Chapter 71

Toregia wanted to go out alone to do some shopping for the start of the school year.

Merck didn't understand the move at all and said he wanted to accompany him, but since it was the first time the young male had asked to go out, he had no choice but to agree, even though he was somewhat reluctant.

The capital city's contempt for lower-level Zerg is ingrained, which is one of the reasons why Merck allows him to stay indoors.

Of course, the biggest reason was the Commander's almost disdainful attitude towards the matter: "Torregia doesn't need meaningless socializing; let him do whatever he wants."

"goodbye."

The male insect waved somewhat awkwardly, took a few steps, then suddenly remembered something, turned back and said, "What would you like me to bring back for dinner?"

Normal Zerg wouldn't pay attention to the steward's needs. Merck didn't know how the male Zerg knew that dinner was missing ingredients, and he was also unaccustomed to the male Zerg's natural questioning.

He wanted to point out that this was inappropriate for his status, but Torregia was always happy to help him, whether it was a big or small matter.

He was easy to take care of and very sensible. Apart from a few minor jokes, he was very friendly to Merck, even though Merck had looked down on him.

This kindness made Merck uncomfortable; it felt foreign to him, but he couldn't bring himself to refute it or coldly reject it as he had done before.

"Let's have some cattail shoots."

Merck spoke dryly, his face full of oddities, and then Toregia nodded in agreement. He waved goodbye to the butler.

Merck went back to his apartment to work on documents and prepare his school supplies. When the clock struck six, there was finally some movement at the apartment door.

Toregia entered with his head down, when suddenly his hair was touched. He looked up and saw the female insect standing in the living room smiling slightly, looking down at him.

The female insect's skin was unbelievably white, with thick, dark brown hair falling loosely, and a reserved, handsome face, yet her temperament was extremely cold and aloof.

He calmly praised, "Well done."

With his head still covered in bite marks that Merck had desperately tried to salvage, Toregia said, "Commander... Your Excellency."

The living room wasn't a place to talk, so Torregia and Fe moved to the small sofa and sat facing each other.

A seemingly grown-up, tall young man and a seemingly indifferent elder—when Merck first poured them tea, the conversation was limited to the time, the weather, and well-being.

When the tea was refilled for the second time, a reminder that dinner was ready, they had been sitting quietly for fifteen minutes, one reading a book and the other reading a newspaper.

The commander suddenly remembered a new topic: "Lanna misses you."

"Can he come?"

"Yes, but it will be very troublesome. On the Imperial Star, you will need to make a lot of preparations to welcome a high-level male insect."

"oh."

Tregear looked like she'd never come again, but the Commander smiled and patted the male insect on the shoulder teasingly.

The male insect went to change his clothes, and when they were alone, Merck reminded him: "Sir, you should not forget that he is an adult male insect."

Touching an adult male insect's body should be done with caution and without overstepping boundaries.

Merck had considered various answers, but the commander silenced him with just one sentence: "Do you remember Walsh? The male that pupated into an adult."

Of course I remember. Very few male insects choose to pupate and grow into adults, and that Walsh was an extremely reclusive freak.

Some scholars claim that his mental disorder stemmed from his lack of contact with relatives during childhood.

But Torregia also has his own relatives, Commander… Merck recalled the Madisons’ mannerisms and suddenly fell silent.

...

During mealtimes, the male beetle, who was full of energy when it went out in the morning, became very silent when it returned home in the evening, as if it had something on its mind. It no longer chatted with Merck impolitely during the meal.

This differed somewhat from the information Fei had recently received. He glanced at Merck, who quickly shook his head as Torregia lowered his head to drink his soup, indicating that he did not know.

Merck disliked the male insect, just as he initially thought he was currying favor with the powerful. Even if the insect wasn't actually that bad, it certainly wasn't much better. But when the male insect clearly had something on his mind, he couldn't just sit idly by.

When they went to sleep that night, Merck broke down the barriers between employer and employee and took the initiative to say goodnight to the male insect, which made Toregia look at him in surprise.

Sleep well. I hope what happened during the day didn't make you too unhappy.

Then, instead of going to bed, they were forced to stay in the living room and listen to the female insect recount her busy day.

Toto, oh, it's Toregia, has accepted his new identity, but when he sits with Fei, he inevitably falls into memories, recalling the dark, quiet nights on the grasslands and the large, bright full moon.

Did anything interesting happen to you today?

Toregia immediately shut his mouth. He had never confided in anyone else. From childhood to adulthood, he had always been very sensible and had never caused Sorim any trouble.

Toto didn't want to talk about it, and Fei didn't force him. After a brief farewell, he left the apartment.

The next day, the guard officer told him that Toto had met Congressman Madison's son while he was out.

Fei's gaze darkened.

On the other hand, because many important figures would be attending the opening ceremony, Merck wanted Torregia to master the necessary etiquette.

He caught the little rascal trying to skip class in the study.

"As a nobleman, you must possess proper speech and elegant manners."

“But,” after more than half a month of getting along, the young Toregia had become accustomed to Merck’s temper and no longer retreated as he had when he was a child. His expression was relaxed and calm. He carried a heavy paper book and tried to sneak past Merck quietly: “I am not a nobleman. I am just a native of a distant planet. My understanding of etiquette is limited to not eating with my hands.”

Merck blocked his way with a book: "Young sir, manners are not built in a day, but politeness and elegance will make you more popular."

Toregia is a green medalist, which means he starts from a low point and finds it difficult to gain genuine respect. If his words and actions do not conform to aristocratic aesthetics, he is easily ostracized and bullied.

Even the Commander could not break with tradition, change social customs, or turn Toregia into a cult of insects.

Finally, he put on his monocle: "This is the basis of mutual respect, and I don't think you want to be ridiculed by other Zerg."

Merck felt a sense of unease thinking about that freakish exception.

Toregia looked somewhat embarrassed and didn't want to learn. He wiggled his toes in his slippers and finally closed the picture book in his hands with a sigh: "Okay."

Merck slightly raised the corners of his mouth, put on his white gloves, and he would ensure that his young employer possessed manners that would not be underestimated.

"First, you need to improve your posture."

Author's Note: