Ch.179What Happened at the Family Meeting (2)

The guests whistled and shouted in joy. The atmosphere heated up instantly.

“You want to marry my daughter?”

“Yes, I’m confident I can make her happy for life.”

I replied plainly. Jerome’s expression momentarily furrowed before returning to his original gentle look.

“Young Master Rheinland, let me ask you one thing. Has the succession of the family head been confirmed in the Rheinland family?”

“Not yet.”

“Then that means you don’t know if you’ll become the family head yet.”

I nodded.

Jerome continued.

“When someone who isn’t a family head marries someone who is, it’s customary for the couple to take the surname of the family head. If you marry our Zernya, you’ll be joining the Adelbein household.”

“What if I also become a family head?”

“That would be something to consider when the time comes.”

In truth, bringing up marriage itself isn’t a big issue. The key is which surname the couple will take. Especially when both are family heads, one must give up their position after marriage.

Though I had no intention of becoming family head, I continued the conversation showing willingness to do so. Thanks to this, I could predict Jerome’s next words.

“When is the Rheinland family’s succession ceremony?”

“It begins in late April and ends in early July.”

“Are you confident you’ll become the family head?”

“Quite confident.”

“Then let’s not rush and talk slowly. It’s not too late to hold the ceremony after we get to know each other better, following proper formalities and procedures.”

Jerome chose to retreat temporarily. A prudent decision.

It will take a bit more time for Zernya’s succession to be fully completed. The new family head of a prestigious family goes through a process similar to regency. Usually, this period ends in as little as three months, or at most within a year.

If I’m selected as the Rheinland family head while being engaged, it would mean two family heads marrying each other. That would be awkward for Jerome. It was evidence that he wasn’t underestimating me.

“Stellarium is very far from here. It’ll be dawn by the time you return, so why not stay here tonight and leave early in the morning?”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

After exchanging further greetings with my future father-in-law, I continued conversing with the guests.

Perhaps because I had just proposed to Zernya, many people gathered around.

It was then that Zernya poked me in the side.

“Come over here for a moment.”

She sharply pulled at my collar. Some informal female guests squealed and made a fuss.

We left the main hall and headed to the terrace on the third floor. Ireh, in disguise, naturally followed behind me. Zernya whispered.

“Why on earth did you say that in front of my father?”

“It’s for your sake.”

“For my sake? Explain so I can understand!”

“You need to create an escape route in case things go wrong.”

My answer made Zernya close her mouth. I sighed and put my hands in my pockets.

“I told you before. No matter what problems arise in this family, I’ll protect you.”

Zernya’s eyes widened.

“You…”

“Whether it’s a fake marriage or whatever, I know what I’m doing is poison for me. I know you’re reluctant about it and feel sorry for me. If something big happens to the Adelbein while we’re married, I’ll get caught in the crossfire too.”

“You, don’t tell me.”

“So let’s think about it the other way around.”

Even if the Adelbein falls, with Rheinland’s support, they could become great again.

Then Zernya’s planned “renewal” would be complete. By the epilogue, the Adelbein would be reborn as a family free of corruption.

That’s not all.

There’s also the remote possibility that Zernya could lose her fight with the council of elders and be purged from the family.

Purged members disappear without a trace.

Even direct descendants are no exception. The Adelbein are thorough when it comes to the family.

I will serve as a passage of exile under the name of Rheinland to prevent any harm coming to Zernya. That is the righteous thing to do, and the proper way between people.

Zernya wasn’t one to misunderstand what I just said.

“…Eidel.”

Her widely opened eyes gradually regained stability.

Zernya blinked her crescent-moon eyes and took a step closer to me. The already close distance became completely intimate.

Looking up at me, Zernya leisurely stretched out both arms. I didn’t reject her touch. Taking my hands out of my pockets, I naturally stroked her shoulders.

This once wary cat had slipped into my arms. She was small and petite. I felt like I could wrap her up with just one arm and lift her if I wanted to. Like holding a real kitten in my arms.

Zernya stroked my back and exhaled. I whispered in her ear.

“…Is this acting too?”

“Try to guess.”

I could have spent Pron to read her mind. But that would be like looking at the answer key before reading the whole problem. I didn’t particularly want to do that.

Instead of consuming Pron, I embraced Zernya more deeply.

I could feel her heart pounding.

Ireh stood like a folding screen.

***

Though still in the succession process, Zernya had become the family head. She personally guided me and Ireh to the annex. Her attitude in hosting guests showed not a hint of disorder.

Zernya, looking back and forth between me and Ireh, said:

“Robot, you seem much more subdued than before.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Never mind if you don’t remember.”

For a moment, I was almost startled.

I thought Zernya had noticed that Ireh was disguised as Sonia.

Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“There are many other guests staying in the annex besides you two. Androids will patrol regularly. There are also CCTVs, so it’s better not to do anything suspicious. Understand?”

“Understood.”

Ireh bowed her head. Her tone was plain like Sonia’s.

While Zernya left saying she had business to attend to, Ireh and I unpacked. Immediately after, Ireh took out her gun and hit the CCTV on the ceiling with a spirit bullet.

Click!

The camera hit by the bullet looked fine on the outside. She probably shot a “bullet of pause.” A bullet that temporarily stops the target’s time.

After looking around more, Ireh softly opened her mouth.

“It’s safe, I mean… it’s safe now. We can talk normally.”

“Good. Let’s rest a bit and move when dawn deepens.”

We had a separate purpose. It was to steal the “Star’s Egg” from the “Third Treasury” located in the basement of the annex.

Star’s Egg.

On the surface, it’s just a simple jewel whose value is currently unknown to people, but in reality, it’s an artifact with amazing functions. Simply put, it’s a hidden marvel.

“My outer god would love this.”

[— The ‘God of Wisdom and Curiosity’ shows interest in your words.]

The reason for obtaining the Star’s Egg or Fire’s Egg is simple.

It helps with research.

Ireh, looking around the room, said hesitantly:

“So… where do I sleep?”

“Oh.”

There was only one bed.

And it was a single size.

To sleep together, we’d have to be pressed right against each other.

“Why did she guide us to a room like this?”

“Did you forget? Right now, Ireh, you’re disguised as an android.”

“This damn…”

Ireh muttered as if displeased.

“You take the bed, Ireh.”

“Where will you sleep?”

I sat down on the floor with a thud and said:

“I can sleep here.”

“You’ll catch a cold that way.”

“This isn’t the street, would I really catch a cold from one night like this? Just go up and sleep.”

“You don’t need to be considerate just because I’m a woman.”

“You’re my senior.”

“We’re only a year apart.”

“Tsk.”

Ireh seemed upset at that and dove onto the bed. I said:

“If necessary, I can stay up all night reading papers. Tomorrow’s the weekend anyway. I can get my sleep schedule back to normal quickly.”

“If you keep living like that, you’ll die early.”

“I’m going to die by the outer gods anyway.”

Ireh came down from the bed again. She approached me and stopped exactly three steps away.

“…I’ve spent more days sleeping on the floor than not.”

“Me too.”

“When I lived on a frontier planet, sleeping in a shantytown was my daily life. The ceiling collapsed, and once my house flooded while I was sleeping.”

“Me too.”

Ireh sat down in front of me with a plop. She sent me a gloomy look and sighed repeatedly. That expression looked like one someone would have upon meeting a kindred spirit.

“If you sleep on the floor, I’ll sleep on the floor too.”

“And if I sleep on the bed, will you sleep on the bed with me?”

“What are you saying…!”

“I’m joking, just joking. If both of us get on that bed, it’ll collapse.”

I checked the time. We agreed to move at 3 AM. There were still four hours left.

“Do you want to sleep first?”

“No. I’m not sleepy.”

“Then shall we go through some papers together?”

“Coming all this way for that is a bit…”

“Or should we go for a walk together?”

Ireh nodded and adjusted her maid headband.

“Let’s go, master.”

I mean, young master.

***

Under the pretense of a walk, Ireh and I calculated the distance between the spaceship and the annex. After stealing the “Star’s Egg,” we planned to load it onto the spaceship at the first opportunity.

“Now.”

Ireh took out her pistol and shot a spirit bullet into both her head and mine.

[— The ‘Bullet of Concealment’ completely hides your presence.]

It was a method chosen because disabling numerous surveillance cameras in the basement with “bullets of pause” would consume too many coins.

As we descended to the Third Treasury, we encountered an unexpected figure.

Kashu von Adelbein.

Zernya’s great-uncle who was believed to be dead.

“Rheinland, how did you get here…?”