A Chemist's Interstellar Saga

Chapter 168: Private Dorm
Chapter 168: Private Dorm

After hearing Deanna’s story, Arix felt a wave of emotions. If she’d ended up on Planet Void instead of Planet Waste with Sister Gwen, her survival might have been in question.

Noticing the concern on Arix’s face, Deanna asked, ”Arix, are you scared?”

”Yes,” Arix replied honestly, then gently took Deanna’s arm and asked, ”Deanna, have you ever been scared?”

Deanna smiled, her eyes twinkling like stars. ”No, because I have my brother.”

”I see, you and your brother are really close,” Arix thought about Marceau, who also adored his sister, and felt a bit envious. But she also felt glad, because she knew she had two wonderful brothers as well. Kellan was always kind and caring, and even though Drexel could be unreliable at times, Arix knew he was also the best brother anyone could ask for.

”Yes, my brother is amazing. I hope I can be his bride one day,” Deanna said dreamily.

”To be a bride... wait, what?!” Arix, still thinking about her own brothers, suddenly realized something was off. She nearly passed out from the shock.

”Deanna... um, siblings... can’t fall in love or get married,” Arix said nervously, swallowing hard. She worried her words might be too harsh and struggled to find a gentle way to say it.

Deanna saw Arix’s distressed expression and laughed, ”I know that, but he’s not my biological brother.”

Hearing this, Arix let out a sigh of relief and said, not yet recovering from a fright, ”You could have mentioned that earlier. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Deanna giggled at Arix’s reaction.

Feeling more at ease, Arix asked, ”So how do you meet each other? How did he become your brother?”

”Because I was abandoned at birth, and he found me and took me to the orphanage. So, everyone just assumed I was his sister,” Deanna explained, sounding like she was telling someone else’s story, without a trace of sadness.

Arix felt a pang of sympathy and gently rubbed Deanna’s head, comforting her, ”It’s all in the past. I believe you’ll be very happy in the future, Deanna.”

”Thank you, Arix. But my brother only sees me as his sister now,” Deanna said, looking a bit down.

”Hmm? Marceau hasn’t agreed yet? You’re so adorable,” Arix said, surprised.

Deanna shook her head sadly and confessed to Arix, ”Actually, I haven’t told my brother how I feel. I’m scared he might reject me, and I don’t want to burden him.”

On Planet Void, just surviving was a luxury. Deanna, protected by her brother, had the rare luxury of dreaming about fairy tales.

Marceau’s only concern was keeping his sister safe. But Deanna wanted more; she dreamed of being the one who could stay by his side forever.

”Are you planning to keep things this way?” Arix asked with a sigh, seeing Deanna’s sadness. She wasn’t sure how to comfort her since she had never been in the same position.

Arix imagined it might be like her love for mechas. If she had to part with her Star Dust, it would indeed be a heart-wrenching feeling.

Thinking of this, Arix touched the Space Button hanging around her neck. Its cool touch reassured her and made her feel happy.

Deanna, hearing Arix’s question, replied confidently, ”Of course not! I plan to confess to him as soon as I earn enough military merits to completely get rid of Planet Void with him.”

As she spoke, Deanna clenched her fists, her eyes burning with determination.

”That sounds wonderful. It will be very romantic,” Arix said, feeling a bit excited.

”Definitely! Arix, you have to cheer for me then,” Deanna said with a bright smile.

”Sure,” Arix replied, smiling back. She didn’t fully understand what it felt like, but seeing Deanna so happy made her happy too.

”By the way, Arix, do you have someone you like?” Deanna asked, curious if someone as amazing as Arix had someone special in her life.

Someone she liked? The first person Arix thought of was Cassian, the second was Scion, and surprisingly, the third was Quispe.

Though Quispe was handsome, his eccentric personality and insectoid nature made Arix shudder. She quickly shook her head, ”No, no, I don’t have anyone I like.”

Deanna looked puzzled by Arix’s frightened reaction, wondering if Arix had misheard her question as asking if there was someone she was scared of.

Seeing Deanna’s confused expression, Arix didn’t want to explain her awkward thoughts. She nervously changed the subject, ”We’re almost at the girls’ dorm. Let me walk you up.”

Deanna, still curious, decided to let it go and smiled, ”Okay, thank you, Arix.”

Deanna noticed Arix’s attempt to change the subject and went along with it, saying, ”Okay, thank you, Arix.”

”You’re welcome,” Arix replied with a smile. She walked Deanna to her dormitory and, worried that Deanna might be bullied because of her background on Planet Void, she stayed for a while longer.

After arranging to attend the class together in the afternoon, Arix finally felt at ease and headed back to her dorm.

However, Arix didn’t know that as soon as she left, the sweet and gentle Deanna turned fierce. She swiftly dealt with her roommates who were looking for trouble, knocking them down one by one.

”Don’t mess with me again, or it wouldn’t be surprising if one or two classmates went missing outside school someday,” Deanna said coldly, looking at the two girls she had under her foot.

”S-sorry, we know we were wrong,” the two girls, no longer arrogant, apologized timidly.

Only then did Deanna let out a satisfied huff. She released them and continued tidying up her room.

The private dorm assigned to Arix sat conveniently close to the girls’ dormitory in the central staff area, just a short walk away. With the address on her opticomputer, Arix easily found her new home for the next four years.

Her dorm number was 30, a charming two-story building. Arix took in the exterior before approaching the front door.

Before she could do anything, the AI butler greeted her.

”Welcome home, master.”

The front gate swung open automatically. Arix, caught off guard, stepped inside. Her curiosity peaked as she looked around. The house had a delicate country style, surrounded by lush green trees, offering a peaceful retreat from campus life.

Arix marveled at the luxurious garden. If this were her own home, the opulence wouldn’t be surprising. But for a school dormitory, it seemed extravagant.

This high-end treatment made Arix suspicious. It felt like HMA had some hidden agenda.

After pondering for a bit and coming up empty, Arix shrugged it off, thinking, ’Whatever comes, I’ll handle it.’ After all, what could a military academy really be plotting?

With these thoughts, she started admiring the garden as she headed to the porch. Before she could use her opticomputer to unlock the door, it opened on its own.

Puzzled, Arix saw a robot butler bowing respectfully inside, saying, ”Welcome, master.”

The robot butler, about half a meter tall and resembling a small astronaut with its robotic joints, greeted her.

Surprised, Arix asked, ”Who are you?”

”Hello, master. I am PO, your campus butler. I will take care of your daily needs for the next four years,” the robot replied in a cute, respectful voice.