Chapter 67
Knock knock——
But before they could be intimate for long, there were two gentle knocks on the door of the lounge and Adelaide's voice was heard.
"Your Majesty, the ball has entered the second half. Are you available to join us now?"
"Wait a moment."
Yael responded loudly, then patted the female insect in his arms and motioned him to get up, "Let's go, I need to get dressed."
Unexpectedly, he got stuck at the first step. When he took it off, he pulled it off all at once like a sweater. When he put it on, he found that the clothes were very complicated.
"Let me do it."
Caesar took over, untied the knots, shook the clothes straight, and put them on Yael.
"Are you tired? If you don't want to participate, go home and rest."
The female insect's fingertips stroked the sensitive Adam's apple, and occasionally rubbed the neck and chest, bringing a slight itchy sensation.
Yael pursed his lips when being touched, "It's okay, I'm just not used to staying up late."
"Among the nobles who came to greet us just now, most of them are on the side of the eldest prince, and a small number are neutral. No A-level male insects have come yet, so they are probably all waiting and watching."
He briefly explained the situation to Xi Ze, then remembered something and frowned slightly.
"I could feel a male insect watching me secretly. His sight was different from the others. I remember he seemed to be calling..."
"Vito?"
Xize paused, not looking surprised at all.
"Some aristocrats have emerged in recent years. Although they are not taken seriously by the old aristocrats, they have actually become a very strong force and are one of the breakthrough points for reform."
"Should I do something? Like pull it or something."
Yael rubbed his cheek and asked for advice somewhat embarrassingly.
After fixing the crooked brooch, Caesar bent down and kissed the tip of his nose.
"No, they need to think hard about how to please the Lord."
"Come on, I'll introduce you to the eldest prince and other nobles who are close to him."
…
This emperor of the empire reigned longer than the previous one, but his political achievements were extremely mediocre. He had few children in his life and only successfully raised two princes, Augsger and Felix.
The second prince perfectly inherited the emperor's appearance when he was young, arrogant and domineering, with a head full of weeds. On the contrary, the eldest prince, who was unfavored since childhood and raised by a wet nurse, looks more like a king.
In this regard, Yael can only comment that good bamboo shoots grow out of bad bamboos.
Opposite him, the "good bamboo shoot" was looking at this side with a smile on his face, but for some reason there was a hint of mockery mixed in with his seriousness.
"Your Majesty, I have long heard of your great name."
After a brief greeting, the three parties looked at each other briefly and sat down in tacit understanding.
The servants around Ogsger stood at a distance, like a layer of protection.
Yerben thought that he would be a little reserved. After all, the outside world commented that the eldest prince had a strict personality, and after losing his only female child, he became even more moody and difficult to get along with.
But the feeling the female insect in front of him gave him was actually similar to that of Xize at the beginning, except that she had the temperament of an elder who had experienced the world, gentle and steady.
"Your Majesty probably doesn't know that I met Hillzer when he was very young. At that time, he was not as tall as he is now, nor as fierce as he is now. He was like a little kid..."
The topic of this conversation was very casual, basically talking about whatever came to mind. Yael took a sip of the strawberry milk handed to him by the female worm and listened to the female worm's "dark history" with great interest.
"But I first came into contact with him when I was a teenager. At that time, several military universities jointly held a mecha competition. He suddenly appeared and slapped the elite players to win the championship, and even led by a large margin in points."
He was a young man who wanted to display his talent and had the ambition to reorganize the empire. After the game, he helped Xize solve some of the troubles he had and pulled Chong into his own camp.
"The name that Hilzer used at that time was "Xize". He also used this name during the few years he spent on the desolate planet before winning the championship. However, when he later joined the military and was awarded a military title, he had to use his official original name again."
Hearing this, Yael slightly widened his eyes and turned to look at the female insect, "So you didn't just make this up, what's the meaning of this name?"
Xi Ze was stunned for a moment, "Didn't you read that information?"
Because of the issue of concealing his identity, he compiled all his life experiences from childhood to adulthood into data and transmitted it to the male insect's optical computer.
Later, Yael occasionally expressed doubts, but he thought the male insect just didn't look closely, but it seems that it is very likely that he didn't look at all.
Yael felt a little overwhelmed, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes, and whispered in the female insect's ear.
"I haven't seen that information. It's enough to know your real identity, but the rest is your privacy."
"It's okay, you can look at it as you like."
As expected, Yael said calmly, "Forget it. What's the point of reading it myself? It's more fun to listen to you or other insiders."
Xi Ze sighed and explained, "As I told you before, after breaking up with my family, I went to live on a remote planet for a long time to protect myself. This was the name I used during that time."
"It doesn't have any special meaning, but from now on this will be the Lord's exclusive nickname."
Ogsger watched them whispering quietly, with a gentle smile in his eyes from beginning to end, as if he was looking at them, or perhaps thinking of something through the scene before him.
But they didn't chat for long, as the night was already very dark, and soon another kind of music began to play in the hall, indicating that the party had entered a special program.
Yael knew nothing about this.
Many female insects who did not have male masters and did not want to play open games had already retreated voluntarily. Ogsger also rubbed his eyebrows, revealing a bit of fatigue.
"I'm a little sleepy, so I'm going to go downstairs and rest first. Have fun, you guys."
After saying goodbye, Yael looked at the time and realized that it was already very late at night. Just as he was about to take Caesar back to catch up on some sleep, he was stopped by a strange voice.
"Your Majesty?"
When he turned around, he found that it was a strange male insect who had been in Kano's circle before, although he didn't know if he was protecting him.
"Your Majesty, do you want to play with us?"
Play? What to play?
Yael frowned slightly, looking at the embarrassed male insect with some surprise, and glanced past him at the scene in the hall.
There were fewer insects in the hall, and the lights had been changed to dim, ambiguous warm lights. The atmosphere of the entire dance party was luxurious and decadent, and there was even a noticeable sound of water mixed in with the music.
The noble male insects scattered around looking for places they liked to sit down, while the female servants and slaves they brought with them were kneeling on the ground, lowering their heads and serving them diligently. Among them were some noble female insects wearing evening gowns.
Yell immediately understood what he meant and frowned subconsciously.
"Well, it's about the various ways of playing with the female servants and female slaves. Previously, His Highness Kano was the leader. There are all kinds of ways of playing. Do you want to try them out?"
The male insect hinted vaguely, and said that he had recently acquired several powerful female slaves who could be exchanged with him for play.
He had just witnessed the ruthlessness of the male insect in front of him, but at this moment he saw a trace of incompatible purity in those dark eyes, which was completely different from what was about to happen.
"That was just your Majesty's formal meeting. This is a special meeting in the male insect circle. Every male insect who has been promoted to A-level or squeezed into the upper-class circle has experienced it. Are you really not coming?"
Yael turned to look at Cize. The female insect had a calm expression and nothing could be seen, but it was obvious that she knew the unspoken rule and even tacitly agreed that he could do that to her.
"Your Majesty, don't be embarrassed! This is only a very normal thing. If you want to enter the circle of high society in the future, you will inevitably have to attend such social events."
This society has become accustomed to these things, but no matter how "open" they are, they do it directly on the seats in the hall, or even several male insects exchange female servants and slaves to play with.
It is still relatively "restrained", playing alone in the room on the second floor of the dance hall, the nature is actually almost the same -
They all treat female insects as objects that they can own and play with at will, rather than as partners who need to be respected and loved.
He suddenly became angry, not only because of this abnormal custom, but also because of the female insect's tolerance and acquiescence.
"I won't go. You guys can do whatever you want. Just don't invite me to these activities again."
Yael said in a cold voice, ignoring the stunned expression of the male insect in front of him, and directly grabbed Caesar's wrist, pulling him towards the hall exit with some force.
"Let's go."
So what if it is the default rule of society, and so what if it has potential implications in the male circle.
I don't belong here, and I'm not a bug, so why should I obey these disgusting things?
He couldn't change the environment of the entire Zerg race, nor did he want to waste his energy trying to change anything. The most he could do was to avoid getting involved, and to protect Xize from suffering such humiliation.
The male insect was stunned for a moment, but before he could try to stop her, Yael took the female insect out of the hall.
"What's the matter? Your Majesty is unwilling to come?"
A familiar voice rang in his ears, and the already irritable male insect looked even more irritated. He turned around and saw Vito, and said unhappily.
"Yeah, I don't know what's going on. It's so annoying."
"Even Marshal Monte can ride on me. I don't believe he doesn't understand these things. Maybe he is just too arrogant and looks down on us. He is so naive. He will cry when he is excluded in the future..."
The male insect went back to the female slave to vent his anger, mumbling something. Vito was left standing there, looking in the direction where Yael had left, with a thoughtful look on his face.
*
It was a dark night. The moon and stars were hidden behind the clouds and their details could not be seen clearly.
The cool night breeze outside finally woke Yael up, and his anger subsided a little.
He pursed his lips and turned to ask Caesar, "Are you going home now? Or where are you going?"
Xi Ze looked at the surroundings and suddenly said, "It's a rare opportunity for you to come here. I'll take you to the back garden of the palace."
The ball was held in the largest palace. Outside the magnificent ballroom, there were many buildings and scenery around it. The most beautiful and breathable place was the back garden.
Turning from the main gate to a cobblestone path on the side, it is like instantly entering a quiet forest from luxury. The lush branches and leaves block the light from behind, and the surroundings are dim.
Rustle——
The female insect walking in front of him helped him push aside the overgrown branches and make a path for him to enter.
"This is a quick shortcut, it's a little harder to walk, Lord, follow me closely."
After walking about a hundred meters, Yael smelled a hint of rose fragrance, which mixed with the cool night and instantly refreshed his sleepy mind.
"…It felt like we were eloping."
He was no longer angry. He squeezed the female insect's hand firmly and turned his eyes to the peaceful scene in the garden around him.
The trees, flowers and plants cast large patches of light and shadow under the moonlight, as if entering a dreamland that no insect knew about.
They are a pair of migratory birds who left everything behind and fled here.
Xi Ze pushed aside a branch beside the male insect's shoulder, and turned to look at him. His expression was not clear in the dim light, but the tips of his ears were obviously red.
He hummed softly, changed the wrist-holding posture to interlocking fingers, and led Yael into the back garden.
Suddenly the view opens up——
Yael's pupils suddenly shrank and he was stunned for a moment.
"I come here occasionally, but not to enjoy the scenery, but to meet with His Highness to discuss some matters. But that was five or six years ago."
Xi Ze's voice was calm but with a hint of nostalgia. After a long silence, he sighed and said, "Not much has changed here."
Amid the clusters of plants and flowers was a rattan chair with a backrest, the kind that was hung from rattan and could sway, just enough for two insects to sit side by side.
“Squeak—”
The old chair creaked slightly, and Yael subconsciously grabbed the rattan branch, fearing that the chair would collapse.
The female insect reached out and held his side, patted him gently, and whispered, "It's not a cane. It's made of twisted metal wire. It's very secure and won't fall off."
This location was obviously specially designed. It is located on a gentle slope that is not too high, and one can have an unobstructed view of the scenery below.
After sitting quietly for a while, the heat from the hall slowly dissipated and the hair on my forehead was blown by the breeze.
The sea of flowers in the distance ends at the sky, and a bright moon slowly emerges from behind the clouds.
"What I said just now that I will not participate in those activities in the future is true. I will not change my decision just because of the change of time."
Yael suddenly spoke, and then looked at the female insect seriously.
"So if other bugs say something to you, like I messed around, they're just trying to sow discord, don't believe them, okay?"
The female insect is not sure whether she will be teased in public or exchanged, but she is bound by the traditional customs. It would be better to make it clear from the beginning.
"I know. If you really want to exchange me with another male insect, I will refuse. I will not obey you unconditionally."
Caesar looked gentle, gazing deeply at Yael.
If other male insects heard this, they would surely fly into a rage, and might even think that the female insect was not obedient enough and needed to be severely disciplined.
But after a moment of hesitation, Yael responded with a very concise "OK", and then the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise, obviously he was in a good mood.
After all, what he has always liked is not the gentleness of female insects that are bound by society, nor does he want to see the devotion of female insects that are trapped in a cage.
Any compulsion that goes against nature will only wear away healthy and passionate emotions instead of nourishing new life vitality.
"It's good that you have the awareness to refuse. Don't obey any unreasonable requests unconditionally. If I become bad in the future, you must remember not to be bullied."
Although he couldn't imagine what it would be like if he was contaminated or assimilated, he knew it would not be a good thing, and he was not afraid to take ruthless action.
Xi Ze was stunned for a moment, and whispered, "...You won't."
"I know you won't."
The female insect said it again subconsciously, but no one knew what she was thinking about. Her expression suddenly changed slightly, but she quickly suppressed the vague worry.
The atmosphere seemed to be a little heavy. Yael coughed and changed the subject casually, "By the way, what is the specific role of S-level male insects?"
He thought about the problems that might arise after showing up, and suddenly frowned with true feelings.
"You're not going to ask me to get married and mate with some female insect with good genes to contribute to the reproduction of the empire, are you?"
It's not impossible.
Yael thought seriously for a moment, then looked at the female insect beside him and said in a heavy tone, "I don't think I will be forced to sell my body."
Xi Ze just came to his senses when he heard this sentence, and said comfortingly with some helplessness.
"No, but we may collect samples regularly and send them to the Imperial Research Institute to study your genes. Research has made great progress in recent years, and your arrival may help break through the last obstacle."
Thinking back to the time when he had been explaining to the male insects the distribution of power, the industries and relationships of the nobles, etc., but had never told Yael about the things that he really needed to understand and implement, Xi Ze secretly thought it was a mistake.
"One of the responsibilities of high-level male insects is to provide high-concentration pheromones, dilute and replicate them, and then produce pheromone drugs in large quantities to supply hospitals or battlefields where they are most needed."
"Also, I provide spiritual counseling to female noble insects that are on the verge of going berserk, but not like you did for me."
Seeing that Yael was still confused, he continued to explain, "Generally, male insects above grade B can achieve non-contact grooming, and can even groom multiple insects at a time. The whole process is very fast."
Yelle's mental power seems to have both healing and controlling functions. It is so powerful that if it can be developed and utilized to the maximum extent, it can even be comparable to an elite mecha unit.
But... such a powerful male insect was sitting quietly on a rattan chair, listening to him talking about various rules and taboos, with a gentle and focused expression.
"Don't worry, just take your time."
Xi Ze's expression softened and his voice gradually became lower.
It was so rare, almost once in a thousand years, that an S-class male insect that was both strong and gentle actually appeared in that battle by accident and became a member of the insect race.
He came to Etar again a year ago and lent him a helping hand as if he were a god descending from the sky.
Xi Ze never believed in the illusory fate, but at this moment he couldn't help wondering whether Yael was chosen by the merciful existence to save this corrupt empire and his life.
If fate really exists, I hope it will not be so harsh. Yael has experienced too many hardships before finally walking out of the darkness into the boundless moonlight.
Those deep sufferings are enough to exchange for a bright and smooth journey ahead.
Yael was memorizing these things when the sound in his ears suddenly stopped.
He raised his eyes in confusion, "Why don't you say anything..."
A touch of warmth happened to be imprinted on his cheek, making him slightly widen his eyes.
That touch of brilliant gold sparkled in the hazy night and was reflected in Yael's eyes, making the dark and warm darkness suddenly light up with a bright light, as if the night and the stars complemented each other.
He realized it belatedly and his face turned red. He even stumbled when he opened his mouth.
"Why suddenly...what's wrong with you?"
Caesar was caught kissing someone secretly, but he didn't try to hide it. He rubbed his lips on the cheek for a long time before asking in a hoarse voice.
"Nothing, I just want to kiss you, okay?"
Yael wiped the saliva from his face, ignored the pounding in his chest, pursed his lips and complained.
"You blush."
The female insect's voice rang in my ears, with a hint of a smile between her warm breaths.
Yael covered his face with the back of his hand, and after a long while he said in a muffled voice, "You are wrong."
The smile in Xi Ze's eyes deepened.
In the past, the male insect always liked to tease him, and seemed to be in a good mood when he saw his shy and sensitive face. Although it did not cause any substantial harm, it did cause him trouble for a period of time.
Later, he relaxed a lot and would occasionally tease Yael, and then he realized...it was really fun.
Xi Ze cleared his throat, and skillfully suppressed his over-beating heart. When he spoke again, his voice had returned to normal.
If you ignore the equally red tips of the ears.
Cize sighed, thinking of what Yael had said at the beginning about elopement, and felt that this palace was indeed too boring.
Even if they can move freely on the main planet, male insects are still mostly restricted... but they can't do anything about it.
"Once these matters are settled, I will use all my previously saved annual leave to take you to other planets to relax. I remember that many planets are very interesting..."
He spoke in a soothing voice, and did not formally take out his computer to check. Instead, he just chatted casually, talking about the more interesting points in his memory, and occasionally asked what the male insect liked.
The heat on Yael's face gradually disappeared. He leaned back and relaxed on the back of the rattan chair, swinging his calves leisurely.
"Hmm... do you like flowers? I'm okay, but I can never keep them alive."
"A planet famous for baking bread? I think this is fun, but I like cakes more. Bread is actually fine, as long as it is made into a normal shape."
Not eating big cockroaches and big spiders is his bottom line, but he can barely tolerate other things like crustaceans.
"A planet full of fluffy lambs? The grasslands on the planet must be vast and open, which should be fun..."
Yael hesitated for a moment, "We can't go out now, but we can play around. What is the most famous thing about the main planet?"
Xi Ze was stunned for a moment and hesitated for a while.
"As for the main planet... I remember a report was submitted before saying that the amount of metal waste produced by the main planet every year is hundreds of times that of other planets."
The food is not famous, the scenery is not famous, and apart from the highest level of technological development and the best geographical location, there is nothing outstanding about it. Oh, it is even criticized for producing a lot of garbage.
Yael and Cesar were both silent.
The topic was cut short, and the quiet night returned. Although the breeze was cooler than before, I could only feel a comfortable warmth all over my body.
Yael took a deep breath, and the last bit of sleepiness disappeared.
He unconsciously lowered his eyes to look at his fingertips placed on the bench, which were not far away from the female insect's fingertips.
Yael moved his fingers subconsciously, but still didn't touch it.
But the next second, the back of my hand felt warm. The female insect's hand was long and broad, covered with a thin layer of cocoon, which always gave me a warm and reassuring feeling.
"Look, it's caught."
Xi Ze's eyes curved slightly, and he looked at him and chuckled.
"...Yeah, I'm holding it."
Yael's eyelashes trembled and he repeated softly.
He gazed at the female insect's face in the moonlight, and in that instant, he felt an indescribable thrill.
How amazing.
A year ago, he could never have imagined that he would be sitting in a quiet garden in the middle of the night, looking into the eyes of a female insect at a distance, just like Luo Ou and Zhu O Ye.
But the moonlight, thick as milk, flowed around me, melting away all the noisy external sounds.
In this unusual silence, in the intertwined shallow breaths, it seems as if we can touch each other's souls——
They have the same purity and luster, like two sides of a mirror reflecting each other.
...No, they are still different, and the difference will always exist.
Yael thought silently, facing this problem for the first time.
It is a difference that spans an entire universe and a long period of time, formed by the sedimentation of countless histories, and has long been melted into the flesh and blood, hidden in every breath.
And he finally came to terms with himself, admitting that he could not give up the part of himself that was human until his death.
But if you can never go back, you might as well just live like this, which is also good.
What if I can never go back?
This thought flashed through his mind like the light fluttering of a butterfly's wings, bringing a strange tingling sensation for a moment, leaving Yael a little stunned.
The strange feeling was fleeting and soon melted into the moonlight and the female insect's gaze.
So Yael stopped thinking about it, pursed his lips and smiled, and for the first time asked in a very formal way.
"Excuse me, can I kiss you?"
Then, he really heard a soft and indulgent chuckle.
"Of course."
"If you like."
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