Chapter 147

Chapter 147

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 147: Apology (2).

“What did you say?”

“I… I’m sorry…”

Zelnya clung to my sleeve.

“I… I’m a selfish woman. I wanted to beat you, so I went against everything you said. I should have accepted what I knew was right from the start.”

I’m sorry.

I was wrong.

Please forgive me.

She continued repeating these phrases incoherently. I was genuinely surprised – never had I expected to hear an apology from ‘the’ Zelnya. Nearly dying at the hands of an Outer God had clearly left its mark on her.

“I’m sorry. I was wrong. I won’t ever do this again…”

“So?”

“What?”

“What exactly are you sorry for?”

Zelnya’s face drained of color.

I pressed further.

“What did you do wrong?”

My voice remained gentle, like a parent speaking to a child, yet Zelnya’s body tensed noticeably.

“When you apologize, you need to specify what you did wrong. Otherwise, I can’t understand what you’re apologizing for.”

“Ah, that…”

Zelnya mumbled, her cheeks flushing.

“S-sorry. This is my first time apologizing.”

Her lips, which had been moving continuously, fell silent for several seconds before she spoke again.

“For not listening to you properly this time, for picking fights with you since we first met, for showing off whenever I got the chance, and…”

“And?”

“And, um, also, alsooo…”

Zelnya continued to stutter, seemingly searching through her memories during these pauses. I waited patiently, giving her time to collect her thoughts.

While recounting her wrongdoings one by one, she fidgeted – rolling her eyes and twirling her hair. To be honest, if she were to list everything, we’d be here forever. Even counting just the trivial matters, there would easily be thousands.

“Summarize everything you’ve said into one word.”

Zelnya paused, momentarily stumped. But being astute, she quickly grasped the essence.

“…Arrogance.”

Indeed, arrogance was the perfect keyword for the Adelwein family chapter. The Adelweins considered themselves so superior that they looked down on anyone outside their bloodline. They didn’t even view other humans as equals, which explained how they could conduct biological experiments without moral hesitation.

“I acted as if I were superior to others. In truth, we’re all just human.”

A superiority complex. Eugenics. Zelnya had been exposed to such twisted ideologies throughout her life. Though she had been a victim until now, she could have easily become a perpetrator.

“You always advised me to live humbly. The Incarnates and Constellations said the same thing. All of this – nearly dying – was because of my arrogance.”

Zelnya panted between words as she spoke.

“I’m… I’m an inadequate person. I can’t do anything without others’ help. Look at this – I can’t even knit this scarf properly without a tailor’s assistance. Yet every time I go to the store, I…”

Her confession extended beyond mere apologies to me. She was addressing all those she had tormented in the past.

“…It doesn’t matter anymore.”

She concluded, collapsing onto the bed. She lifted her head, watching the IV drip fall steadily, drop by drop.

“I won’t be able to leave here for a while, will I?”

“You might be here until you die. We don’t know when the Outer God will return.”

“Ha, that doesn’t sound so bad either.”

The girl’s face contorted, but beneath the expression was a smile of relief. The dark circles under her eyes – a trademark of medical students – were clearly visible.

“Were we never really friends?”

“What makes you think that?”

“Well, all I’ve done is cause all kinds of trouble for you, and I…”

Zelnya couldn’t finish her sentence as I gently pulled her into an embrace.

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

The pulse monitor began its urgent chorus. Zelnya’s head, resting against my chest, trembled in sync with the accelerating beeps.

“… That’s enough… You’ve said enough.”

“…”

Zelnya remained still in my arms, offering no resistance. Only her shoulders occasionally twitched.

I carefully patted her back, and gradually, her ragged breathing steadied. The pulse monitor’s urgent beeping subsided.

I could feel her heartbeat clearly now, pounding steadily against me.

Carefully, I pulled away to meet her eyes.

“Zelnya, I’m sorry, but we must face the Adelweins. We can’t allow there to be any more victims.”

“I know.”

“I swear on the name of Reinhardt – whatever happens, I will protect you until the very end.”

But that didn’t feel sufficient, so I added:

“I’ll stake all of my research theses on it as well.”

“…What? Ahahaha!”

Zelnya, who had been listening in a daze, burst into laughter.

Had I said something wrong?

After her laughter subsided, she spoke with a smile playing on her lips.

“Yes, this is you. This is exactly the person I knew.”

“Don’t laugh – I’m serious. Do you understand how precious a thesis is to a scientist?”

“Aidel!”

She called out my name loudly.

“Foolish Aidel. Crazy Aidel. The Aidel who made two professors register their marriage just to pursue his research! The vice president who can calculate the motion of a black hole but can’t even approximate a woman’s feelings, you idiot!”

In the next moment, her silver silk hair was buried in my arms.

I was enveloped by a sensation of softness, tenderness, and warm comfort.

For a brief instant, it felt so surreal that I questioned if I was dreaming. But my senses confirmed this was real – this was happening now.

Zelnya slowly raised her head from my arms.

“Thank you.”

It was her usual expression, but this time, her smile was exceptionally pure.

Thump, thump. My heart beats.

This heart isn’t truly mine. It’s an external transplant, connected to Aidel’s life force. Without his transfusion, it would lie silent and still.

Thump, thump, thump.

From a medical standpoint, the heartbeat shows no irregularities.

Therefore, the cause must lie elsewhere.

Drawing upon her vast knowledge, Zelnya could now pinpoint the exact source.

It was the process within the Brain’s Limbic System – the decarboxylation of Phenylalanine producing Phenylethylamine.

Love.

Love is a potent drug, more addictive than any substance. Even when you understand its chemical nature, it leaves a persistent itch that can’t be scratched. Once tasted, escape becomes nearly impossible.

“Hoo, hoo.”

She buried her face deeper into Aidel’s chest, then suddenly jerked away, startled by her own boldness. How could she act so forward? What right did she have?

“Zelnya?”

Aidel’s expression was one of confusion.

“Why are you acting so strange all of a sudden?”

“Ah… I’m not telling you.”

Zelnya clutched at her burning cheeks, shaking her head vigorously. To Aidel, her behavior seemed concerning – as if she were experiencing the aftereffects of an encounter with an Outer God.

Indeed, Zelnya had fallen for the man before her.

It hadn’t happened suddenly. Rather, she had been falling for him gradually, unknowingly, over time.

Her initial attraction stemmed from his intellectual prowess, which exceeded her own. He consistently outperformed her in mock exams, placement tests, midterms, and finals.

Yet these defeats alone weren’t enough to spark love. If anything, they only intensified her competitive spirit.

What truly won her heart was his humility and kindness.

Despite his academic excellence, he never became arrogant. He always considered others’ feelings before his own, including Zelnya, who perpetually placed second. He would acknowledge her efforts, saying simply, ‘You worked hard.’

This continued even after he entered college. Each day would end with the same gentle recognition: ‘You worked hard today too.’ He never diminished anyone’s efforts.

She remembered a particular conversation they once had.

‘Being first is everything in this world. People only remember the winner. Who remembers second place?’

‘The first-place winner remembers the second.’

At that moment, it felt like being hit over the head with a tray.

‘Because you study with such dedication, I push myself just as hard. I’ve never claimed studying was easy. It’s incredibly difficult. Anyone who says otherwise isn’t doing it properly. If they were, they’d understand the challenge.’

‘……’

She knew he spoke the truth. Whether it was studying or swordsmanship training, nothing came easily. Each conquered hill revealed a mountain, each mountain a whole range beyond.

“When you see someone following you across these mountain ranges, it gives you purpose. It helps you understand why you must reach the peak.”

Zelnya nodded at the memory.

“Actually, I felt the same.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”

She checked her phone again. No messages, not even from her parents.

Logically, it made sense. As an Adelwein, they probably assumed she was fine.

But logic didn’t make it right.

In truth, she craved attention and love like anyone else.

“Young Master, Professor Feynman requests you check the group DM.”

“Something must have come up. Zelnya, stay here and behave while I’m gone, understand?”

She nodded silently.

In her current state, going out of the Holy Spirit Hospital was impossible. Venturing outside would mean certain death by an Outer God. She could still feel its mark upon her.

She had no choice.

For now, she needed to let everything go and take time for self-reflection.

“Did you handle that matter?”

“No issues, sir.”

Kash von Adelwein downed his cold coffee in one gulp, running his hand through his hair with a weary groan.

Indeed, he wasn’t dead. He had orchestrated an elaborate scheme, using a stand-in to fake his death. According to the Federation’s resident registration law, he had officially ceased to exist.

“What about the others? Were they properly dealt with?”

“All involved parties have been handled except for Director Angela Whiritia. It took some maneuvering to avoid Herseth’s police force.”

“Whiritia must be eliminated!”

Kash shouted, hurling his mug across the room.

“She knows our methods. If word gets out about the artificial Constellation, everything’s finished. Our main house will take the fall! Make it look like suicide, disguise it as a soldier’s doing – just silence her by any means necessary!”

“Boss, about that…”

“What!”

“She’s currently detained in Reinhardt territory. The security there is multilayered and extremely tight. Infiltration won’t be easy.”

“Hmm.”

Kash’s temper cooled as he considered this.

“Those self-righteous Reinhardt people are truly irritating.”

“They’re known for their spotless reputation – what else could we expect?”

“Isn’t there another way?”

“I’ve heard Lady Zelnya has some connection to the Reinhardt family’s third son.”

Kash clapped his hands in sudden realization.

“Ah, that fellow! I wondered about their relationship – now things are becoming clearer.”

“Yes. We simply need to inform Miss Zelnya. By manipulating the third son of Reinhardt, we can establish communication with Lady Whiritia without arousing suspicion.”

“Can you handle it?”

“Without question.”

Kash felt no particular doubt. As a direct descendant of Adelwein, Zelnya was destined for greatness within their family. Why would she do anything to jeopardize that?

“Ha. Let’s hope this works out.”

Just as Kash was about to pour himself fresh coffee in a new mug, something caught his attention.

“Hmm?”

A pure white feather drifted down from above his head.