Chapter 55
The deadline for female insect selection registration was noon on the 30th. At 8 a.m. on the 30th, after three days and three nights of non-stop travel, the first warship led by the marshal arrived at the capital star, with only four hours left until the deadline.
Without His Majesty's permission, no warship may remain on the capital planet, including the First Army of the Marshal, which may only hover outside the capital planet.
A large number of aircraft carrying excited female military personnel departed from the warships and flew towards the capital planet.
The selection of His Highness Hilgard's female ruler has been made public online, and the number of applicants has soared again. While the female insects are marveling at how understanding Marshal Celt is, they are also keeping a close eye on the newly added names.
"It's Major General Eric! I heard he was extremely brave in the recent battle against the Federation and has a chance to be promoted to lieutenant general. That's too fast!"
"And Lieutenant General Aldrich! Good heavens, wasn't the Lieutenant General a staunch bachelor? I thought he would follow Marshal Celtic in his footsteps until he died of a mental breakdown."
"With a male insect available, who would willingly face death? Indeed, no insect can resist His Highness Hilgard's charm. Besides, the Marshal himself already has an unmarried male insect!"
“Oh! That’s right. It’s just that the Marshal always seems cold-blooded and ruthless, and you can’t tell that he cherishes Prince Sirius. No wonder Prince Sirius doesn’t like the Marshal.”
"I'm really curious if the Marshal is still like this after marriage, always cold, serious, and businesslike towards all the insects."
"Curiosity +1".
"Am I the only one curious about what Her Highness Hilgard will be like after marriage? Her Highness looks so fragile and her face is so pale. If I were the empress, I would cook all kinds of nourishing and nutritious meals for Her Highness every day."
"Of course, we can only see it after the marriage! Whatever, it's definitely me! I want to lay eggs for His Highness!!!"
The topic veered off course like that, and what followed was a series of comments about laying eggs for His Highness, plus 10,000 points.
The capital planet is equipped with artificial stars and satellites and has distinct seasons. It is a clear spring day, without wind or clouds. The morning sun covers the restless swarm of insects, all of whom are waiting and anticipating the appearance of His Highness Hilgard on the last day.
On the lawn in front of the palace, insects swarmed about, some so excited that they even swore they could smell His Highness Hilgard's pheromones.
"As expected of an S-rank male insect prince, his pheromones can travel this far!"
"His Highness's pheromones are said to smell like Sophie Rosa, and it's true! My excitement has even calmed down!"
Behind a screen, Hill quietly watched the restless female insects, a slight smirk playing on her lips. "Bright, what do you think would happen if they found out I don't have any pheromones?"
Will all the adoration vanish overnight? Will all the insects curse him as a cripple who mocked them, and clamor to strip him of all his glory and banish him to a garbage planet?
“How could that be?” Bright stood behind him. “Our Hill will be alright.”
The male insect spoke with certainty, but his eyes involuntarily reddened, and he clenched his fists: "But, Hill, do you regret it?"
I regret choosing Marshal Celtic, who recklessly threw himself into your love like a moth to a flame, only to be left in this agonizing state of being unable to live or die.
The pale sunlight behind the veil fell on the male insect's face. He closed his eyes, letting the sunlight blur his face: "I know I chose the wrong path, but there's no turning back now."
He said he had chosen the wrong path, but he never uttered the word "regret".
The silent answer seemed to be repeating over and over again, "I have no regrets."
I have no regrets.
Even if I am burned to ashes like a moth drawn to a flame, I will have no regrets.
After passing through a series of scans, the cold-blooded warship opened its alloy doors, and Marshal Celtic's office was greeted by an uninvited guest.
No insect could enter the office without the marshal's permission, except for one: Marshal Celtic's unmarried male master.
“Your Highness Sirius.” Celt remained seated in his office chair, without rising.
The metal door opened, revealing Cyrus's long, golden hair, which was unrestrained and carefree. His expression was not somber; instead, he casually sat on the office sofa with his legs crossed, seemingly enjoying the panoramic view of the capital star from the starship.
"Marshal Celtic, you've been wary of Hill because you think he's come to your side with ulterior motives?" Sirius asked bluntly.
Celtic did not answer, his cold, gray eyes calmly fixed on him.
“I have a video here that Hill sent me six months ago before he went to Ticas. I’ve always thought you should take a look.”
"But I am also conflicted. On the one hand, I think Marshal Celt should see it, but on the other hand, I feel that such a worm who tramples on Hill's true feelings does not deserve to see his true feelings."
“I’ve hesitated until now, but I think you should be tormented by your conscience for what you’ve done,” Sirius said with a mocking smile. “Of course, perhaps you don’t have that thing.”
After cursing to himself, he raised his hand, his anger barely contained, and opened an encrypted video on his personal terminal. The video showed a still-young Hill. If you had seen Hill six months ago, you would have noticed how much he had changed.
He was still so young and shy then, with short, light golden hair, eyes as green as lake water, and some flesh on his cheeks. He mistakenly thought that his beloved female insect also loved him deeply, and the whole insect was immersed in sweet honey, with starlight in his eyes.
He seemed to be adjusting the camera, his delicate and handsome face approaching, then quickly retreating to a suitable distance: "Brother, I'm very sorry, I still couldn't resist getting close to Marshal Celt. I know you don't like the Marshal, but now that the Marshal has agreed to my proposal, I believe he will soon propose to annul the engagement. Can you forgive me?"
He begged for mercy a little, looking pitiful, innocent, and somewhat aggrieved.
Celtic instinctively reached out to touch her. He hadn't seen Hill so vibrant in so long. It had only been half a year, but it felt like a lifetime.
“But,” he pursed his lips again, looking very conflicted, “if I fail to advance in the end, I’ll probably die, right? That’s what the medical worms said. They said I’ll have a hard time getting through this advancement, which is why I recklessly ran away from the Holy City and made my brother and my female father worry.”
"I was very confident at first, thinking that as long as it was a marshal, the marshal I had liked for so long, I would definitely be able to safely pass this advancement. But when it actually came, I was still very scared. I had a nightmare again last night."
"I dreamt that I failed to advance and died, leaving behind a Marshal-level insect. Without S-rank male insect pheromones, even a Marshal will die. I..."
He seemed to find it difficult to speak, but his eyes couldn't help but redden slightly: "I hope you can fulfill the marriage agreement. I'm sorry I was too selfish, but I hope the Marshal can survive. Please, I'm begging you."
Even just giving the marshal a little pheromone to keep him alive, would that be enough?
No one understands better than Hill how hard Celtic fought to get to where he is today, and no one feels more sorry for Marshal Celtic than Hill.
He wasn't afraid of his own death; what he feared most was what would happen to the marshal after his death. He feared that his willfulness might have taken the marshal's life.
He loved Marshal Celtic so much that even when faced with the possibility of losing his life, his first thought was still to worry about Celtic.
No insect could remain unmoved by such intense love, but Celtic missed it for too long; by the time he discovered it, the young male insect's love had already vanished.
It felt as if bone spurs were piercing Celt's heart, so deep that he could hardly breathe and could only clench his fists inch by inch.
“Brother, I know you’ve felt guilty all these years because you didn’t save me in time six years ago, but I don’t blame you. Without you, I wouldn’t have met Marshal Celtic.”
“I really don’t hate you. I just… don’t know how to face you. You always look at me with that ingratiating and apologetic look, which makes me feel very uncomfortable. Brother, I hope you can let go too.”
This was Hill's wish, nothing about himself; he was always worried about Celtic and Sirius, never for a moment about himself.
His anticipation, a mixture of happiness and trepidation, was such that even if the ending was death, he would gladly move forward.
He didn't know that what awaited him was not happiness, but abandonment and betrayal more painful than death, a countdown that would lead him step by step toward his demise.
Even after watching it many times, seeing Sirius again still moves one deeply. His fingers are clasped together in front of him, and his azure eyes look at Celtic with such gloom for the first time, his voice unconsciously hoarse.
"Having come this far, does Marshal Celtic still insist on continuing our engagement?"
Are you still unwilling to believe in his sincerity and are you going to continue on this path regardless of everything for your rights and ambitions?
If that's really the case—
A shadow crossed Sirius's eyes. If things continued this way, he would torture Celt to the point of wishing he were dead. He really would do it.
"drop--"
An emergency communication system rang at that moment, signifying a mandatory message from the Imperial Marriage System, which Sirius could not refuse.
Did Celtic break off the engagement?
Sirius unlocked the quantum computer with his pupils, and a brand new message was displayed on it.
Congratulations, Your Highness Sirius, your registration as a female ruler is complete.
Sirius suddenly stood up, his long golden hair flowing.
A photo slowly scrolled across the female insect registration column; it showed a female insect with short black hair—Isil.
Celtic, who had been silent until now, finally spoke slowly, his eyes dark and cold, filled with an undeniable certainty: "I will not let Hill bear the stigma of interfering in my brother's marriage."
His veined hand pressed a button, the hazy sunlight outside the warship blurring his cold, deep features.
His eyes were only on the blurry little male insect on the virtual screen. He was so vivid and bright, existing right in front of him, but he didn't have time to give him the best of everything.
"Even if you hadn't come, I would have canceled the engagement."
——
At 11 a.m., in the last hour, a familiar name slowly appeared on the screen.
Name: Celtic.
Position: Marshal of the Army.
Rating: 3S.
The news caused an uproar both on the StarNet and at the scene.
"Who is that? Is there something wrong with my eyes?"
"What? Marshal Celtic?!"
"Am I seeing things? How could it be Marshal Celtic?!"
"Isn't Marshal Celt the wife of His Highness Sirius?"
"Unmarried males are participating in the selection? What about the male insect protection association? How can they allow this to happen?"
"How could this be?" "Impossible—" "Oh my god—"
Incredulous sounds rose and fell, reaching all the way behind the quiet gauze window. The male insect's slender fingers paused slightly as the freshly brewed tea released its fragrant aroma.
The male insect's features were blurred.
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