Chapter 140

Chapter 140

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 140: I Am The President And You Are… (3).

Zelnya doesn’t dislike onions; in fact, she’s not a picky eater. However, she struggles with sharing food. The Adelwein family has never been one for dining etiquette; for them, eating is merely a way to fill their stomachs.

So, sharing a meal with someone else becomes an awkward and challenging experience.

“Eat.”

“No, President, you eat.”

“Stop talking and just eat, will you?”

Zelnya stabbed an onion with her fork and transferred it to Aidel’s plate. In a way, it was sharing; in another, it felt more like waste disposal.

Aidel divided the meat and onion in a 1-to-5 ratio, chewing thoroughly.

“If it weren’t for the perilla dressing, this would be tiresome.”

Aidel harshly criticized the steak.

“There was a place I went with Rustila before that was much better.”

“…Where was that?”

“I can’t remember the name of the place.”

Zelnya’s expression soured at the mention of Rustila. A wave of sickness washed over her, and irritation surged within.

“Here, eat this too.”

She offered him some paprika and broccoli.

“Are you being picky right now?”

“No.”

Zelnya deliberately crunched on the onion, making a loud noise. It was her way of asserting that she could eat whatever he was eating.

“I’m so full I could die. Why do you keep giving me more?”

“Because I can’t finish it all.”

“Then take less from the start. Don’t give me bits and pieces in the middle.”

“That’s something you decide after tasting it.”

“You never lose an argument, do you?”

Of course not. Adelwein never loses, even in trivial matters.

Meanwhile, Zelnya barely touched her food. At this rate, Aidel was eating enough for two. He fiddled with a card bearing his sister’s name that he had taken from his wallet.

“I’ll treat you today.”

“No.”

Zelnya snatched the bill before he could protest.

“I have more money than you.”

“Oh.”

It was a petty pride, but Aidel found it charming.

“Ah, hold on a second.”

Aidel’s phone vibrated. It was just a moment, but Zelnya caught a glimpse of the caller’s name.

“Hello, Rustila?”

Zelnya flinched.

Rustila Kersil. Just hearing that name made her uneasy. There was no specific reason; it was just her face, and her actions—everything about her had bothered Zelnya for a long time.

“Where am I, you ask? I’m out eating. Uh, with whom? Well…”

Aidel rolled his eyes. Zelnya was within his line of sight, munching on fries while listening intently to the conversation.

“With a friend. Uh, with a friend.”

A friend. It still had a nice ring to it, but something felt lacking.

“This weekend together? Uh, um. Hold on. I don’t know my schedule for this week. Let me check and call you back. Yeah, bye.”

Aidel placed his phone down with a gentle smile.

“No way.”

Zelnya interjected before Aidel could even ask.

“What?”

“Making other plans? Absolutely not. The student council isn’t even fully formed yet—where do you find time to go out?”

“Who said I’m going out?”

“Aren’t you planning to go to Academia?”

“I have to.”

She must stop it. There’s no grand reason, but she couldn’t let Aidel meet that girl, Rustila, no matter what.

What method should she use?

Her mind raced.

“Recruiting.”

The pledge she had made.

“We need to invite the companies to the recruiting event, so you should come along this weekend.”

“Where to?”

“My house.”

The Adelwein Group stands as one of the largest mega-corporations in the Federation.

With subsidiaries spanning heavy industry, clothing, food, cosmetics, entertainment, medical services, private education, construction, and civil engineering, it resembles a constellation of businesses, each shining brightly in its own right.

Among these subsidiaries are government-sponsored research institutions, serving as a long-standing symbol of collusion between politics and business. Recent incidents at the Northern Outer God Research Institute and the Southern Biological Research Institute have further highlighted Adelwein’s tendency to slip money under the table.

“This way.”

Zelnya led the way as I disembarked from the shuttle. The over 12-hour space journey, even with the warp gate, had left my body in shambles.

“From here, everything within ten parsecs is basically our front yard, heh.”

We had arrived in the Adelwein planetary system—the closest system to the federal capital and a notorious playground for high-intelligence criminals, each with its own façade and hidden agendas.

It felt like stepping into a tiger’s den.

“Actually, the recruiting matter will be over soon.”

“Of course. It’s your home.”

“Then what do you think I expect from you here?”

I understood the reason Zelnya had brought me here.

“Since you’re taking charge of the External Cooperation Bureau, you need to demonstrate your capability.”

This was an evaluation—an assessment to determine whether I could handle the department I had applied for.

“If I see that you’re not up to par, I’ll transfer you to the Internal Affairs Bureau.”

The Internal Affairs Bureau—a department responsible for managing and assisting with work schedules.

In Stellarium, I also served as the president’s direct assistant. The student council’s schedule essentially mirrored the president’s agenda.

So, being transferred would mean taking on even more of Zelnya’s errands on top of what I was already doing.

“But the Internal Affairs Bureau was assigned to a second-year senior.”

“What’s given can be taken back.”

Zelnya replied with confidence as she continued walking.

Before long, we arrived at a grand mansion. As Zelnya snapped her fingers, the gates swung open effortlessly, revealing dozens of fifth-generation androids lined up on either side.

“Greetings to the esteemed Miss Adelwein.”

The androids bowed their heads in unison.

And then…

“What a bunch of nonsense.”

Sonia whispered, careful to keep her voice low.

“A pinnacle of snobbery that seems straight out of a thousand years ago. It’s enough to give you goosebumps. Young master, why don’t you just handle the agenda and leave?”

“What are you two whispering about?”

“Nothing, Miss Adelwein.”

Sonia replied, lowering her knees and gently lifting her skirt. Zelnya smirked and beckoned us inside.

We took our seats. Unlike her usual demeanor, Sonia sat right next to me, crossing her legs.

Moments later, the automatic door to the reception room opened, and an old man entered. His head was a crown of white hair, and his eyes held a faint hint of violet—clear evidence of his Adelwein lineage.

“It’s been a long time, Miss.”

“Uncle, it’s been a while. Please, come and take a seat.”

Uncle. The title felt both familiar and foreign to me.

“They’re seventh cousins. According to Federation Civil Law, they can marry. Practically strangers.”

Sonia whispered again.

Only then did the realization of his identity dawn on me.

“Nice to meet you both. I’m Kash von Adelwein. I work in the bio sector.”

Kash von Adelwein—one of the many villains in the Adelwein family saga, particularly notable for his involvement in the recent incident with the rightward-facing irregular polyhedron.

“I had already heard that our Adelwein Bionics was invited for a public recruitment at Stellarium.”

Kash continued, lowering his head slightly.

“I’m sorry, but it would be difficult for us…”

“What do you mean by that?”

Zelnya stood up, surprised. I had anticipated this reaction.

“Are you going back on your promise now?”

“I did say in the email that I would answer, but the situation changed immediately yesterday.”

“Then why didn’t you inform me via email beforehand?”

“Because it’s a top-secret matter that can only be conveyed verbally.”

Zelnya’s discomfort was palpable.

“Are you saying the mailbox we use is insecure now?”

“You’d have to trust the encryption key made by that guy’s company, Nordi. I heard there’s talk about secretly leaking information…”

“They’re part of the same group!”

I munched on the snacks in front of me while observing the escalating tension. Zelnya continued to spar with Kash, while Sonia nibbled on a cookie and whispered.

“This household is just like this cookie. When you take a bite, crumbs scatter everywhere.”

Like a cookie, huh? More like one that’s already in crumbs.

“Humans are so unpredictable. They share the same bloodline, so why are they fighting like that?”

“They’re practically strangers, too.”

“Even if they’re practically strangers, blood is thicker than water. If they’re seventh cousins, their genetic similarity is about 1.56%.”

I couldn’t help but smile bitterly at her words. Memories of fighting with my biological parents on Earth, calling each other names, flooded my mind. Just because you’re family doesn’t mean you all get along.

Kash caught my gaze and bowed his head, offering an apology.

“I’m sorry.”

At least he had some decency.

“Could you please leave for today? We have something to discuss privately.”

Wow, I must have been an idiot to expect anything else. I had forgotten the universal truth that the Adelwein bloodline lacks manners.

“Hey. My house is twelve hours away from here. And you’re asking me to leave for today?”

“Let’s book a hotel nearby. If needed, our family will cover the expenses.”

“It’s not about the expenses!”

I jumped up from my seat.

“The problem is that I’m a college student. I have classes the day after tomorrow. If I don’t finish today and leave right away, I won’t be able to face my professors because of you.”

“…?”

Sonia looked at me, puzzled. What, Why. There was nothing wrong with my logic. Seeing my professors is a serious matter!

“Then it would be best if you could come back next week.”

“No. Starting next week, I won’t have time. If we’re going to do this, let’s do it in writing. And if you’re going to cancel, let me know for sure right now.”

“Hmm.”

“Are you hesitating because of the inspector’s investigation?”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“They raided your group’s offices because of the human experimentation case.”

“……!”

“So, you’re whining that you can’t prepare the recruitment alone since all the executives are about to be taken away.”

“How did you know that…?”

As expected. It was obvious, even without needing to see it.