Even Miles Sherman couldnât take it anymore. "Please, donât ask."
"It hasnât happened yet, so donât be anxious." Mr. Sherman could tell Miles Sherman didnât want to discuss it. "Let the kids figure it out themselves. Theyâre still young, after all."
They had plenty of youth to burn.
âBesides, for an Omega like Zoe Pierce, could it be that only our son has his eye on her? Werenât others interested too?â
âNot necessarily.â
âWith his sonâs reserved, steady, and old-fashioned demeanor...â
âAt work, it made him seem reliable and dependableâa huge plus. But when it came to romance, he was probably at a disadvantage.â
Miles Sherman stood up, clearly done with the conversation. "Iâm going to see if Hope and the others are awake."
He left so quickly that, from behind, he looked to his parents like he was making a flustered retreat.
Upstairs, Ewan Sherman had woken up first. Rubbing his eyes, he opened his door and immediately saw Miles Sherman coming up the stairs.
He immediately broke into a grin and leaped at him. "Brother, youâre back!"
Miles Sherman caught him in a hug. "I am. Go wash up and come downstairs for breakfast."
Ewan Sherman happily clung to him for a moment before hopping down to go wash up.
Miles Sherman stood by the door. Soon after, as if sensing his presence, Hope Sherman woke up too. When she came out and saw him, she couldnât resist opening her arms for a hug.
"Brother, why are you up so early?" Hope Sherman said softly, her arms around Miles Shermanâs neck. "Waking up early is hard. We could have been good and waited for you until the afternoon."
Miles Sherman hugged her, his hand on her small back. "Itâs okay. Itâs no trouble."
"Did the big sister and brothers come too?" Having seen Miles Sherman, Hope Sherman couldnât help but ask.
âMiles Sherman didnât expect to be facing the same topic even upstairs.â
He said with a sigh, "Didnât I tell you yesterday? The other big brother and sister are pretty busy right now. Youâll have to wait a little longer."
With the promise Zoe Pierce and the others had made on the Intelligent Brain yesterday, Hope Sherman wasnât disappointed.
"Okay, Iâm going to wash up. Wait for me, Brother."
Ruffling her somewhat messy hair, Miles Sherman said softly, "Go on. Iâll wait for you both."
...
ăFederal Military Academy.ă
ăDormitory Building.ă
Strictly speaking, a dorm inhabited by only four people could be described as spacious.
Aside from the facilities not looking particularly new, it was perfectly fine.
Zoe Pierce and the others werenât even required to attend classes, so they were just lazing around in their dorm.
The only inconvenience was the lack of cooking facilities and service robots. They either had to make do with nutrient supplements or go to the cafeteria for their meals.
The Federal Military Academyâs cafeteria was excellent. After all, it was a top-tier institution where students underwent immense daily training, so their food was a matter of great importance.
Neither Aaron Xavier nor the others were the type to settle for less, so when Zoe Pierce woke up, she found they had already brought breakfast back for her.
âThis really does feel like Iâm in a school romance.â
âBack on Earth, the only time I saw this kind of treatment was when my roommateâs boyfriend brought her meals every day.â
âOf course, he would occasionally bring some for the rest of us, too.â
"Zoe Pierce, what are you smiling at?" Aaron Xavier asked, puzzled, as he watched her gaze at the breakfast with a smile.
Zoe Pierce ignored him, leisurely setting out the food. "Youâre not calling me âolder sisterâ now."
Aaron Xavier clicked his tongue.
Then he leaned in close, putting his face right in front of hers, his voice dropping to a soft murmur. "Older sister, did you want me to call you that?"
Zoe Pierce nearly choked on her food.
She picked up a spare pair of chopsticks and tapped him lightly on the head. "Didnât you say you were going to behave?"
It had only been a few days.
Aaron Xavier rubbed his head. It didnât hurt. He grinned cheekily. "You were the one who wanted me to call you âolder sisterâ."
âHe was the only one who could properly call her that.â
Zoe Pierce couldnât stand him when he acted like this.
"Just let me finish my breakfast." âHow was anyone supposed to eat with him acting like a fool this early in the morning?â
Aaron Xavier retreated a few steps and sat on a nearby armchair. "Itâs kind of boring at the academy. Want to go to class?"
âThis wasnât a resort, and it wasnât as comfortable as being at home.â
Aaron Xavier had never lived in a dorm before, and after just one night, the novelty had already worn off.
Zoe Pierce hadnât thought about it until he mentioned it.
All told, it seemed like sheâd only attended a few days of classes.
Even though she had her memories back and could recall some of what sheâd previously studied, the time she had lost was well and truly lost.
She suddenly asked, a little unsure, "I seem to remember... to get the Comfort Officer certification, thereâs a written exam, right?"
The three Alphas all looked at her.
They frowned in thought for a moment. Finally, Nathan Lockwood confirmed, "Yes."
"Itâs just that many of the procedures are simplified since weâre at the academy."
"If you take the graduation exams and donât fail, youâre considered to have passed," said Chase Shaw, who had looked up the academy rules. None of the three of them were very knowledgeable about matters concerning Omegas.
"At most military academies, you have to take a separate certification exam."
"But for Omegas at the Federal Military Academy, as long as you meet the standard graduation requirements, they award the certificate. Itâs not so complicated."
Graduation was still a long way off. The tension that had just tightened in Zoe Pierceâs chest immediately eased.
"No way, are you actually worried you wonât pass?" Aaron Xavier almost laughed. "How is it that you were focused on studying even with amnesia, and now that your memoryâs back, youâre *still* focused on studying?"
âMost people canât wait to stop studying, but she was the complete opposite.â
There was no way Zoe Pierce could explain this to Aaron Xavier.
It was an instinct carved into her very bones.
âThere used to be a joke about it online: even if people from the Hearthland were reborn, their first thought would be getting into a top university.â
âAnd that wasnât any less true for someone who had transmigrated.â
Zoe Pierce felt a wry sense of resignation as she recalled all the effort sheâd put into getting into the Federal Military Academy.
Even though it was like living a second life, sheâd had to learn everything from scratch. Not to mention, her soothing ability back then wasnât outstandingâit was merely average.
Because of that, the required scores for her academic courses were incredibly high.
And she really had put in the work for quite some time.
"Besides, youâre a distinguished alumna. The academy isnât going to let you fail," Aaron Xavier said with conviction.
Chase Shaw nodded in agreement. "They wouldnât do that."
âEven if Zoe Pierce showed up and scored a zero, they would still pass her.â
âSomething like spiritual power never played by the rules.â
âNot to mention, Zoe Pierceâs other talents were plain for all to see. The academy would just turn a blind eye.â
"If youâre that desperate to attend classes, why not come with us?" A brilliant idea suddenly flashed through Aaron Xavierâs mind.
âSince Zoe Pierceâs spiritual power was already exposed, she could totally attend classes as if she were an Alpha.â
âShe might even learn something new.â
Zoe Pierce immediately looked toward Nathan Lockwood and Chase Shaw.
âCould that work?â
"Not Mecha classes, but other theory courses would be fine," Chase Shaw determined.
"The fact that you can use spiritual power isnât widely known yet," Nathan Lockwood agreed. "But we could have Director Quinn arrange a few private sessions."