Chapter 65
Celt pushed open the door to the room. This manor had been registered under Hilgard's name for a long time. It was a gift from his female father a long time ago, and the decoration here was also chosen by His Majesty the Insect Emperor for his male son.
The pale blue is the mist rising from the seaside, and the dome depicts the infinite universe, making this place seem unconstrained. Everything is quite rounded and without sharp edges. In the eyes of the Insect Emperor, his male son is still someone who needs to be pampered and cared for.
He grew up in such a loving environment, and should have had a smooth and successful life, until he met himself—
Celtic's eyes darkened, and he slowly walked forward. His tray contained only a cup of hot milk.
“Your Highness,” his attire was nothing new, always a crisp and straight military uniform that outlined his meticulous, rigid, and serious features, “the milk is at the right temperature; drinking some at night will help you sleep.”
Hill sat on the edge of the bed, and Celt held out a warm glass to Hill. Hill did not take it, and Celt remained in that position, his arm as straight as a curved line, incredibly steady.
After waiting for a while, until Hill finished reading the documents on the personal terminal, he reached out a hand. Celt placed the glass in his palm; it was still warm but not too hot.
Hill took a sip; it was slightly sweet but not overly so, at least not with a lethal amount of sugar added. It must have undergone a special process, as there was no longer any fishy smell.
"The Marshal even knows this." A faint sarcasm rose in Hill's eyes.
How did Celt know? Wasn't it from the six months he spent by Celt's side? He knew, but he ignored Xiao Xiong Chong and fawned over Hilgard. In the end, he was just playing favorites against him.
“I have done many wrong things, please forgive me.” Celt did not explain further, but stood by the bed and adjusted the light for Hill. His long, hard knuckles cast shadows on the headboard, as if silently caressing Hill’s face.
"Just a glass of milk?" Hill's lips curled into a slight smile; his apology was far too cheap.
“Everything Your Highness needs is all I have,” Celt replied in a deep voice.
The answer was so broad and blank. The sarcasm in Hill's eyes gradually faded as Celtic turned down the lights. Hill didn't like the dark, and overly bright environments made him uneasy.
He extended his warm hand, a faint smell of gunpowder wafting over him, took the glass of milk and put it down, placed the prepared gift on Hill's bedside table, and reached out to tuck Hill into the soft bedding.
Hill gave him a slightly cold look. Celt withdrew his hand, turned around and walked to the window. From Hill's angle, all he could see was Celt's powerful and tall back.
A moment later, Hill heard the rustling of rain. In the interstellar era, weather modes could be set randomly. He turned on the rain-making switch and then lowered the soundproofing to allow the rain sound to penetrate.
A light drizzle began to fall outside the window, giving everything a slightly damp feel, creating a hazy and sleep-inducing atmosphere.
He must have taken a special course on sleep aids and even done some research on the sounds Hill likes.
A bug like Celt, who was able to climb all the way to a position of real power in the military, could indeed do a very good job when he was determined to do something good for a bug.
Just as Hill was drifting off to sleep, Celt's figure loomed over him. In the dim light, he reached out a warm hand and covered Hill's eyes.
His hands were large and comfortable, as if I were instantly entering a warm dreamland, and the faint high-level pheromones gradually eased the soreness rising in my bones.
“Hill”.
Celt called him by his name, not with the honorific title of "Your Highness," nor with much reverence; his voice was low and resonant with a strong sense of personal emotion.
"I lost control today, so I immediately headed to the Star Beast Forest to calm myself down through killing."
Hill knew that he was familiar with Celt's schedule, just as Celt had always monitored him in every detail.
“I hate all the gazes directed at you; they make me feel out of control, angry, and anxious.”
He stated his emotions. It would be rare for such a cold and rational insect to have such negative emotions. A commander who commands countless star fields would never be swayed by negative emotions at any time.
"I remember you saw me meeting with Sirius on the starship. Were you just as sad?"
He no longer avoided mentioning Sirius; this time, he took the initiative to bring it up.
"Hill, were you sad back then?"
The path you've walked, I've finally begun to taste the pain. This regret and pain are gnawing at my heart, making it so unfamiliar.
“My original intention was not to see other female insects trying to please you, but during the time I was away, I became more anxious. I subconsciously wanted to leave the source of my pain and, unusually, wanted to escape.”
"But I find it harder to bear not seeing you than to escape the pain."
His voice was low and lingering. The male insect on the bed had already fallen asleep, only breathing lightly. He seemed not to have heard his confession.
I want him to hear it, yet I also want him not to hear it.
A moment later, Celt turned and left. Hill did not grant him permission to stay overnight; the alarm would sound if he stayed for more than half a week.
He deliberately kept his footsteps low as he left, and finally, only Hill's even breathing could be heard in the room.
His azure eyes opened after he left, gazing at the dome depicting the universe. His heartbeat remained steady, with little fluctuation.
He couldn't imagine how excited he would have been if he had heard these words six months ago, having Celtic personally lull him to sleep, give him gifts, and open up to him.
But now, it's too late, so late that all that's left in his heart is cold hatred.
The male insect slowly closed its eyes.
——
On the morning of the second day, all the female insects got up early and made breakfast. To make it more interesting, the names of the breakfasts were posted under the trays, and the male insects would eat first before announcing who made them.
Hill picked out a dish that didn't look too sweet and had a suitable portion size, and Bright volunteered to taste each one for him.
"This is too sweet, this is too bland, this is too old, this is too young; this portion is too much and wasteful, this portion is too little and I'll go hungry..."
Bright picked and chose each serving carefully, finally taking a bite of the one in front of Hill, and exclaimed with narrowed eyes, "Indeed, your eye for quality is reliable when it comes to choosing female insects. It's really good."
He raised an eyebrow: "Want to see who did it?"
Hill ate with elegant, slow movements, and upon hearing this, replied calmly, "No need."
He didn't want to know, nor did he care.
Upon hearing this, Bright sighed in disappointment: "Then let's wait until you choose the female queen as the final surprise. But what if you choose the wrong one? Won't you be unable to eat your favorite dishes later?"
Brett, thinking outside the box, expressed his regret.
“For food that just sustains life, we can find insects that specialize in studying food,” Hill replied calmly.
There are sub-females who are not good at fighting but specialize in food research and gourmet reviews; you can certainly hire them if you want.
“Hill, I’ve noticed you’ve become increasingly distant lately,” Bright said, abandoning his teasing tone. He slowly approached, his brow furrowed slightly, and asked uncertainly, “Is it because things are getting worse?”
His body was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, so his attention to the outside world was rapidly decreasing as he struggled against the constant weakness and pain and the waves of indescribable nausea.
Hill's hand tightened for a moment: "No."
A knock came at the door, followed by the female insect's respectful voice.
"Your Highness, it's a beautiful day. The estate has a large lawn, and I'd like to invite you to go horseback riding and stroll together. Would you be interested?"
It was Lieutenant General Baxter's voice. This lieutenant general, who wore a metal prosthetic eye that could change the color of his eyes, always had blue eyes similar to Hill's, which looked strange in contrast to his own brown eyes.
"What fine weather?" Bright frowned and looked out at the rainy sky. As if in response to his question, the rain suddenly stopped.
Yes, the rain curtain controlled by insects can certainly be stopped at any time.
"Little Hill, do you really not need to go out and meet other female insects?" The door was opened, but it wasn't Lieutenant General Baxter who came in, but Sirius.
The rain outside seemed to have soaked the elegant and carefree male insect. As he approached, he took off his coat and casually tossed it to the female.
Sirius walked up to Hill on his own, placed his hands on Hill's shoulders, and spoke with a smile.
"No need to give your heart, no need to think too much, just enjoy the female insect's devotion, why have any psychological burden? Hmm?"
"If you don't like any of the bugs here, how about I pick out a few for you, brother?"
Those who prefer strong and agile females are military females; those who prefer soft and cute females are sub-females; and those who prefer tall and slender females are Lepidoptera.
Sirius has always had this indulgent lifestyle. Enjoying the female's flattery is a male's birthright, and he doesn't need to worry too much about it.
Although Celt is the insect you need right now, there's still a long insect life ahead, and you'll always need an insect by your side to take care of you—no, perhaps more than one.
“All they need is Hilgard’s pheromones.” Hilgard stared coldly at the rain outside the window as it gradually stopped. No insect cared what kind of weather he liked; they just used everything to achieve their own goals.
In that instant, he suddenly thought of Celtic, but then found the thought ridiculous and dismissed it.
Of course, he was just trying to achieve his own ambitions.
These females don't care whether his physical condition is suitable for riding a horse, or perhaps in their minds, Hilgard, who can select females, must be a healthy male.
"That's why I hate female insects."
They are too driven by self-interest, like animals, driven by the need to survive, which is what Hill dislikes.
Sirius frowned slightly. Hill was too sensitive, not just about physical matters, but also about his subtle thoughts about other insects.
Sirius didn't mind the female insects' attempts to pheromones on him, but Hill clearly did. After losing his pheromones, he had an almost obsessive mindset, or perhaps a kind of psychological fastidiousness.
"Then don't go?" Sirius coaxed Hill gently in a soft voice, placing a beautifully packaged bottle of pheromones beside Hill's hand.
With so many female insects now living in the same manor, Hill needs to replenish his pheromones for camouflage, otherwise he risks being discovered to lack pheromones.
Why should the male insect accommodate the female insect's idea?
Hill slowly smiled and said, "Go, why not go?"
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