Ch.297Ph.D (2)

I exchanged handshakes with the five examiners.

“Good work.”

“You’ve worked hard all this time.”

The defense itself was successful.

Soon, my dissertation will be stored in the university database, available for many juniors and seniors to read.

Humanity has saved at least several decades of time. We’re not far from developing graviton bombs.

It’s been a long journey.

Finally, I can see the end of this voyage.

Anyway, with the defense over, I was expecting to have lunch with the professors when something unexpected happened.

“I’m sorry. This took longer than expected and now overlaps with my next appointment. I’ll have to go first.”

“Ah, me too.”

Two professors darted away from their seats. Since it was for work, I couldn’t stop them.

“Three left?”

“Just a moment. I’m getting a call… Hello?”

“I’ve received an email from a student that I need to check first.”

This doesn’t look good.

“My mother in the east is critically ill.”

“My advisee has caused a major incident. Since they’re supposed to graduate this year, I need to rush back. I’m truly sorry.”

“Well, it can’t be helped. Please travel safely.”

The remaining two professors apologized and left together.

I know professors are incredibly busy, but still. Who would have thought it would be this difficult for six people to have a meal together?

The last remaining professor gave me a sidelong glance. He cleared his throat and scratched his head.

“Actually… it’s awkward for you too, isn’t it, Rheinland?”

No?

Somehow, the professor seemed more uncomfortable than I was.

Well, a one-on-one meeting isn’t really a meeting—it’s just a date. We knew each other but weren’t close, so cutting steaks together would be ambiguous.

“Professor, I…”

“I understand. It’s a special day for you, isn’t it? I hope you spend time with someone important to you rather than with an old man like me.”

“…Yes, please get home safely.”

After exchanging farewells with the last professor, we parted ways.

“Ah.”

The dinner I had been looking forward to vanished.

It would have been a chance to have the discussions we couldn’t have due to time constraints. I had imagined the wonderful picture of debating over food.

[— The God of Wisdom and Curiosity is peeking around.]

[“Youngster, shall we talk since we have the chance?”]

“No, I’m good.”

This research needs to be discussed with people. More people need to know about my research.

[— The God of Wisdom and Curiosity lowers the corners of her mouth.]

This girl is sulking again. Cartesia had a tendency to get upset if she didn’t get regular discussions.

I was thinking about having a different conversation to appease her when a woman sitting demurely on a bench caught my eye.

A familiar face.

I sighed and approached her.

“Ireh.”

“Huh?”

“What are you doing here?”

Ireh was staring blankly at the sky like someone who had just been rejected by a lover. In her hand was a toast that was about two-thirds eaten, identical to what she had prepared for me this morning.

“Del… what about you? Weren’t you supposed to have lunch with the professors?”

“Well, that fell through.”

“How come?”

“They all had things to do and left early. The last professor told me to spend the day with someone important to me and said we’d have dinner another time.”

“I see. Then the defense…”

I grinned.

Ireh’s eyes widened like 500-won coins.

“No way, did you really pass?”

“Of course. If I hadn’t, I would have kept trying even if I had to turn back time.”

I sat down next to Ireh and unpacked the details of my defense process. I described in detail what questions were asked, what the atmosphere was like, and so on.

The reason was simple. I wanted Ireh to get her doctorate later as well. Advice now would become flesh and bone for her future.

After some time, a growling sound came from my stomach.

“Hahaha, I got hungry from all that talking.”

“Shouldn’t we go get something to eat?”

“Do you have any toast left?”

“I do have one more, but it’s cold now.”

“That’s fine. May I have it?”

“I don’t mind, but…”

Ireh handed me the remaining toast with a bewildered expression.

It was cold but still tasted good. That meant it was delicious. I savored the taste without caring about appearances.

Ireh also resumed nibbling on her toast. We sat on the bench and rested for a moment.

***

In truth, Ireh had only brought two pieces of toast.

One for herself, one for Eidel.

The toast Ireh gave to Eidel was what she had saved for herself. She just hadn’t eaten it yet because she had no appetite.

In other words, the toast Ireh was holding now was what Eidel had left earlier.

She savored it. She wanted to savor it. She couldn’t count how many times she had put her lips to it and taken them away.

“…”

She knew it was perverse.

But she had to admit it now.

She liked Eidel. She wanted to be with him forever. She wanted to have a wedding ceremony and bear children who looked just like him and herself.

No matter how many times she tried to deny it, her subconscious was already directed toward him.

Other men still didn’t appeal to her. This feeling was exclusive to Eidel. She had been saved, become his confidant, and transcended being just a colleague to become someone special.

“Hmm.”

She thought that a man like him would make a fine partner.

Of course, asking a married man for polygamy wasn’t easy.

Married men generally avoid having another wedding ceremony. Especially if they’re henpecked. They have no choice but to be mindful of their wives.

So they usually put up walls.

In fact, Eidel had rejected all polygamy proposals after his marriage.

And there had been quite a few. When the head of the Rheinland family took two wives, women from notable families would propose, thinking “Maybe me too?”

She would be just like those women.

Eidel had eaten less than a third of Ireh’s toast before going into his defense. He had clearly said he would eat half, but he didn’t.

This must have been a subtle rejection. An indirect way of expressing that they couldn’t get any closer.

She didn’t want to make Eidel uncomfortable by confessing. So Ireh had come outside to organize her thoughts while Eidel was in his defense.

She wouldn’t deny that she had fallen for him.

But she would give up.

For the peace of the Rheinland family. So that Eidel could focus entirely on his research.

She would leave all those feelings as bitter memories and spend the rest of her life alone. She probably wouldn’t feel this way again until she died.

That’s what she had decided, to solidify their relationship.

She was certain of it.

“This is really delicious even though it’s cold. Your skills rival Sonia’s.”

Eidel, who had finished his defense, devoured one toast in an instant.

Seeing this, Ireh became confused.

Wasn’t he trying to maintain distance from her? If not, why was he eating something cold and tasteless so eagerly?

Was he simply hungry?

For the head of the Rheinland family, on such a momentous day as earning his doctorate, to not even go to a fancy restaurant but instead eat this…

“I didn’t know you were such a good cook, Ireh. Come to think of it, didn’t you briefly work as a chef in a previous iteration?”

“Huh? Yeah. For infiltration.”

“Right, I remember now. The fourth of the Five Kings was a hotel chef.”

Eidel smoothly changed the topic. When would humanity’s next betrayer appear? What would be the best way to deal with them? But Ireh couldn’t hear a word Eidel was saying.

Perhaps Eidel was just being his usual self.

Maybe Ireh was the only one assigning meaning, thinking on her own, and suffering from her own fever.

“Anyway, I think we’ll meet that chef later on. That outer god hasn’t appeared yet.”

“Oh, yeah.”

She hastily gathered her thoughts and returned to reality. She had missed where the conversation had progressed to. As a result, she just nodded passively.

She felt guilty again.

Eidel was now a proper doctor, but instead of congratulating him, she was giving such half-hearted responses.

Ireh tentatively asked:

“Are you still hungry?”

“One piece isn’t enough. Have you eaten, Ireh?”

Ireh looked down at the toast in her hand.

The toast that Eidel had taken one bite of, and then she had taken one bite of.

It was essentially an indirect kiss. Just looking at the toast now made her heart flutter. She felt like Pavlov’s dog.

“I haven’t had anything proper besides toast either.”

“Then let’s go get something light to eat. You liked salad, right?”

“Huh?”

“If there’s something else you’d like, please tell me. I’ll treat you to celebrate passing my defense.”

“Wait! Then your research funding later…”

“Why worry about such things? We’ve been living on energy bars for the two years we’ve been together. Let’s eat until we’re stuffed, just for today.”

Eidel stood up and gestured for her to follow.

“In ancient wars, soldiers were given wine and meat before big battles to fill their stomachs. We don’t know how many big battles lie ahead, so let’s indulge a little to boost morale.”

“Is that really okay?”

“Yes. After all, everything we do is for the sake of living happily.”

Ireh carefully stood up, following Eidel.

Eidel was right.

People live to enjoy happiness. Ireh wanted to be happy. Honestly, she was already quite happy, but still, just a little more.

“Then take me to a nice restaurant with a good atmosphere. One with wine.”

If she could be just a little greedy.

At the very least, she wished to have this man all to herself when there were no other women around.