelievably handsome man with blond hair and cobalt blue eyes reminiscent of a sea you could drown in.

What mattered was that he, the VIP interviewer, was sitting in front of me.

Unlike the seemingly uncomfortable Nathan, I was enjoying the atmosphere.

The man sitting across from me is a beautiful stag.

Then, am I the leopard?

Yes, that sounds good.

I’m going to bite down on that white nape—

“You applied to our school at quite a mature age.”

My delusion was shattered by my favorite’s voice.

I puckered my lips and replied, “That’s harsh. I’m still twenty-five and single, you know.”

“Our incoming freshmen are twenty years old. Your marital status is… no, that’s irrelevant to the admission criteria.”

“It’s fine. We’re only four years apart, Professor.”

“…What does that even mean?”

“That’s the perfect age gap to get married without hesitation.”

Oops. I meant to fangirl internally, but it slipped out.

His straight lips twitched immediately.

Nathan’s habit. It means he really hates it.

‘So, so cuteeee!’

I’d only read about that expression in text, but seeing it in person was amazing.

Nathan gave me a sharp warning look. “Is this a matchmaking meeting, Miss Mirabell Pearl?”

“Not at all.”

“Glad you’re aware. Do that one more time and I’ll sue you for defamation.”

“That was just a saying… Oh, yes. I’m sorry.”

Nathan’s gaze grew even sharper.

Loose lips. I tapped my lips with the edge of my palm.

His piercing blue gaze flitted to my plump lips, flinched, then brushed past my eyes and returned to the documents. As if nothing had happened, he moved on to the next step.

“You could have gotten in with a donation, yet insisted on the formal route. That’s surprising.”

“I’m a hard worker. I have a good memory, too.”

Of course. I’ve memorized every money-making detail from the original, everything about Nathan.

‘Wow. He’s so handsome. Look at his blond hair sparkling in the sunlight. Did you rob all the goldsmiths in the Empire? Did you grind gold into your shampoo? Why is he so dazzling? That nose bridge angle… is it real? I want to slide down from the top of it!’

“Top of the entrance exam… with a perfect score, at that.”

The loud sound of turning pages accompanied the elegant rise of his seagull-shaped eyebrows.

While I fangirled inwardly, I gently lifted both corners of my mouth.

‘That’s what I was aiming for. The twist in charm.’

He must have thought I was just some dumb rich businesswoman.

But how about a woman like that who’s also smart?

Aren’t I just irresistibly charming?

Pretty face, great figure. Lots of money.

The only flaw is that I’m from a baron’s family.

But even that’s not a big deal.

Why? Because I’m a CEO.

A “naming match specialist” the world can’t live without!

“I understand you’re a hugely successful entrepreneur.”

Was he asking why I wanted to attend school?

‘Because if I didn’t, you’d be buried in your research and never notice me. That’s why I applied.’

Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud for fear my stag might bolt. Truly regrettable.

Nathan Christopher became a lab-bound zombie after the original heroine married the Northern Grand Duke.

‘Let’s play it humble.’

“My only flaw is that I have a short academic background because I started working young.”

“Ah. That does seem to be the case.”

“Oh my. That’s a rude thing to say, Professor.”

I studied to death to grab the top spot, not just to show I’m not a brainless rich woman who bought her way in, but someone who actually has brains.

“It was meant as a compliment.”

“Yes. I chose to take it that way.”

I won’t be discouraged by something like that.

I know you did it on purpose, my favorite.

Nathan stared at me disapprovingly, then opened his mouth with a grim face. “Then lastly, please share your motivation for applying and your aspirations.”

“My motivation?”

“Yes.”

That’s you.

I want to say it.

I really want to say it!

I tightly pressed my lips together and boldly crossed my legs, which I had been keeping neatly closed.

This was the VIP special interview room, after all.

It meant this was a purely formal procedure.

This event was set up because of my social standing.

‘Do you know how much I’ve donated to this school every year?’

And I even scored full marks on the entrance exam.

What an honest student I am!

If I had shown up at the regular interview site, it would have ended in assassination or kidnapping.

‘Assassination from a competitor, kidnapping from my fan club.’

I must have spaced out without realizing.

Nathan kept calling my name.

“…Miss Mirabell Pearl?”

Oh no.

He keeps calling my name in that sweet voice. It’s getting hard to keep acting modest and calm!

Suppressing my fangirl heart, I managed to respond within the bounds of normalcy.

“I’ll tell you.”

“Go ahead.”

“My reason for applying is Professor Nathan Christopher.”

Oops. A mistake. He’ll hate that.

I snuck a glance at Nathan’s reaction.

‘Yep, his brow just scrunched right up.’

It’s been twenty years, cut me some slack.

You, my favorite, are breathing right in front of me!

“Haa.”

As if to prove it, Nathan raked his hand through his hair with a heavy sigh.

“Miss Pearl, I have more authority than you think.”

“Pardon?”

Those cobalt-blue eyes, like a crisp morning breeze, twisted in irritation.

“Reject-“

Before he could finish, I hurriedly added, “In magic, there’s no one in this world who can rival you, Professor. That’s why I applied.”

I smiled as normally as I could.

Thankfully, the man’s sharply raised brows returned to their usual place.

That was close.

I secretly gulped.

“The interview is over. Please leave now.”

“Thank you.”

I stood from my chair and gave a polite bow.

Holding only one side of my skirt while bowing, with one leg stepped back—that was the proper form.

Perhaps he didn’t expect such perfect manners, because Nathan looked slightly surprised.

‘This is none other than the royal etiquette of Hamish, Nathan’s homeland.’

Nathan was originally a prince of the fallen Hamish royal family.

Until he sought asylum in the Platine Empire.

‘A royal heir… Isn’t he just too perfect?’

Outwardly, I put on a sorrowful expression and brought my right hand to my chest.

“It may be presumptuous, but I heard my late great-great-grandfather was from the Kingdom of Hamish. So, the Pearl family always considers Hamish our spiritual homeland.”

“Great-great-grandfather?”

“Yes.”

“I-I see.”

Perhaps he felt it would be impolite to dig into the family of the deceased, because Nathan didn’t press further.

In truth, I didn’t even know my great-great-grandfather’s name.

‘The rule of thumb is: never mess with someone’s family.’

I totally made that up.

“Then.”

“Professor?”

I watched the elegant back of Nathan as he quickly left the interview room ahead of me, and wet my lips with the tip of my tongue.

“You were really shocked, huh? My sweet Ethan.”[2]

Then I lifted my right hand and gave a little curling wave with my fingers.

“See you at the entrance ceremony, my prince…”

Oh my, my prince.

“…Mmph.”

Meeting my favorite made me so insanely happy that I had to cover my mouth with both fists like a modern, cultured woman and silently swallow my scream.

‘I’m really glad I possessed this body.’

Now I can save you.

Nathan Christopher is going to die soon.

But I will never let that happen.

So stay right there and wait for me, my favorite professor.

T/N

[1] Korean idiom — to ruin or spoil a situation that was going smoothly or was about to succeed, similar to “don’t rain on my parade.”

[2] “Ethan” (이선) is a playful nickname Mirabell made up for Nathan (네이선). In Korean, 네이선 is pronounced “Ne-i-seon,” and she shortens it to just 이선 (“I-seon”), which I’ve rendered as “Ethan” in English.