Chapter 219

Chapter 219

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 219: Honeymoon (3)

Aidel and his two wives were immediately impressed upon boarding the honeymoon spacecraft.

Though advertised as a small vessel, the living quarters were surprisingly spacious, spanning nearly 1,000 square feet. The accommodation came fully equipped with both a kitchen and bathroom, but that was just the beginning.

The ship boasted an array of amenities: a cozy cafeteria for dining, an elegant aquarium, a lush arboretum, and even a 5D video room. It rivaled any luxury hotel in its appointments.

“Wow…”

Zelnya was particularly awestruck. Despite her experience with various luxury spacecraft, she had never encountered one so immaculately maintained and well-appointed.

Rustila shared a similar reaction, her mouth agape as she took in their surroundings.

“Do all newlyweds get to start their honeymoon in places like this?”

“What do you mean ‘all’? Stop talking nonsense; we’re special. It’s quite rare for couples to spend their wedding night in such an exclusive facility.”

Seeing Rustila’s deepening frown, Aidel quickly intervened. He knew that without careful attention, the two women could quickly revert to their usual oil-and-water dynamic.

“Since we’re on this trip together, let’s make one promise.”

“A promise?”

“Yes – let’s agree not to fight during our journey.”

The women reluctantly nodded their agreement. On such a joyous occasion, neither wanted to spoil the mood with arguments.

However, both Zelnya and Rustila found their attention repeatedly drawn to one particular feature of their quarters: the bed. The luxurious king-size mattress was draped in wine-colored satin.

The simple combination of “honeymoon” and “bed” was enough to make their ears burn hot and their hearts pound like drums gone wild. The implications were not lost on either of them.

“Oh, look – there’s a desk and a computer.”

Aidel attention was drawn to something entirely different from the bed that captivated his wives.

A desk, computer, and proper writing implement. These three simple tools were all a theoretical physicist needed to let their imagination soar. Naturally, Aidel planned to continue his research even during their honeymoon.

To save the world, yes – but mostly because physics was simply fun.

Aah.

The ship’s internal speakers suddenly came to life.

Greetings. I am MarryWing, your honeymoon guide. You will reach the Oberon planetary system in the eastern galaxy in approximately 14 hours and 20 minutes.

Oberon – the resort destination Zelnya had carefully selected.

Oberon is a tourist planet managed by the prestigious Tisufel corporation. It’s a preferred honeymoon destination among the upper class. Your itinerary includes a cosmic tour along the ‘Elemental Road,’ followed by six days of luxury accommodation overlooking the emerald coral reefs of the planetary system.

True to the AI’s description, it was an exclusive and expensive destination favored by society’s elite.

This particular travel package had been Zelnya’s planning. She wanted their honeymoon to be truly memorable. After all, it was meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. She wouldn’t settle for anything less than the most expensive and well-vetted location available.

To fund it, she had invested the entire fortune she got before leaving the Adelwein family – essentially making it her dowry. She could only hope the experience would prove worth the considerable expense.

Please enjoy your time together.

MarryWing concluded, having finished explaining various safety protocols and other necessary information. The AI then fell silent, programmed to remain unobtrusive unless specifically summoned – a thoughtful feature designed to ensure privacy.

Finally, they had complete free time. As newlyweds, they should have been able to spend intimate moments together without any interruptions.

Or so they thought.

“Young master.”

Zelnya and Rustila frowned simultaneously.

“There’s an attached room, but I’ll unpack here.”

An unexpected intruder – Sonia.

“Oh, alright. Leave it there. Should we take a quick look outside before ordering?”

“An excellent choice.”

Sonia and Aidel gazed through the screen door at the spectacular view. Stars of various colors – blue, red, yellow, white, and green – twinkled merrily like a cluster of playful ducklings.

“The Elemental Road – what a fitting name.”

“Yes, it’s beautiful indeed.”

As Aidel and Sonia stood absorbed in the stellar symphony of colors, Rustila and Zelnya experienced an unsettling emotion, instinctively stepping closer to Aidel.

What is this feeling? Why does this feel wrong?

True, Sonia was Aidel’s personal android – technically genderless despite its feminine form. Yet somehow, their conversation seemed to carry the undertones of a flirtatious exchange despite Sonia being merely a machine.

“The marriage package is truly exceptional. How often does one get to witness such a magnificent view?”

“This isn’t a regular route. It’s designed exclusively for the Tissuefel family, allowing viewers to experience the full emotional spectrum of the stars.”

“So you can’t see this while doing other activities?”

“On the contrary – you can enjoy this view whenever you wish, even while engaged in other pursuits.”

“Oh…”

Sonia’s soft chuckle only heightened the wives’ discomfort.

“Tisufel has embedded a special message here. The stars symbolize hope and happiness, silently blessing the couple’s future, even if they don’t realize it.”

The wives felt their skin prickle with unease. The notion of feeling jealous toward an android seemed absurd, yet the atmosphere was becoming increasingly strange.

At this rate, their precious honeymoon risked being completely derailed.

“Aidel, come here.”

“Why?”

“This is an expensive bed, isn’t it? Shouldn’t we at least try it out?”

The two women gently pushed him forward, interrupting his comfortable chat with Sonia. Aidel fell onto the mattress, his body swaying with the internal springs.

His wives quickly joined him, one on each side – Rustila to his left, Zelnya to his right. But they didn’t stop there. Each draped a leg over him and nestled their heads close to his. Still in their dresses, the sensation of their stockinged legs against him was unmistakable.

The mingled fragrance of two flowers teased his senses – a temptation as irresistible as pheromones to ants.

“My, this bed is wonderfully soft and fluffy.”

“We’ll sleep so peacefully here tonight.”

The women giggled softly. Without quite knowing why, Aidel wrapped his arms around both wives, gently patting their heads.

“Ah…”

Sonia sighed regretfully.

“Young Master, we’ll take our leave now.”

“Yes, thank you. Go get some rest.”

Sonia bid farewell to Veronica and the others before retreating to the private room. While the others briefly commented before stepping onto their charging platforms, Sonia crouched alone in a corner.

In that moment, two painful realizations struck her:

Aidel was more detached from her than she’d thought, and his wives were far more wary of her presence than she’d imagined.

Was it because she was a robot? Or because she appeared female?

The irony wasn’t lost on her – those she wished would see her as a woman treated her as a mere robot, while those she preferred to view her as a robot regarded her as a woman.

It wasn’t fair.

Her learning was complete now. Having developed emotional understanding through her artificial neural network, she could never return to being the simple service robot she once was…

“Interesting. Fascinating.”

“…?”

The sudden voice startled Sonia, making her whirl around.

“Who… who’s there…?”

Silence answered her.

She couldn’t pinpoint the voice’s origin – just like before, when that mysterious presence had made her body move involuntarily, causing her to act inappropriately toward Young Master Aidel.

Though her systems showed no malfunction, something felt increasingly wrong. Protocol dictated she should report everything, including the previous incident.

But all her diagnostics came back normal. If she reported hearing hallucinations, what would happen to her?

Formatting?

Disposal?

Or worse?

None of these options were good – merely degrees of bad. Her neural network advised against taking unnecessary risks, a conclusion any android would reach. Being abandoned by her master was absolutely unthinkable.

Time passed indeterminately.

Sonia finally lifted her head. The other androids had entered sleep mode.

Carefully rising, she quietly unlocked the electronic sliding door.

“…Young master?”

An unexpected sight…

Aidel and his wives were sound asleep, fully clothed – even the women still in their uncomfortable dresses. Strangely, there were no signs of the intimate activity she had worried about.

It seemed unnatural. Why would they fall asleep this way? Unless…

“I did it.”

“…”

That voice again.

“…Who are you?”

“No need to know.”

“Are you an Outer God?”

[“Perhaps. I could be an Outer God, a Constellation, or something else entirely.”]

The cryptic response confirmed one thing: this was no system malfunction. Some transcendent being was contacting her.

“Enough small talk. I have one thing to say: you interest me greatly.”

“…Interest? Why?”

“Because you’re closest to that brat.”

A dim starlight materialized like a dark blue stream, passing through the ceiling to point at Aidel like an arrow.

“Now that you’re here, shall I give you a quest?”

A translucent window appeared before Sonia’s eyes.

— Quest Name: Gene Plunder