Ch.151Unexpected Cohabitation (3)

After dinner, Zernya helped clear the dishes alongside the android.

Sonia opened her mouth, looking doubtful.

“Miss Adelbein, you’re our guest. You should rest.”

“I can’t just eat without helping out a little.”

“What era do you think we’re living in? Please give me those plates. I’ll handle this.”

Such trivial bickering ensued.

In the end, Sonia was the victor. She skillfully stacked the plates into a mountain and quickly finished washing them.

But something seemed odd. There’s a separate dishwasher, so why is she washing by hand?

“It’s a basic qualification for a maid,” Sonia said, turning around with a wink.

“Eidel.”

Zernya called my name and sat beside me. Sonia’s eyes narrowed as she dried her hands.

“What should I do now?”

“You don’t need to do anything for the time being.”

Zernya and I had already coordinated our story.

The scandal about House Adelbein would break next year. Right now, we needed to keep up appearances. Until then, she had nothing to do except theoretical research, leaving her free time.

And I intended to invest all this extra time entirely in Zernya.

“What do you mean nothing to do? You know, since you’re on the student council, you might have meetings and such.”

“That’s true, but there aren’t any major agenda items right now…”

That’s when it happened.

“Miss Adelbein… no, Zernya.”

Father spoke up.

“I’d like you to become closer with Seti. I’m asking not as a professor, but as a friend’s father.”

“If that’s the case… I understand.”

Zernya nodded and stood up. For just a moment, there seemed to be a subtle exchange of glances between the two.

“Young master, miss. Please come this way. I, Sonia, will take responsibility for reassigning Miss Adelbein’s room.”

Due to Sonia’s brief mistake, Zernya’s room had not yet been determined.

Sonia showed Zernya several rooms.

“This one is vacant, and that separate suite over there is also empty.”

“They’re all nice places. But if possible, there’s somewhere specific I’d like to stay.”

“Oh? Would you like the room next to Young Master Eidel?”

“Ah, no? That’s fine though?”

“I’m joking. The room right next to the young master is mine. Unfortunately, there are no vacant rooms in that area.”

“Ah…”

What kind of conversation flow is this?

“It’s fine. How could I be so presumptuous? Rather, I’d prefer a room close to Seti.”

“Near Miss Seti?”

Sonia rolled her eyes. The movement resembled a visualization of a computer performing calculations.

“…There is a vacant room next to Miss Seti. It’s a bit small, but would that be acceptable?”

“That’s fine. It doesn’t matter. As long as there’s enough space to stretch my legs… it’s fine.”

Zernya glanced at me around the word “fine.” She didn’t need to be that humble.

“I’ll guide you. This way, please.”

As we made our way there,

“What the fuck, why are you coming here!”

We could hear Seti’s profanity.

***

Zernya ended up residing in the room right next to Seti’s.

Seti’s conclusion about this situation was simple.

“Oh, hello?”

“Hmph.”

Complete and utter disregard.

She couldn’t bear to live elsewhere because she was worried about her safe. She couldn’t trust Zernya. If anything, she would have preferred to stay at home longer.

So this was the alternative she chose.

“Sister, I have something I want to say…”

Zernya followed her, tiptoeing behind.

Having someone you despise clinging to you—there could hardly be better material for nightmares.

“Sister, are you angry?”

“…”

“I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“…”

“Can’t we get along?”

“…”

“Sister…”

“Fuck off!”

For Seti, who had such bad blood with Zernya, many things didn’t make sense.

First, can a person change so drastically after just a month in a spiritual retreat?

Second, Sonia wouldn’t make a mistake in room assignment, would she?

Third, after starting all those fights before, why is she suddenly apologizing?

Given all this, it was a hundred times more logical to deduce that Zernya was wearing a mask rather than genuinely apologizing.

“Don’t call me sister. Got it? This is a warning.”

“Seti…”

“Don’t call me by my name either.”

“Then what should I call you?”

“Why not do what you’ve always done? ‘Hey,’ ‘you,’ ‘idiot,’ ‘moron.’ Those words you used to throw around like nothing?”

At these sharp, carbonated words, Zernya’s face fell.

“I won’t do that anymore.”

Seti cackled at those words.

“Hey, it took me months to accept that my brother Eidel had changed. Do you think I’ll believe you just like that?”

“I know. That’s why I’m starting to make an effort now.”

“Oh my, you said you’re leaving in a month, right? Do you think that’s enough time? Huh?”

“…You never know.”

Seti felt a chill.

Her thought that she just needed to endure for a month was shaken.

“Right. I figured as much.”

Got her.

“As you said, if you had any decency, you’d stay exactly one month and leave. Isn’t that how a tenant should behave? But what are you doing? You’re a guest in our house, and you’re already ignoring what the owner says.”

“That’s not it, what I meant was…”

“You’re being noisy.”

Seti had spoken quite logically.

No, there was no way to refute it.

Just as she was certain of victory, Zernya said:

“The head of the household told me to get along with you.”

Zernya gave her a determined look.

“I’ll keep apologizing until you accept me. I’m sorry for being so harsh all this time.”

“…What are you even saying?”

It felt familiar. No, more than familiar. It was definitely similar to how Eidel had behaved.

Seti rubbed her eyes hard. She was bewildered.

And then Zernya delivered the final blow.

“I’ll apologize today, and I’ll apologize tomorrow. I’m sorry.”

With a bow, she bent at a right angle, lowering her head in a way that looked almost servile. This wasn’t behavior befitting an Adelbein, especially a direct descendant. Seti felt dazed, as if she’d been hit on the head with a hammer.

“See you tomorrow.”

Zernya returned to her room with a sweet smile. She knew when to strike and retreat.

“Hah.”

Seti closed her door in disgust.

***

“Hnnng.”

Though she had appeared confident earlier, once alone in her own space, Zernya’s legs gave out.

It wasn’t easy.

Apologizing is truly not a simple task.

She had to feel her pride being shattered at every moment and endure the embarrassment of rejection.

She couldn’t make excuses.

She had done wrong, after all.

This much was enough for today. She could improve gradually, taking her time.

[— The God of Humility and Healing highly values your actions.]

[— You have received 2000 coins.]

No.

I’m absolutely not doing this for such rewards.

Zernya shook her head vigorously.

“…I should catch up on my major studies.”

She began reading medical textbooks to clear her mind, but soon dozed off. Before long, Zernya’s consciousness sank into a new world.

It was a world without Eidel.

I see.

This is a dream.

A lucid dream. Very vivid. Zernya tried to move her neck to look around.

“…!”

She couldn’t. She was unable to move as she wished.

The perspective was clearly her own. But her body was acting independently of her will.

So she decided to observe. To see how her dream self would behave.

– Easy, so easy.

In the dream, Zernya effortlessly claimed the top spot at both Academia and College.

It was because Eidel wasn’t there. She had no rivals in that place. Everyone admired and revered her.

Eventually, the dream Zernya, consumed by arrogance, boasted:

– Is this all it takes to impress you? You’re all idiots. Is everyone except me just stupid?

No.

You’re the fool.

There are countless people in the world more talented than you.

– Foreign gods, take my soul if you can. No matter what you do, I’ll maintain my rationality.

No.

Don’t do it.

– Ah, wonderful. With this power, I could rightfully be called a foreign god myself, couldn’t I?

This is madness.

You’ll end up causing trouble for Eidel.

– It’s so boring, so tedious. Even the people of my family don’t seem human to me anymore. I’ll transcend the mundane world. Let’s see, a good method would be… Huh? Sacrifice everyone at school? Hahaha! That’s a great idea!

Her dream self, conversing with foreign gods, was already completely insane.

Who wouldn’t have known?

The only reason her mind had appeared sane was because the foreign gods had been regulating her Fron levels for their convenience.

Once the foreign gods achieved their goal, Zernya was no better than a hunting dog to be boiled and eaten.

– Save me!

She met the fate she had expected. On the day the College turned red, she too became part of the sacrifice.

The students transformed into monsters. Tentacles made of organic matter bloomed from every building. The entire Stellarium became a sea of blood.

– I, I don’t want to die. Who am I! I’m the rightful heir of the noble and great House Adelbein! But why, why me too! I, I was deceived!

Zernya fled frantically.

She ran, walked, crawled.

Barely escaping the College, she took refuge in Academia.

“Ugh…”

A groan escaped. Even while aware it was a nightmare, it was extremely painful.

She wanted to wake up immediately. But she couldn’t. Her body only grew stiffer, as if paralyzed.

– Ah, w-what is this?

The situation at Academia was similar. The terrifying aspect of Darwin’s Legion was the endlessly spreading organic matter. They pursued their prey relentlessly.

Eventually, she had nowhere left to flee.

– No! I said no!

Trapped in a sealed room by the encroaching organic matter, Zernya pounded on the door. Behind her, tentacles intertwined to form the shape of a large dog. It had grape-like eyeballs clustered together.

The creature opened its maw wide.

– Ahhh!

“Ahh…!”

She was devoured.

Sensation disappeared from her lower body.

Her mind grew distant.

And only then could the dream Zernya realize:

I was,

– I was wrong! Someone help me…!

Too arrogant.

No matter how much she screamed, no help came. She had pushed away or buried everyone who could have helped her. Belated regret washed over her. The price of learning humility would be death.

At that moment,

Bang! The door to the sealed room burst open.

It was the figure of an unknown man. He rushed over and plunged an axe-like tool into the monster.

Kieeek!

As the monster’s jaws loosened, the man extended his hand.

Zernya desperately grabbed it. It was a struggle for survival.

At some point, she became able to move her body directly. So Zernya embraced him as if immersing herself in a bathtub.

And what she felt was:

Warmth.

A very warm and cozy warmth.

“Zernya, are you okay? Zernya!”

“Ugh, ugh…”

“Zernya!”

“Hah, hah. Ah…!”

With a faint moan, she awoke from the dream.

Her confused consciousness gradually returned to normal.

“Haa. Haa.”

The paralysis finally lifted. Her limbs tingled.

Her waist and shoulder blades ached. Sighing regretfully, Zernya slowly blinked her eyes.

“Why did you suddenly come in here? You startled me.”

“Huh…?”

What registered on her retina were golden eyes. Eidel von Rheinland. She was clearly in his arms right now.

In other words, this wasn’t her room. Coming to her senses, she realized she was in Eidel’s room.

“Why am I here…?”

“That’s what I want to know.”

“I, I was definitely sleeping over there…?”

“Did you have a nightmare? Madam President, you’re such a baby.”

Eidel made such jokes while straightening the disheveled bedding. Meanwhile, Zernya pieced together what had happened.

The answer wasn’t far off.

[“My child, you were walking in your sleep. What made you so anxious that you sought out this boy’s chamber while slumbering?”]

It was sleepwalking.