Ch.216I’ll Give You My Last Name (6)

“If you wish, I will now let you go.”

“W-why so suddenly?”

I never particularly liked him, but I never disliked him enough to want to kill him either.

Yet Arnold made this proposal when everything was already over.

He calmly confessed.

“Everything isn’t over yet. Rezein, you need to find your own life now. How long will you stay beside a man you don’t get along with and continue to stress yourself?”

“I, I…”

I was bewildered.

Rezein recalled the conversation Arnold and Eidel had last week.

“What about Seti?”

“I’ll convince her.”

“Seti doesn’t want us to divorce.”

Arnold nodded.

“I know that too. But you need to live your own life.”

“What do you mean…”

“How painful were those 20 years living with me? Always watching the elders of both families, living in solitude, your youth withering away like flower petals. All that increased were wrinkles and medical skills.”

Rezein gritted her teeth.

“Of course, if we do that, our daughter will hate us.”

“You know that and still want to let me go?”

“If that’s what you want.”

Rezein’s gaze fell. The anniversary ring Seti had given her. Arnold wasn’t wearing his ring. Instead, he was holding it in his hand.

“I know there’s a man you love.”

“No?”

Rezein shook her head. What nonsense is this man talking about?

“That person is dead. He’s not of this world.”

“…”

Arnold’s expression became astonished.

Rezein realized what his original intention was in saying these things. But she didn’t interpret it. Only the current situation mattered.

Rezein’s voice trembled.

“The arranged marriage is no longer an issue. The problem is, it’s too, too late. Too much time has passed for us to go back to before we were married.”

“…”

It was inertia.

They weren’t a lovey-dovey couple, but they’d come too far to separate, so they had no choice but to live together somehow.

“Honey.”

Rezein approached with trembling steps. She took Arnold’s hand and opened it. The silver ring was revealed intact.

Rezein put the ring on Arnold’s finger and said:

“Throughout the past decade and more, while caring for patients on the battlefield, I realized something. We’ve had too little leisure time.”

Working 36 hours treating soldiers fighting against the Outer Gods, taking short naps, then working another 36 hours straight.

When fulfilling her duty as a doctor, she couldn’t fulfill her duty as a parent.

But.

Even so.

“…Leaving our child’s education to robots was absurd. No matter how busy we were, we should have dined out together at least once or twice a month like we did last week.”

It was something she’d only recently realized.

Living for so long, yet doing nothing for her child.

Rezein thought calmly.

Being manipulated by the Adelbein family. Constantly suspecting and guarding against Eidel despite her kindness, claiming she wasn’t her biological child. Being cold to Seti.

If she didn’t treat them well from now on, she would truly regret it.

“I can’t divorce you.”

“…”

“I’m not leaving. No, even if I wanted to leave, I couldn’t.”

Just last week, Rezein had wanted to take Seti and leave.

Not anymore.

If her child wanted to stay here, why would she fear leaving Rheinland?

She belatedly admitted it.

It would have solved everything if she had just thought of Eidel as her own child. What parent would guard against their own child for no reason?

“So don’t talk about divorce. I don’t want to make Seti unhappy… Ah!”

Rezein’s words were cut off weakly. Her body was pulled forward, and she felt a firm warmth that almost took her breath away.

Arnold, who had embraced Rezein, spoke.

“…I’ve been waiting for those words.”

Arnold slowly released his arms. The dazed Rezein pressed her forehead firmly.

“Were you testing me from the beginning?”

“I was clumsy. You always wear such a stiff expression, it’s impossible to read your thoughts.”

“Ha.”

Arnold cleared his throat.

“You’re right. I haven’t done enough for our daughter either. I want to do better from now on, but I was worried you might want to leave. I didn’t want to burden the children any more.”

Rezein’s mouth opened wide.

“At least we’re on the same page about that.”

“Indeed.”

Rezein stroked Arnold’s shoulder as if comforting him.

“I know you’re a good person. I could see it in your eyes when you treat patients.”

“The same goes for you.”

“Do you think we can get along well from now on?”

“My father once said that couples get to know each other by fighting. We’ve fought for 20 years, so we should be able to get along well for the remaining decades.”

Arnold placed his hand on Rezein’s shoulder and proposed:

“If, if you’re okay with it, I have a gift I’d like to give you.”

“What is it?”

“My surname.”

“What?”

“I’ll give you my surname.”

It was an era when the concept of surnames was more liberal.

Therefore, after marriage, couples could either unify under one surname or keep their own. Rezein, under pressure from the council of elders, was such a case. She was still an Adelbein.

“I’m not sure if I should say this myself, but the Adelbein surname won’t have a good impression going forward.”

“…Is that really the only reason?”

Arnold didn’t answer. He kept clearing his throat repeatedly while touching the bridge of his nose, like a patient with a cold.

So he clears his throat when he’s embarrassed.

“Ah.”

Rezein’s eyes wandered restlessly. She touched her earlobe and stared blankly, recognizing it was a radical proposal. And then, finally.

“Can I really accept it?”

She couldn’t help but smile.

“Of course.”

That year, two Adelbeins married into the Rheinland family.

***

My parents hadn’t come out of the office for hours. Rustila and Zernya waited endlessly before deciding it was time to leave.

“Tell them I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye. Okay?”

“I’ll explain it well, so don’t worry and go.”

The two fiancées embraced me lightly before leaving.

No, actually it wasn’t light at all. Somehow, as the wedding day approached, both of them became increasingly clever with their skinship. Rustila pressing her chest against me, or Zernya pressing her legs against mine.

An hour after sending off my two fiancées, my parents finally emerged.

Their faces looked much more relaxed. I immediately called Seti.

“Sister, look at that.”

“What?”

“The ring.”

Seti’s eyes opened wide.

Father had put his 20th wedding anniversary ring back on. Just last week, he had taken it off.

“Looks like things went well.”

“Y-yeah.”

Reading “Outer God Slayer,” I had thought Seti was quite pitiful. I had always wanted to make her happy somehow.

This should be enough. There would be no more headaches from family issues. After all, a harmonious household helps me focus on research and catch Outer Gods better.

“Sorry for making you wait so long.”

“Eidel, where are your daughters-in-law?”

I answered Rezein’s question truthfully. As I did, I was surprised. This was the first time Rezein had called me by my name.

“Mother, it’s fine, you don’t have to be formal with me.”

“Then… alright.”

Rezein nodded.

“Wait a little. I’ll make dinner tonight.”

“Dear, shall we help you?”

“It’s fine.”

Mother dismissed the androids. After checking the refrigerator, she began skillfully preparing ingredients.

Of course, she would have received bride training at Adelbein.

Seti and I held our hungry stomachs as we waited for the late dinner to be ready. It was a warm atmosphere that hadn’t existed before. Seti and I sat on the sofa watching mother in her apron. I spoke up.

“Even the vice head of the family… oh my.”

I stopped mid-sentence and patted Seti’s shoulder.

“Hey, are you crying?”

“…”

“I asked if you’re crying.”

“Shut up…”

Still a child after all.

I stroked Seti’s head as if pressing it down.

I know it’s embarrassing for siblings to act like this, but today is a meaningful day. Despite showing annoyance, Seti never threatened to remove my hand from her head.

“Come eat, children.”

By the time the meal was ready, my sister opened her mouth.

“Thank you, brother.”

After that, my research budget doubled. Hooray!

From then on, my parents’ relationship improved both outwardly and inwardly. A visible example was how their expressions became much more varied.

Mother approached me with familiarity, essentially dropping her guard against me, and my always-stoic father learned how to make jokes.

[Humor Collection for Middle-aged People]

“What is this?”

“Give that here right now!”

Was it effort?

If there was a side effect, it was that father started learning dad jokes.

“Eidel, isn’t physics physical?”

“Ha.”

I’m not sure if this should be considered a good development.

Anyway, the second semester of sophomore year flew by like this. During that time, I performed tearful strip dances in front of professors to get my early graduation credits recognized, and as a result.

[—— Professor Feynman ——]

[Eidel. I’ve been waiting for a student like you for a long time.]

[—— Professor Stranov ——]

[22222222]

I was smoothly accepted into graduate school.

Graduate school.

Finally, graduate school.

This is where it really begins.

From now on, I’m going up. Where to? To the ivory tower of knowledge. Why? To reclaim my lost degree. To reclaim my rightful place!

Straight to the Ph.D.

***

But before that.

“Eidel, I, I can’t hold back anymore…”

Shouldn’t we make a baby first?