Ch.95Chasing After You (5)

About ten professors from the Stellarium Physics Department, specializing in particle physics and cosmology, came to visit Eidel.

Upon seeing the bedridden young scholar, they immediately burst into tears.

Zernya asked with a bewildered feeling.

“Why are these people here?”

“The academic field that Eidel and I belong to is deep and narrow. Everyone is a research colleague, separated by just one degree. How could we not visit when a future professor has caught the flu?”

Professor Feynman replied calmly. Concern was evident in his eyes as well.

“Also, all of them have applied to be joint advisors with me. They all want to co-work with Eidel.”

Zernya, who hadn’t fully accepted how extraordinary Eidel was, focused on the title of professor.

Who is a professor?

The final boss of university students, the king of graduate students.

These individuals with outstanding talent and considerable authority had rushed to see a single Academian student.

She felt spiteful.

“Aren’t professors very busy? I don’t understand why you’ve come to visit this guy.”

Zernya spoke curtly. However, Professor Feynman responded kindly without showing any discomfort.

“We scholars must always remain humble. Naturally when facing nature, but also in human relationships. Even those in high positions should know how to bow their heads to those below them.”

“But…”

“Of course, there are many professors who aren’t like that. You might not know this, but such people don’t have good reputations in academia. What good are excellent achievements if one isn’t a decent person? That’s how everyone evaluates and avoids them.”

It was a series of incomprehensible statements.

“Isn’t it enough to just have good achievements?”

Zernya—no, the entire Adelbein family had always been that way. They had trampled over competitors to amass enormous wealth and prestige.

As a result, their authority was formidable in the northern federation. They possessed such purity and elegance that they wouldn’t even associate with other families.

Such arrogance had never led to the downfall of the Adelbeins. Because they had always been exceptional. When political opponents emerged, they eliminated them, so they remained strong despite those who harbored grudges.

Zernya had been taught that this was the absolute truth.

But Feynman shook his head.

“Have you ever heard the saying ‘one cannot judge a person until their death’?”

“It means you can’t evaluate someone until they die. Why?”

“I hope you’ll carefully consider the meaning of those words.”

Feynman clapped his hands with a gentle smile.

“Alright, everyone! Eidel seems to be struggling, so let’s just leave our gifts and go!”

“Sob, student…!”

“Student, please remember me.”

“As I mentioned before, my lab is located at…”

And so, the professors who had flowed in like the tide ebbed away like the receding waters.

“One cannot judge a person until their death.” Zernya repeatedly recalled Professor Feynman’s parting words. She couldn’t think of anything beyond the surface meaning.

What does this have to do with achieving good results?

“Um…”

Zernya, who was unconsciously about to call out to Eidel, closed her mouth.

She had almost asked him for the answer.

This was something she needed to figure out on her own.

That was her way.

It was around the time Zernya was thinking she should leave too.

“If you have no further business, miss, please leave as well. The young master seems very tired, so he should rest in a quiet environment.”

Sonia issued the dismissal first.

Glancing at her lips, Zernya noticed they were curled up slightly.

“Oh really?”

Suddenly, she didn’t want to leave.

***

When with Eidel, she experienced symptoms of arrhythmia or palpitations.

In normal circumstances, it was just a fluttering feeling, but when they got closer or had comfortable conversations, her heart would pound loudly.

Sometimes it would jump or flutter, especially when she felt embarrassed or inferior.

And finally.

When she did something that pricked her conscience, her heart would ache.

Because of that last reason, Zernya couldn’t leave the infirmary.

“What are you doing?”

“Can’t you tell by looking?”

Despite Sonia’s glare, Zernya was unabashed. She showed the tray and smirked.

“I’m going to feed him.”

What Zernya had brought was mushroom beef stew.

It was made with premium beef with tender texture and first-grade mushrooms grown on the Adelbein farm.

From local procurement to ingredient preparation to cooking.

She had done it all by herself.

“What’s gotten into you…”

“That’s my business.”

“The young master has already eaten.”

“Tell him to eat mine too.”

Zernya walked past Sonia.

Eidel was lying down reading a paper. He had a tablet in a stand and was flipping through a journal.

“Wow.”

This guy is really something else.

“*Cough*, what?”

“Eat.”

She set up the table and placed the freshly made, steaming hot stew down.

There was also spicy and pungent ginger tea (Adelbein-grown). She remembered what Eidel had given her when she was sick and was executing her wicked plan to return the favor!

Zernya slowly helped Eidel sit up.

“I don’t have an appetite.”

“But you have an appetite for reading papers?”

“That, *cough*, I can’t resist.”

“Stop talking and eat, will you? I personally made this.”

Eidel slowly raised his hand but then dropped it.

“I don’t have the strength to hold a spoon.”

A vein popped on Zernya’s forehead.

Oh, so that’s how you want to play it?

Sonia’s eyebrows twitched.

“Young master, then I shall…”

“Sonia.”

Eidel waved his hand.

“Zernya brought this food, so what would be the point of your effort if you feed me?”

“…I see. I was being thoughtless.”

A grinding sound of teeth.

Yes. That’s it. That’s the sound she wanted to hear.

Feeling smug, she dipped the spoon deep into the stew.

The rich and savory aroma spread, stimulating her nose. Even though I made it, it really looks delicious. Zernya swallowed her saliva and blew on the stew.

“Eat.”

“Yesss.”

“How is it?”

“Well.”

She was secretly nervous. It was her first time cooking for someone else and being evaluated on her cooking.

“It’s as delicious as the number of citations on my papers.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means it’s delicious.”

Thump, thump, her heart pounded.

For a brief moment, she considered becoming a chef.

“Here, have another spoonful.”

“This is suddenly embarrassing.”

“…Hmm, is it?”

When Eidel forcibly tried to hold the spoon, Zernya smiled mischievously.

A good idea had just occurred to her.

“Here, you eat, and I’ll also…”

She used the same spoon that had been in Eidel’s mouth to scoop up some stew and eat it. The tender beef and the rich flavor of mushrooms tapped against her tongue and palate.

“Now, again…”

That’s when it happened.

“…”

Eidel’s gaze turned mechanically.

It was toward the direction of the door to the infirmary. Zernya, who had been standing with her back to the door, sensed something was wrong and turned around.

Thud.

The sound of a lunch basket dropping.

“You, you. What are you doing?”

Rustila was standing there.

***

As soon as Rustila heard that Eidel had caught the flu, she wanted to rush to him immediately.

But she had made a promise.

To become a Great Omega-grade swordsman, succeeding Instructor Naiere.

And to stay by Eidel’s side forever.

Of course, Eidel didn’t know about this; it was a promise she had made to herself, but he didn’t seem to dislike the idea.

– If possible, create a connection with that child. If things go well with the Rheinland family, I plan to marry you off to Eidel.

Moreover, her parents had said this.

She wasn’t sure how this had come about, but it was all good.

“Phew…”

Rustila practiced her sword daily, her cheeks flushed.

Marriage?

With him?

It might be early to talk about it, but she liked the idea.

Rustila recalled what she had written during Berdia’s bet with Eidel.

Giving piggyback rides and taking walks.

As a married couple, she could do that every day!

“Hehehe.”

Imagining herself and Eidel living cozily with a dozen family members after repelling foreign invaders, her sword strikes became two or three times faster than usual.

Watching her create these intricate sword paths, her master Naiere thought:

Rustila. This war will end in your generation.

Naiere called to Rustila as she was training.

“My disciple, I have a business trip later, so I’ll have to skip today’s guidance. Can you practice on your own?”

“Yes, of course.”

Rustila smiled brightly.

Right after Naiere left for another planetary system, she quickly made a lunch box and ran to the Academian infirmary.

And there she saw something she shouldn’t have.

“You, what are you two doing?”

Zernya was sitting beside Eidel, feeding him soup. And she was using the same spoon to eat the stew herself.

Slurp, slurp.

Her manner of savoring it suggested nonchalance.

“What.”

Turning around, Zernya met Rustila’s eyes. With the same arrogant expression she showed in class, Zernya raised her chin.

“…Adelbein. Why are you here?”

“What about you? Shouldn’t you be practicing your sword instead of coming here?”

“You, did you just…”

“Oh. The spoon? I’m hungry and there’s only one.”

Grind, grind.

The sound of teeth grinding was heard twice in succession.

Making Sonia eat vinegar, making Rustila eat vinegar.

Add to that Eidel’s embarrassed expression, and she had made three people eat vinegar in total.

Zernya realized from the expressions of the maid and her classmate that they were experiencing a cruel defeat. Although her own ears were burning red after doing this, anyway.

That’s not what’s important right now.

She had won.

She wasn’t sure what exactly, but she had won!