Chapter 152

Chapter 152

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 152: Unexpected Co-sleeping (1).

It was an awkward situation indeed.

She had entered Aidel’s room while sleeping, driven by a nightmare. Not only that, but she had even burrowed into his bed and hugged him tightly.

Her heart wasn’t just pounding – it felt ready to explode.

Ironically, it would have been less embarrassing to admit she had tried to sneak in because of her feelings for him and failed.

“……”

Zelnya anxiously watched Aidel’s reaction. She couldn’t bring herself to lie.

As soon as she confessed, Aidel’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“Sleepwalking?”

“It seems so…”

“And sleep paralysis, too?”

“That too, apparently.”

Zelnya nodded shyly, touching her flushed cheeks.

“Well… these things do happen.”

To her relief, he seemed to accept her explanation.

“Hmm, I’m not very knowledgeable about such conditions.”

Aidel was admittedly unfamiliar with medical matters. He wasn’t sure how dangerous sleepwalking could be, nor did he fully understand the severity of sleep paralysis symptoms. He even wondered if both conditions could occur simultaneously.

But one thing was certain.

Tonight, he would need to keep a close watch on Zelnya.

Aidel remembered why he had brought Zelnya into his home in the first place. She had nearly died at the hands of an Outer God, and her mind might not have fully recovered from that trauma.

In case of an emergency, her health would need to be monitored around the clock.

Being a logical MBTI type T, Aidel spoke after careful consideration.

“Sleep in my bed tonight.”

“W-what!?”

Zelnya was understandably shocked.

“…Where will you sleep then?”

“It’s a big bed. We can share.”

Zelnya’s earlobes instantly turned crimson.

“It’s convenient because you’ll be within arm’s reach.”

Aidel’s reasoning was straightforward:

Sharing a room meant any problems could be detected immediately.

In case of an emergency, Father could be called.

If Father wasn’t available, the medical module-equipped androids in the main line could handle any crisis.

His logic was flawless and perfectly rational.

The issue was that this pure rationality completely ignored all emotional implications.

“So you’re suggesting… we sleep in the same bed?”

Zelnya clearly interpreted his words differently.

She opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, her amethyst eyes darting nervously under the soft light.

“Ah.”

Aidel’s mind suddenly ground to a halt as he belatedly realized the implications.

“That’s not what I meant…”

Not at all what he’d intended.

He viewed Zelnya as a daughter or sister figure. If it had been Rustila, he would never have made such a suggestion. But now he realized that trying to explain this would only make the situation more awkward.

What’s said cannot be unsaid.

Aidel explained calmly.

“Listen carefully, Zelnya. Your nightmares might be caused by an Outer God. That’s why I want you to sleep here. If anything happens, I can contact Father immediately.”

“Ah… Couldn’t an android do this instead?”

“Would you trust a robot more than a human?”

This was actually a lie – a 5th generation android model could monitor most health conditions perfectly well. But Aidel quickly changed the subject before Zelnya could think too deeply about it.

“About next week’s student council meeting…”

“Oh, right…”

Aidel thought Zelnya hadn’t noticed his deflection, but she had. He could read it in her embarrassed expression, and he bit his lip, worried he’d created room for misunderstanding. Zelnya, aware of his concern, couldn’t control her racing heart as she watched him ramble on.

Deneb, Zelnya’s Constellation, had been observing the whole exchange and smiled softly.

“Uhuhu, you’re both so cute.”

Their conversation continued for about ten minutes before trailing off. Though they’d managed to move past the awkward moment, the atmosphere remained tense. As Zelnya struggled to speak, Aidel took the opportunity to make a natural suggestion.

“Lie down.”

“Uh, okay. But what about you?”

“I need to monitor your condition. I won’t be sleeping tonight.”

“Are you sure? You have school tomorrow.”

“I have enough stamina to stay up all night.”

Each word struck Zelnya like an arrow. In a daze reminiscent of intoxication, she pulled the blanket over her head.

Enough stamina to stay up all night…!

No, stop it. Why am I having such inappropriate thoughts?

There must be a devil in my head.

Zelnya shook her head vigorously under the blanket. Suddenly, she inhaled sharply – Aidel’s scent permeated the blanket. It was deeply comforting. Despite feeling embarrassed by her behavior, she drifted off to sleep, lulled by the drowsy sensation.

Meanwhile, Aidel attempted to diffuse the charged atmosphere by sitting in his chair and reading recently published papers.

“Ah, damn.”

It looks even more exciting.

And so, the night grew deeper.

Morning came.

Thunk.

The toothbrush slipped from Ceti’s hand.

“Wha… what the…”

She stammered, white toothpaste foam still coating her mouth as it opened and closed in shock. The situation before her quickly registered.

“You crazy bastards!”

“Oh, sister. You’re up. What’s all this commotion so early in the morning?”

“You two came out of the room together!!”

Ceti spat out the foam and shouted.

Indeed, the sight before her was unmistakable – Aidel and Zelnya emerging from the same room. Aidel looked exhausted, while Zelnya appeared surprisingly refreshed. That alone would have been enough to raise eyebrows, but Zelnya took it further by clinging to Aidel’s sleeve with a telling nod.

There could only be one conclusion.

“Did you two do it?”

“What?”

Zelnya’s eyes widened as she bounced up like a rubber ball, any trace of sleepiness instantly vanishing.

Ceti, who had accidentally swallowed some toothpaste foam in her shock, frantically shouted.

“Father! Where are you! Sonia! Come and look at this!”

Such morning chaos wasn’t unusual for this household, but today seemed destined to be particularly eventful.

Chaos in the household was not unusual in the mornings. Still, today a particularly serious incident had brought the entire family together before work.

Arnold von Reinhardt, the head of the household, sat at the center of the grand dining table with his arms crossed. Aidel, Ceti, Zelnya, and Sonia were seated on either side of him.

“Let’s hear what happened.”

Arnold said in a grave voice.

“Miss Zelnya, why did you enter my son’s room in the middle of the night?”

“I’m not certain myself. Perhaps I was sleepwalking…”

“Father! Don’t listen to her! She’s trying to manipulate Aidel and destroy our family!”

“Ceti! Be quiet!”

“Yes, Father.”

Arnold sighed deeply before continuing.

“Love and marriage are fine matters, but Aidel, Zelnya – you are both members of the Ten Great Families, and not just any branch, but the direct lineage. Do you understand what I’m implying?”

“Yes.”

“I understand.”

“Good. Time is of the essence, so I’ll be direct.”

Arriving at the crucial question.

“Did you have relations?”

“No!” they both denied emphatically.

“Father, though I may have been reckless in my youth, I’m responsible now. I assure you, nothing happened last night.”

“Can you prove it?”

“If my words prove false, I’ll forfeit everything.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Just then, Sonia raised her hand confidently.

“I can prove it. Master, due to the young master’s previous… incidents, I installed security cameras for safety purposes – not only around but inside his frequently visited rooms.”

“What?”

“Did you really?”

“Yes. I’ll fetch the footage right away. One moment, please.”

Before Aidel could protest, Sonia retrieved the camera’s memory. She played the recording, which proved that nothing untoward had occurred between them.

While this cleared their names, Aidel was left to process the unsettling revelation that he had been under surveillance all this time.

Ceti could barely walk straight, still reeling from shock.

In her brother’s room, Zelnya lay sleeping peacefully. The thought of attending Academia seemed impossible now.

“Hello, Ceti!”

“Oh, Rustila… Hello.”

Rustila greeted her with her usual cheerfulness, clearly unaware of recent events – that Zelnya was staying at the Reinhardt main house and, more importantly, that she and Aidel had spent the night in the same room.

Ceti debated whether to tell her. She recalled Rustila’s expression when learning about Zelnya and Aidel becoming president and vice president. It wasn’t mere anticipation – like that of a seasoned inspector facing a monster – but something closer to murderous intent.

If she revealed the truth now…

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling ill?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Better to keep quiet, Ceti decided.

“Are college entrance exams wearing you down? Don’t worry; it’ll all be over in a month.”

“Oh, yes. Just one more month to endure!”

“Aidel mentioned having a party at your house once everything’s done.”

“What? Really?”

“He told me during the career fair. Is it okay if I come?”

“Of course…!”

Ceti’s mind raced with calculations. According to her father, Zelnya would be leaving in a month. The timing was tight but manageable.

“I’m really looking forward to it.”

Rustila’s smile, like that of a girl experiencing first love, made her look more beautiful than anyone. She was indeed stunning and a successful inspector, too. Word was she’d already received recommendations from Omega inspectors – her abilities were undeniable.

Ceti thought to herself that Rustila and Aidel would make a perfect match. They seemed to want that too – assuming Aidel hadn’t fallen for that vixen Zelnya’s tricks.

Later that day, when Ceti returned home after work, she encountered an even more pitiful scene than the day before.