Chasing After You (5)
Ten or so professors specializing in particle physics and cosmology from Stellarium’s Physics Department came to visit Eidel. The moment they saw the bedridden young genius, they burst into loud, heaving sobs.
Zernya asked, utterly bewildered, “Why have all these people come?”
“The academic circle the student and I belong to is both deep and narrow. Everyone is a research colleague at most one connection removed. When a talent destined to become a professor catches the flu, how could we possibly stay away?” Professor Feynman replied calmly. Worry was plain in his eyes.
“Besides, every one of them has applied to serve as my co-advisor. They’re all eager to co-work with Eidel.”
Zernya still hadn’t fully accepted just how remarkable Eidel was, so her attention snagged on the word professor. What was a professor, after all? The final boss of every undergraduate, the king of all graduate students. People possessing both dazzling talent and real authority had rushed here just to see one academy student. The thought irritated her.
“Aren’t all of you professors extremely busy? I really don’t understand why you’d come visit that guy,” Zernya said bluntly.
Yet Professor Feynman answered with a gentle smile, showing no sign of offense. “We scholars must always remain humble. That is obvious when facing nature, and it should be the same between people. No matter how high our position, we must know how to bow our heads to those beneath us.”
“But—”
“Of course, there are plenty of professors who behave otherwise. Students might not realize it, but those individuals have poor reputations in academia. What good is stellar performance if one’s character is lacking? Everyone judges them that way and keeps their distance.”
The stream of words made no sense to her.
“Isn’t good performance enough?”
Zernya—no, the entire Adelbein family—had lived by that creed. They crushed competitors beneath their heels, piling up vast wealth and fame. Their authority in the northern Federation was absolute. They carried themselves with a nobility and elegance that refused even to associate with other houses. Thanks to that very arrogance, the Adelbeins had never fallen. Because they had always been superior. Whenever a threat appeared they removed it, so even those who harbored grudges could do nothing. That, Zernya had been taught, was the one absolute truth.
But Feynman shook his head. “Have you ever heard the phrase gaegwansajeong?”
“It means a person cannot be judged until they die. What of it?”
“I hope you will ponder its true meaning carefully.”
Feynman gave a faint smile and clapped his hands. “All right, everyone! Eidel seems to be struggling, so let’s leave the gifts and depart.”
“Sob… student…!”
“Student, please remember me.”
“Once again, the location of my laboratory is…”
The professors who had surged in like the tide now ebbed away just as quickly.
Gaegwansajeong. Zernya kept turning Professor Feynman’s parting words over in her mind. Nothing occurred to her beyond the literal meaning. What on earth did it have to do with producing good results?
“Um…”
She unconsciously started to call Eidel’s name, then shut her mouth. She had nearly asked him for the answer. No—this was something she had to figure out herself. That was her way.
She was just thinking it was time to leave when Sonia spoke first.
“If you have no further business here, please leave as well, miss. The young master appears quite fatigued. It would be best to let him sleep in a quiet environment.”
Sonia’s lips were clearly curved upward.
“Oh?”
Suddenly Zernya no longer felt like going.
Being near Eidel triggered arrhythmia, or at least violent palpitations. In ordinary moments it was only a steady thump-thump, but when they drew close or shared a comfortable conversation it became a heavy thud-thud. Sometimes her heart even leaped or fluttered. Mostly it happened when she felt embarrassed or inferior.
And finally—when she did something that pricked her conscience, her heart ached.
Because of that last symptom, Zernya could not walk out of the hospital room.
“What are you doing?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking?”
Despite Sonia’s icy glare, Zernya remained perfectly composed. She lifted the tray and smirked. “I’m feeding him.”
What Zernya had prepared was mushroom beef stew. She had used the finest, melt-in-your-mouth beef and first-grade mushrooms grown on the Adelbein estate. From sourcing the ingredients to trimming and cooking, she had done every single step herself.
“What’s gotten into you…”
“It’s what my heart wanted.”
“The young master has already eaten.”
“Then tell him to eat mine too.”
Zernya brushed past Sonia.
Eidel was lying down reading a paper. He had propped a tablet on a stand, opened a journal, and was lazily flipping through it.
“Wow.”
This guy really was something else.
“Cough. Why?”
“Eat.”
She set up the tray table and placed the steaming stew before him. She had also brought sharp, spicy ginger tea from the Adelbein hills. It was a wicked plan to repay him in kind for what he had given her when she was sick.
Zernya gently helped Eidel sit up.
“I have no appetite.”
“But you have an appetite for papers?”
“That… cough… I can’t resist.”
“Stop talking and eat. I made this myself, with my own two hands.”
Eidel slowly lifted his hand, then let it drop.
“I don’t have the strength to hold a spoon.”
A vein throbbed on Zernya’s forehead. So that’s how you want to play it?
Sonia’s eyebrows twitched. “Young master, then I shall—”
“Sonia.” Eidel waved a hand. “Zernya went to the trouble of making this. If you feed it to me, what happens to her sincerity?”
“…Understood. I was thoughtless.”
The distinct sound of grinding teeth reached her ears.
Yes. That was what she had come for.
Feeling immensely pleased with herself, Zernya plunged the spoon deep into the stew. A rich, clean aroma rose and tickled her nose. Even though she had made it herself, it looked truly delicious.
She swallowed, blew gently on the spoon, and held it out.
“Eat.”
“Yesss.”
“How is it?”
“Well.”
She felt strangely nervous. This was the first time she had cooked for someone else and waited for their judgment.
“It’s as delicious as the citation count on one of my papers.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“It means it’s good.”
Thump. Thump. Her heart pounded. For one brief, ridiculous moment she even considered becoming a chef.
“Here, another spoonful.”
“This is suddenly embarrassing.”
“…Hmph. Is it?”
When Eidel tried to take the spoon himself, Zernya smiled slyly. A wonderful idea had just occurred to her.
“Open up. You eat, and I’ll…”
She used the same spoon that had just been in Eidel’s mouth, scooped up more stew, and ate it. The tender beef and comforting mushrooms danced across her tongue and palate.
“Now, again—”
That was when it happened.
“……”
Eidel’s gaze swung around like a machine. He was looking toward the infirmary door.
Zernya, standing with her back to that door, sensed something strange and turned.
Thud. A lunch basket hit the floor.
“You—what are you doing?”
There stood Rustilla.
The instant Rustilla heard that Eidel had caught the flu, she wanted to race to his side. But she had made a promise. She would succeed Instructor Nayer and become a Great Omega-grade swordmaster. Only then could she protect Eidel’s side forever.
Of course Eidel knew nothing of the vow she had made alone, yet he had never seemed to dislike the idea.
If possible, form a connection with that child. If things go well with the Rheinland family, we plan to marry you to Eidel.
Her parents had said so as well. She had no idea how things had reached this point, but good was good.
“Huuu.”
Cheeks flushed, Rustilla trained with her sword every single day. Marriage? With that boy? It felt early, yet the thought made her happy.
She remembered what she had written on the bet Verdia once made with Eidel: piggyback rides and walks together. If they became husband and wife, she could do those things every day!
“Hehehe.”
Imagining the defeat of the Outer Deities and a peaceful life with a family of a dozen or so—including herself and Eidel—made her sword strikes two or three times faster than usual.
Watching the strange, almost artistic paths her blade drew, her master Nayer thought:
Rustilla. It seems this war will end in your generation.
Nayer called out to the training girl. “Disciple, I must leave shortly on a mission, so today’s instruction will have to be canceled. Can you practice on your own?”
“Yes, of course!”
Rustilla beamed. The moment Nayer departed for another star system, she quickly packed a lunchbox and dashed to the academy infirmary.
And there she witnessed something she should never have seen.
“You—what are you two doing?”
Zernya was sitting right beside Eidel, feeding him stew. Worse, she was using the exact same spoon on herself immediately after.
Slurp, slurp. The way she ate made it look perfectly natural.
“What?”
Zernya turned and met Rustilla’s eyes. Wearing the same arrogant expression she showed in the classroom, she lifted her chin.
“…Adelbein. What are you doing here?”
“That’s my line. Shouldn’t you be practicing your sword? Why are you here?”
“You just…!”
“Oh, the spoon? There was only one and I was hungry.”
The sound of grinding teeth echoed twice in quick succession.
She had messed with Sonia, messed with Rustilla, and even managed to trouble Eidel’s expression. Three people in one go.
From the devastated faces of the android and her classmate, Zernya could tell they were tasting utter defeat. Her own ears had turned bright red from embarrassment, but that didn’t matter right now.
She had won.
She wasn’t sure exactly what she had won, but she had definitely won!