Chapter 153

Chapter 153

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 153: Unexpected Co-sleeping (2).

Arnold wheeled out the electroencephalogram equipment to determine if Zelnya was indeed a sleepwalker.

“It might be a bit uncomfortable, but please wear this tonight.”

“Yes, professor.”

Zelnya attached the testing equipment with the expertise of a medical school graduate student. Just then, Ceti returned home.

“Ah, daughter, you’re back. I’m planning to monitor Zelnya’s brain waves tonight.”

Ceti let out an exasperated sigh.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just… Why are we conducting the test here at our house?”

“We’re all too busy during the day.”

“Why not have her stay overnight at the university hospital?”

“This is essentially a hospital, too, so there’s no need for that.”

Ceti’s face contorted with displeasure.

The whole situation felt wrong to her. She was uncomfortable with the test being conducted at home. She felt irritated that her father seemed more concerned about Zelnya than her.

Her mind raced with possibilities: If Zelnya was truly sleepwalking, she might wander into her room or Aidel’s during the night.

On the other hand, if Zelnya wasn’t sleepwalking, she might deliberately head to Aidel’s room and cause more trouble.

The latter scenario especially worried Ceti. Whatever Zelnya’s intentions, they could disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of the Reinhardt household.

This had to be prevented.

Ceti resolved to stay awake all night to keep watch.

However, exhausted from her entrance exam, she ironically ended up falling asleep before everyone else.

A week had passed.

Zelnya experienced nightmares for four consecutive days, each accompanied by sleepwalking episodes.

“This confirms it.”

Arnold restarted the EEG machine.

“Miss Zelnya definitely has somnambulism. It’s not severe – just walking and mumbling. The episodes don’t last very long either.”

“I was mumbling?”

“That’s right.”

She had heard that people often spoke nonsense under sedation and wondered if sleepwalking worked similarly. The thought of having said something strange made her anxious.

“You mentioned having frequent nightmares?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of nightmares?”

“Dreams where I’m being chased by monsters or Incarnates.”

“That explains her sleep-talking.”

Arnold turned on the hallway CCTV footage. The recording showed Zelnya walking unsteadily, her arms flailing. Her mumbled words became audible:

“Save me.”

“Help me.”

“I’m scared.”

“I was wrong.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Aidel.”

During all four nights, when the symptoms manifested, Zelnya would invariably make her way to Aidel’s bedroom, repeating these words. Without fail, her final cry of “Aidel” would be particularly long and heartbreaking.

The pattern was consistent: upon entering Aidel’s room, he would provide her with a blanket, and she would sleep there peacefully for the remainder of the night.

“Ow,” Ceti groaned, clutching the nape of her neck.

“Could the testing equipment be broken?”

“That’s not possible, Ceti.”

“To think she did all that without any awareness…”

It was an unsettling result.

Zelnya’s behavior on camera stirred a protective instinct in those watching. Her frightened, whimpering demeanor came across as cute and vulnerable. If even Ceti felt this way, how much more affected would Aidel, a man, be?

“Wow.”

Sure enough, Aidel stood transfixed before the screen.

“Zelnya, is this really you?”

“Ah, stop watching! I said stop…!”

But one shouldn’t be too quick to trust. Even that embarrassed reaction could be calculated.

No – even if it were an act, that itself was concerning.

Ceti felt a deep connection to the Reinhardt family. Though she belonged to the Adelwein branch line, her Reinhardt bloodline was direct. This meant that while she couldn’t become the Adelwein family head, she remained eligible to lead the Reinhardt family.

This naturally influenced her aspirations toward leadership.

Of course, she would accept defeat if Aidel proved superior. In her estimation, her third brother was truly exceptional.

However, if the fox before them were to marry Aidel, everything would change.

Such a union would spell disaster. The moment Aidel became family head, the Adelwein would effectively consume the entire Reinhardt family.

Whether or not Arnold understood Ceti’s concerns, he made an unexpected suggestion to Aidel and Zelnya.

“Given the pattern we’re seeing, it seems neither medication nor Constellation treatment is necessary. Since the symptoms improved in Aidel’s room, I’d like to investigate the cause. Would you two consider sharing a room tonight?”

The proposal stunned everyone.

“What?”

“T-together? With Aidel?”

“Oh my.”

Ceti nearly fainted, Zelnya’s lips quivered, and Aidel sighed in resignation.

“Don’t misunderstand. This is purely about sleeping – just sleep.”

“Literally sharing a bed, nothing more.”

“Brother, must you phrase it that way?”

“This is strictly for medical purposes. Don’t let your minds wander, and don’t try anything inappropriate.”

Despite his stern words, Arnold secretly hoped this arrangement might bring Aidel and Zelnya closer emotionally. After all, the selection ceremony for the family head would begin early next year.

Aidel’s talent was undeniable. He possessed all the qualities needed to lead the family. However, his lack of medical credentials made it difficult to secure the Council of Elders’ final approval. To guarantee his position as head, he needed a wife with medical expertise.

This was where Zelnya, a medical student and direct Adelwein descendant, entered the picture.

Her nightmares repeatedly drew her to Aidel’s room. Her unconscious steps always led her to where she felt most at peace.

It seemed almost too perfect – a fortuitous combination of circumstances.

So Arnold spoke up.

“Sonia, please monitor their sleep patterns in real-time via camera. Both should wear EEG devices tonight. I’ll select the bedroom.”

“Master, is this level of surveillance really necessary?”

“This is of utmost importance. Sonia, remember that Miss Zelnya’s sleepwalking likely stems from the influence of the Outer Gods.”

“Even so… sigh. Very well, I understand.”

Sonia cast a meaningful glance at Ceti, who caught the subtle signal and responded with a nod of acknowledgment.

Inside the CCTV-monitored room, Zelnya and Aidel lay on the expansive king-size bed, their eyes fixed on the ceiling above.

The bed was so spacious that even with both of them lying side by side, there remained enough room for a child between them. In theory, they could spend the night without any physical contact if they maintained perfectly straight positions.

Of course, that was merely theoretical.

Zelnya, in particular, had a tendency to toss and turn in her sleep, often curling into a ball.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

The sound resonating from deep within her chest reminded her of pounding rice cakes.

“…Is this really appropriate?”

“It’s just an inspection. I-I’m not thinking anything unusual. Right?”

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

Her heart wasn’t merely pounding anymore; it was practically spinning.

This was quite the situation: the student council president and vice president of the prestigious Stellarium College sharing a bed—certainly not an everyday occurrence.

What made it even more significant was their lineage—a Reinhardt and an Adelwein.

Both came from prestigious families with verified bloodlines.

However, Zelnya’s expression darkened at the thought of the Adelwein family.

After all, as the saying goes, a good man and a wicked woman cannot be together.

Today was just a trial run. For such sleeping arrangements to become regular, you’ll need to first resolve matters with your family.

Yes. This is just for today – an exception.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“…What?”

“I have some bad sleeping habits. Just to be safe, I’ll place a pillow between us. Would that be okay?”

“Oh? Uh, yes, that’s fine.”

A thick, long cushion was positioned between Aidel and Zelnya.

Zelnya let out a regretful sigh.

“Sonia.”

“Did you need something?”

“Turn off the light.”

Sonia responded with a frown.

“Have you forgotten? Larry is the IoT system in charge. Asking Larry to turn off the lights would be much faster than calling me.”

“Oh, come on, dear Sonia, please do it instead- Wait, why are you coming over here? Agh! Ow! Why are you hitting me! What did I do wrong? Ugh! cough Larry, turn off the light!”

Click.

“…Young master, young lady. Sleep well.”

Sonia said in a stern voice before leaving the room. Aidel lay there, slumped like a sun-dried squid. The sight was so amusing that Zelnya couldn’t suppress a chuckle.

The moment of levity helped ease the tension in the room.

She felt she would sleep well tonight.

Sonia entered the control room, where she could monitor both Aidel and Zelnya’s brainwaves in real time, as well as observe them sleeping through the surveillance system.

Her task for the next six hours was to track and monitor their movements.

“Damn it.”

Sonia was in a bad mood.

“Android work isn’t usually this demanding.”

Sonia grumbled as she put a cigarette in her mouth. Of course, it wasn’t a real cigarette, but a battery-shaped one. It gives a tingling, sour taste when licked.

Both subjects had fallen into deep sleep. Sonia’s assigned duty for the night was to detect any anomalies in Zelnya’s patterns.

“I just don’t know about this.”

The situation was truly absurd and made her deeply uncomfortable. While on the surface, it appeared to be simple surveillance of two sleeping humans, the knowledge that it was Aidel sharing a bed with a human woman made the whole institution feel corrupted.

“Tsk.”

She exhaled and extinguished her electronic cigarette just as the automatic door slid open. Ceti entered, wearing pink pajamas.

“How’s it going?”

“Nothing significant to report so far.”

Ceti clicked her tongue.

“It’s ridiculous. Father seems convinced she’s the perfect wife. How can he possibly think he knows everything about her after just a year?”

“Indeed.”

“Besides me, haven’t you been with Aidel the longest, Sonia?”

“Yes. In terms of absolute time, I’ve served Young Master Aidel longer than anyone else.”

“That makes sense. I only saw my brother during our fights, and their mother died right after childbirth. You were his only support.”

“Perhaps that’s why I feel more than just a master-servant relationship.”

Sonia replied softly.

“The young master has changed over time. While I appreciate his growth, I do worry about some of his questionable decisions.”

“You’ve really been through everything with him. If you were human, I would have supported you being with my brother.”

Sonia gently waved off the suggestion.

“I’ll pass on that.”

She said, continuing.

“Without a master, a robot is merely scrap metal. I’m grateful just to serve in this position.”

She understood her place better than anyone else. That was why she found herself here, maintaining her vigil late into the night.