Who understands? The aloof female ruler always flirts without even realizing it.

The next day, Shen Yan was awakened by sunlight streaming through the gaps in the curtains.

He opened his eyes groggily, his consciousness not yet fully returned. The first thing he felt was the warm and elastic touch under his palm, and the fragrance that lingered in his nostrils, carrying a hint of coolness yet inexplicably reassuring.

He subconsciously rubbed his face against Xiangyuan, then suddenly froze.

In the instant he fully regained consciousness, he found himself clinging to Kalandel like an octopus, using both hands and feet. His head was resting on the other's shoulder, one leg was unceremoniously wrapped around the female insect's lean waist, and his arms were tightly wrapped around his chest.

"!!!"

He jolted back as if electrocuted, scrambling back to his side in a fluster, his cheeks instantly turning bright red.

Damn it, who was it that swore last night that they were a good sleeper and wouldn't cross the line?

That was a resounding slap in the face!

Feeling guilty, she glanced up at the insect lying beside her, only to find that it had already woken up. Its clear, icy blue eyes were looking at her quietly, as if it had been in that position for a long time.

"When...when did you wake up?" Shen Yan's voice was hoarse from just waking up and filled with embarrassment.

"Why don't you push me away? Am I pressing down on you and making you uncomfortable?"

Karandal shook his head slightly, his voice steady: "He just woke up. The lord is sleeping soundly, so we dare not disturb him."

He paused, then added, "It's not uncomfortable."

In fact, being held tightly by a male master without any defenses, feeling his intense body temperature and even breathing, was a strange but not unpleasant experience for him.

Even as Shen Yan jolted awake, a faint sense of loss swept through her heart.

Shen Yan took this "not feeling uncomfortable" as mere politeness and scratched his hair in frustration:

"I'm sorry, I made that boast last night... Next time, if I do that again, just slap me awake! Don't hold back!"

Upon hearing this, a faint look of surprise flashed in the female insect's eyes, which quickly turned into more complex emotions.

"Let the female lord wake you up?" You probably wouldn't find another male on the entire insect planet who would say something like that.

He lowered his eyes and replied softly, "...Yes."

But this response was somewhat insincere.

……

After they got up, the atmosphere between them seemed to have subtly changed.

Because of the offense in the morning, Shen Yan was exceptionally attentive, taking the initiative to prepare toiletries for Karandel and constantly serving him food at breakfast.

In the afternoon, the doorbell rang abruptly.

Shen Yan seemed to have expected this. He walked over to open the door, where a tall, upright female insect in military uniform stood—it was Arthur White.

"Good day, Your Excellency. Thank you for allowing me to visit."

The female soldier bowed in salute, her gaze quickly and subtly sweeping over the other person.

He had once been attracted to the male's gentle temperament and outstanding appearance, but that subtle thought completely disappeared after he learned that Shen Yan was the male lord of Kalandar.

When they met again, he couldn't help but feel a little awkward and regretted his impulsiveness back then.

"Please come in."

He stepped aside to let the guest in. During the time that Shen Yan was hospitalized in Carlandel, he had informed Arthur White of his request to see him. Only after obtaining his consent did he agree to let the insect come to visit.

Upon entering the living room, Arthur immediately noticed Calander, who was sitting on the sofa and looked much better than he had expected. His eyes lit up with excitement, and he quickly stepped forward, clenching his right fist and striking his left chest heavily in a standard military salute.

"General!"

Karandal nodded slightly and gestured to the sofa opposite him: "You are now the general. There's no need for you to bow to me. Please sit down."

Shen Yan knew that these old friends would have a lot to talk about after their reunion, and that his presence would only make them feel awkward, so he considerately made an excuse to slip away:

"You two chat, I have some things to take care of in the study. I've already instructed 001 to prepare tea and snacks. Just call me if you need anything."

That being said, he did not choose to go to the study, but instead went into his room, opened his terminal at lightning speed, and began searching for "Recommended Restaurants for Couples on Imperial Star".

Since you've decided to cultivate your relationship, a formal, romantic dinner date is undoubtedly a good start.

Browsing through a wide variety of recommendations, carefully filtering out those that seemed too noisy or had mediocre reviews, I finally settled on a restaurant called "Eyes of the Stars".

This store has a high rating of 4.9 with zero negative reviews. The description says, "It has an extremely romantic atmosphere, a top-notch view of the starry sky, and excellent privacy, making it the first choice for couples' anniversaries and heartfelt confessions."

The male insects in the comments section praised the place as "full of romance," "a wonderful performance," and "a great tool for enhancing relationships."

"This is it!"

Shen Yan was very satisfied and immediately booked the best viewing spot for that evening through his terminal. After doing all this, he happily imagined the female ruler's reaction that night, hoping it would be a wonderful start.

Meanwhile, in the living room.

Arthur looked at Carlandall, his voice filled with resentment: "General—that bastard Samuel! You've suffered, if only..."

"There's no need to dwell on the past. I'm doing well now."

He was interrupted before he could finish speaking; Karandal's voice was soft but carried an undeniable authority.

When he said this, his gentle demeanor was completely different from the cold and hard feeling he had when he was in the military.

"very good?"

Unable to quite grasp the other person's thoughts, Arthur hesitated before asking, "Is it because of... Lord Shen Yan?"

The female insect didn't answer directly, but her silence was an admission. She then asked, "What's the situation at the military headquarters now?"

When official business was mentioned, Arthur White immediately composed himself and reported on the current situation:

"The alien races on the edge of the planets are starting to stir again. After learning of your ordeal, the space pirate groups, which had previously ceased their activities, have recently become even more rampant. General, once you have fully recovered, is it possible... for you to return to the military? Many of your former subordinates are waiting for you!"

Karandal glanced in the direction of Shen Yan's room, and after a moment of silence, said, "This matter requires the consent of the Lord."

Although Shen Yan is unlikely to raise any objections, since the powerful ruler is willing to give him respect and the freedom to choose.

It's really, really special...

In his deeply ingrained belief, important decisions made by female insects must be approved by the male lord. He also wanted to return to the army immediately, but it wasn't the right time yet.

It's just a matter of time, it will be soon.

As evening fell, Arthur took his leave.

Shen Yan enthusiastically invited Karandal to dinner; the restaurant had already been booked, and it was to be their first formal date.

The female insect was somewhat unfamiliar with the concept of dating, but seeing the male's bright, expectant eyes, she couldn't help but feel a vague sense of anticipation.

However, when the hovercar stopped in front of the restaurant called "Eyes of the Stars," Karandal paused almost imperceptibly, his brow furrowing slightly.

He knew about this shop, but...

"What's wrong? Your expression is off. Do you not like it?"

Shen Yan keenly noticed the subtle change in his expression.

"...It's nothing, my lord."

As soon as he entered the room, Shen Yan realized that something was very wrong.

Rather than calling this a restaurant, it's more accurate to describe it as an extremely luxurious themed hotel.

The lighting was dim and yellowish, and the walls were not covered with the starry sky murals he had imagined, but with various props of special materials and strange shapes, resembling a large-scale exhibition hall of sex toys.

The waiters and waitresses moving about were dressed in extremely revealing uniforms, a sea of ​​white against the sky.

Shen Yan's scalp tingled instantly. He lowered his head, not daring to look around, and cold sweat almost broke out on his brow.

Damn it! How exactly do those male insects with the rave reviews define romance and charm?! I immediately wanted to drag Calander away from this place of trouble.

Good evening, welcome!

A female insect, clearly the head waiter, spotted them and immediately led the waiters to greet them, her warm smile making the insects' skin crawl.

"Is this Lord Shen Yan? Your reserved viewing spot is ready! You two have arrived at just the right time. We have a very exciting special performance tonight, which will begin shortly..."

As they spoke, they practically pushed and shoved Shen Yan and Kalandel, who were trying to back away, into the center of the hall.

The layout of the hall was even more astonishing. In the center was a circular stage, surrounded by private boxes, each with one-way glass windows, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. It was indeed extremely private...

He was led into the private room and pressed into a seat, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He secretly glanced at Karandel beside him and saw that the female insect's face was calm, but her jawline seemed a little tighter than usual. Her icy blue eyes revealed no emotion as she quietly stared ahead.

Shen Yan inwardly groaned: "Oh no, he'll definitely think I'm a pervert! Bringing a bug to a place like this on our first date!"

He tried to explain, trembling:

"Um... Kalandall, I didn't know this place was like this beforehand. The reviews all said it was romantic and had a great atmosphere..."

Just then, the nearby lights suddenly went out, leaving only a spotlight shining on the stage.

Then, something even more despairing happened.

This is not an ordinary dance performance at all.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a beautiful submissive was brought onto the stage and forced to perform a series of ritualistic actions symbolizing submission. Her face was calm and expressionless, as if her soul had been detached from her body. Her excessive obedience and cooperation only made the performance more suffocating.

Doesn't the Empire have an anti-prostitution squad?!

A wave of nausea washed over him, a wave of nausea rising in his throat. He could no longer sit still; he abruptly stood up and grabbed Karandal's wrist.

"Let's go!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable firmness.

The female insect seemed somewhat surprised and looked up at him.

Shen Yan disregarded everything else, pushed back the seat abruptly, and rushed out almost with his eyes closed.

The foreman called anxiously from behind, "Sir, the performance has only just begun!"

The sound, however, was like a death knell, only making him run faster. He rushed out of the restaurant in one breath, and only when the cold night air filled his lungs did the suffocating feeling subside slightly.

He then realized that he had been clenching his fists tightly, his chest heaving violently with anger and embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry! Karandal, I'm so sorry!"

Turning to face the other person, his tone was filled with regret and self-blame:

"I never expected that shop to be like that! If I had known, I would never have taken you to a place like that! I... I was such an idiot to believe those ridiculous reviews."

He was like a child who had done something wrong, his head down, afraid to look at the other person's reaction, lest he see disgust or disappointment.

A warm touch came from his wrist; it was Karandal gently squeezing his hand back.

He looked up in surprise and met those icy blue eyes. At that moment, there was no disgust, no disappointment, not even a ripple in those eyes, just a calm gaze, even with a hint of... indescribable complex emotions.

"A mighty ruler."

The voice was as calm as ever, yet it seemed to carry a certain inexplicable meaning compared to usual:

Why...do you need to apologize?

Shen Yan was taken aback, then explained, "Because I brought you to a place like this, so you could see those... disgusting things."

After a few seconds of silence, Kalandel seemed not to understand. Then, he tilted his head and slowly spoke, uttering a sentence that made the other person's heart tighten:

"That kind of performance is very common at the male insects' banquets. Even worse ones are not uncommon. You guys have always been very enthusiastic about this."

"As a man of noble birth, whether by choice or by force, you must have attended countless banquets, large and small, and should be used to it by now. Why did you react so strongly?"

A chill ran up from the soles of my feet.