Chapter 215

Chapter 215

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 215: I’ll Give You My Surname (5)

“What about the second child? What are your plans going forward?”

“Brother Cadric? I’ll have to settle him in a house in the west.”

Rejane listened intently, particularly interested in how siblings who couldn’t become the family head would be treated.

“Not on a planet from the outskirts, but I’ll keep them separated.”

“That’s the usual way.”

“We’re simply following family protocol. There won’t be any emotional penalties, so I hope they won’t take the transfer too hard.”

“I understand.”

Though they called it a transfer, it was essentially exile. Still, this was considered a lenient measure.

With the Adelweins, betrayal rarely ended with mere exile. There, people had a habit of mysteriously committing suicide or undergoing sudden, beautiful transformations.

“Besides, once they lost the elders’ support, neither brother posed any threat to me now. There’s no need for bloodshed. I’m not an Adelwein, after all.”

“I see. What about Ceti?”

Rejane swallowed nervously, wondering about her daughter’s fate – and her own.

Her concerns proved unnecessary as Aidel offered a merciful response.

“Unless she marries, she’ll remain at home.”

“Why?”

“As deputy lord, she needs to manage the family assets. Given my research commitments, I absolutely cannot spare the time to handle the family’s wealth.”

“Is that the real reason?”

“Hmm.”

Aidel changed his approach.

“Let me ask you this, Father. If I were to banish Ceti, what would you do?”

“That’s your decision to make.”

“Why?”

“You’re the lord of the family now. The lord makes decisions and bears responsibility for them. The council has granted you both that right and duty.”

“Won’t you try to stop me? Ceti is your daughter.”

“Of course, I’ll judge whether your choice is right or wrong.”

“You’re just playing with words.”

“As I said, with duty comes responsibility.”

Aidel smiled broadly and said,

“Then let me be honest.”

Rejane listened carefully, knowing this was crucial.

What followed was shocking – or rather, unexpected.

“I want Ceti to pursue her dreams in a stable environment.”

“Dreams?”

“Yes. To build a leading corporation, become wealthy, and use that money to support our parents.”

Seated on the bench, Aidel continued softly.

“It’s too grand to be called humble, yet too pure to be called grand… Everyone has such simple dreams, don’t they? Like wanting happiness or someone’s attention.”

“Is that really all there is to it?”

“I simply don’t have a habit of making my sister cry.”

The sincerity was unmistakable.

Anyone, not just Rejane, could see the genuine nature of Aidel’s words. The unconsciously shifted atmosphere lent further credibility to his statement.

“The ring presented today was from Ceti. Isn’t it ironic? That same penny-pincher who normally wouldn’t spend a cent somehow managed to invest billions in such a luxurious item.”

“Which means…”

“We’re talking about someone who only shops for bargains and sale items – that’s who Ceti is.”

A truly priceless treasure lies in family harmony: the vision of Arnold and Rejane living as a loving couple and the affection and attention that Ceti had desperately yearned for throughout her childhood.

Yet Rejane and Arnold had failed to provide any of these until now.

The autumn wind cut through the air with a bitter chill. Rejane’s hands trembled as she clutched her cardigan tighter. Her conscience felt as though it was being torn to shreds.

Unable to bear it any longer, Rejane hastily departed, like someone fleeing from their own guilt.

A few days later, over the weekend, Aidel brought two women to the Reinhardt estate – his future wives.

“You understand there’s a hierarchy among wives, correct? The position of the main wife belongs to me.”

“Since when was that decided?”

“Since right now.”

“Are you really starting this here? How cruel.”

“Don’t misunderstand. This polygamous arrangement isn’t happening because I have any particular fondness for you.”

Watching their interaction, it was clear they weren’t getting along well.

Though not directly involved, Rejane felt concerned. How would the current head manage these two strong-willed women? Had they even properly discussed the terms of this polygamous arrangement?

It seemed their married life would be rather turbulent.

Still, Rejane thought, these women might know Aidel better than she did. Hoping to gather some information, she approached the two.

“Oh, hello.”

“Hello.”

Both prospective daughters-in-law bowed respectfully, and Rejane acknowledged their greeting with grace.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we? Ceti’s mother, you remember me?”

“Of course.”

Rustila Kersil.

The girl seemed promising. Her sociable personality was charming, and from their previous encounter, it was evident she harbored genuine feelings for Aidel. She was the one Rejane had supported as a match for Aidel to strengthen family ties.

However, the other girl…

“…”

Zelnya was troubling, if only for her background.

Her sharp, fox-like eyes were intimidating – typical of an Adelwein woman. Recently, she had exposed her family’s true nature and departed on her own terms.

Rejane couldn’t help but wonder: Had Zelnya anticipated the upcoming revelation of the Adelwein family’s disgrace and sought refuge under the Reinhardt name?

The thought was chilling.

If true, she was far more calculating than she appeared.

As a direct descendant of the Adelwein main family, this seemed entirely possible. Rejane found herself unable to meet Zelnya’s penetrating gaze.

“Mother, Father wanted to meet his future daughters-in-law, so I brought them before the wedding.”

Aidel embraced both women from behind as he addressed Rejane.

She was taken aback, noticing how both women affected shy embarrassment at his touch.

“Aidel, come here for a moment.”

“Yes, I’ll be right there. Mother, would you mind chatting with them for a while?”

“What? Oh… yes…”

And so, the three women were left alone.

In the presence of their future mother-in-law, both brides-to-be stood awkwardly. The situation wasn’t helped by Rejane’s preoccupation with Zelnya, which left her struggling to find words.

It created an uncomfortable scenario where the mother-in-law could only observe their reactions.

There seemed nothing to ask beyond the most formal questions.

“What are your thoughts about Aidel? What kind of man is he to you?”

Simple questions like that.

Rustila responded first, self-consciously scratching her cheek.

“He is like my benefactor and mentor. Should I say he was my mentor before being my husband? Should I say, that’s why I fell for him…? Ahaha, it’s hard to explain this precisely…”

Watching Rustila’s rambling response, Rejane saw a reflection of her younger self. This was how women deeply in love always spoke about their beloved – with that same mixture of devotion and bashful uncertainty.

Zelnya spoke next.

“Aidel is just like me.”

Her words implied she already saw herself as the Reinhardt family head.

Typical Adelwein behavior, Rejane thought, silently grinding her teeth.

But why should she be cautious now? The Adelwein family was already in ruins.

After several more exchanges, when Rustila momentarily excused herself, Rejane’s expression changed. She addressed Zelnya directly.

“Miss Adelwein.”

“That is no longer my surname.”

Of course – the fairy tale had ended.

“Then, former Miss Adelwein, why did you denounce your own family? As head, you had everything – money, power, prestige. The entire North was within your grasp.”

“…”

“Why go to such lengths to destroy your family and burn your bridges? There was no guarantee Aidel would still want you as his wife afterward.”

This boldness came from maternal instinct – she couldn’t forgive Zelnya for taking what Ceti had built. In that moment, a mother’s love overcame fear.

Zelnya’s dry laugh preceded her response.

“Why did I abandon my family and position? That’s too simple a question.”

“What?”

“Because it was the right thing to do.”

With a soft clink, Zelnya set down her teacup. Her deep purple eyes were eerily calm, like a storm contained within porcelain.

“I wanted to end the Adelwein family’s thousand years of evil in my generation. Nothing more. I did it for humanity’s sake because it needed to be done. Even without Aidel’s proposal, I would have acted eventually.”

“But your parents…”

“Are you going to call it filial impiety?”

Zelnya adjusted her neck scarf, her hand lingering at her nape as if tracing old memories.

“Those parents used me for human experiments. All my relatives who underwent the same experiments died. I alone survived, bearing three artificial constellations – mere useless pieces of machinery.”

Rejane’s breath caught.

This revelation was completely unexpected.

Zelnya continued her disclosure.

Most of what she revealed detailed her parents’ atrocities – some accounts so horrific that one wished to block their ears rather than hear more.

These couldn’t be dismissed as mere lies, especially to Rejane, who came from the Adelwein family herself. Knowing the main family’s nature, she thought, ‘This is exactly what they would do.’

“Blood ties mean nothing to me now. I’ll follow the path I believe is right. If I encounter my parents or my teachers, I won’t hesitate to kill them. Aidel showed me this way.”

Her words might sound cruel out of context.

Yet paradoxically, they revealed something deeper.

Zelnya’s cheeks gradually flushed pink, like fabric slowly dampening in a light rain. Embarrassed by her own candor, she tugged her scarf higher to cover her mouth and nose. Then, almost casually, she added:

“What use is being head of the Adelwein family if it means a future without Aidel’s happiness?”

“…”

There was no mistaking it.

This was the face of someone in love.

An expression only worn by a woman deeply, truly in love.

Rejane’s curiosity intensified.

How? She wondered.

How had Aidel von Reinhardt managed to win over such a dangerous, viper-like woman?

“Dear, I need to speak with you.”

With her question still unanswered, Rejane made her way to Arnold’s office.

Arnold had been deep in thought since their conversation a few days ago.

He had called Aidel afterward for further counsel, questioning whether his intentions were right and if he should proceed. Aidel’s response was simple:

“It’s your decision to make, Father.”

“Why?”

“Because you are her husband.”

The straightforward answer was all Arnold needed. He nodded and dismissed Aidel.

Soon after, he reached his decision. It was time to lay everything bare.

Arnold summoned Rejane to his office, closed the door, and, in the quiet space, spoke directly:

“Now that Adelwein has fallen and the head selection ceremony is long past, I can be honest with you. I’ve always been wary of you because I knew you were Adelwein’s spy.”

“…Yes.”

Rejane admitted, as if in confession. This revelation didn’t surprise her – she had always known he suspected.

“But that’s merely the surface reason. I had a woman I loved who passed away. I couldn’t bring myself to love you while still longing for her.”

Rejane nodded with a gentle smile. She didn’t mention that she had overheard his conversation with their son days ago.

Instead, she chose to share her own hidden truth:

“It’s alright. I, too, had someone I loved besides you.”

“I know.”

“…What?”

She was taken aback.

“You’re wondering how I knew?”

Arnold said, noting her surprise.

“Even your usually stoic face would occasionally light up when you saw me. To show such expressions, you must have had someone dear to your heart.”

“How… how could you tell?”

Rejane’s lips trembled as she spoke.

“Because Reika wore the same expressions when she looked at me.”

“……”

“Being absent-minded, laughing foolishly, frowning without reason only to suddenly relax, constantly darting your eyes around, touching your warm cheeks…”

Rejane realized then just how observant he had been. She had always thought of him as cold and unyielding as steel, but surprisingly, he possessed a sensitivity similar to her own.

“That’s enough about the past.”

Arnold said, collecting his thoughts.

“I called you here to make a proposal.”

His tone shifted distinctly, reminiscent of their first meeting twenty years ago. Rejane felt both nostalgia and unease wash over her.

Then Arnold spoke again, and his words caused her to stagger, barely maintaining her balance.