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

That greeting was like a faint breeze, unable to dispel the ice that clung to them.

His heart felt like it was being squeezed by the hoarse voice, but Shen Yan's face remained expressionless. He didn't even lower his head to give Kalandel a glance, his gaze passing straight past him as if the person standing there wasn't his queen, but an insignificant piece of furniture.

He didn't say anything.

There were no questions, no reprimands.

He simply walked past Kalandel with a blank expression and steady steps, heading to the kitchen coffee table to pour himself a glass of water. Throughout the entire process, his gaze didn't linger on the female insect for even a second.

The sound of flowing water was exceptionally clear and jarring in the quiet living room.

Karandal's straight back stiffened almost imperceptibly.

He anticipated the lord's wrath, the harsher punishment, and even longed for a clear charge against him. What he hadn't anticipated was this utter, complete disregard, as if he were nothing.

This made him feel more suffocated and... panicked than any form of mental pressure.

He watched as Shen Yan's face calmly passed before him, a barely perceptible breeze stirring the hem of his clothes. The distance was so close that he could almost feel the other's body temperature, yet it was also as far away as if separated by an insurmountable chasm.

"A mighty ruler..."

Just as Shen Yan was about to re-enter the bedroom, Kalandel couldn't help but whisper his name again, his voice carrying a plea he himself was unaware of.

He would rather be whipped and punished by a powerful lord than be treated like this.

The figure finally paused slightly at the call.

A glimmer of hope instantly ignited in Karandal's heart. His eyes followed the figure intently, and he reached out to grab the other person's clothes, but his hand missed.

"...Please don't do this to me...please."

However, the other party did not turn around.

He paused for only a moment, as if he had only heard an insignificant noise, and then walked back into the bedroom without any hesitation.

"Click".

The sound of the lock clicking shut rang out again, crisp and cold, once again locking all of Karandel's expectations and warmth outside the door.

This time, the female insect's straight back finally couldn't maintain its perfect posture and collapsed completely. She trembled and squatted on the ground, hugging herself with both hands.

It wasn't because of physical exhaustion and pain, but because of a cold despair that permeated from the depths of my heart.

The powerful ruler didn't even want to look at him.

What did he do wrong?

What did he do wrong? What made the once gentle lord who would stroke his hair, feel sorry for him when he was hurt, and fight to win back his honor become so... unfamiliar and cold?

The unknown is the greatest torment.

Lying in the rising sun, he felt colder than if he were on the coldest ice field. The other party had built an invisible cage for him with silence and indifference, but he didn't even know what the key was.

Shen Yan, inside the bedroom, slowly closed his eyes.

He heard the pleading cry, and he also heard the sound of his own heart shattering.

I long to turn around, pull him up, hug him, and kiss him.

But that won't work.

-

When he put on his crisp general's uniform again, a symbol of his status and honor, Karandal felt that even the touch of the fabric against his skin felt unfamiliar and heavy.

The torment of a restless night left a lingering weariness and dull ache deep within him. He stood before the mirror in the lounge, carefully adjusting his collar and epaulets.

The female insect in the mirror still had sharp, icy blue eyes, but upon closer inspection, her eyes were covered with spiderweb-like blood vessels, and a trace of panic that even she herself was unwilling to admit.

There is still work to be done at the military headquarters.

On his first day back in his original position, countless eyes were on him—former comrades, potential rivals, and simply bystanders. He couldn't show any sign of anything amiss.

However, as he walked with the steadyest steps he could muster in the familiar corridor, the cold marble floor seemed to silently remind him of the hardness and chill of the living room floor the night before.

At the corner leading to the main conference room, a figure he least wanted to see at that moment, yet vaguely felt he had to confront, appeared at just the right time.

"General"

Locke was dressed in a well-tailored lieutenant general's uniform, his smile gentle and impeccable.

"Congratulations on your official return to work. It's truly gratifying to see you back at your post."

Karandal stopped in his tracks, his body stiffening almost imperceptibly for a moment. He looked at Locke, whose perfect smile now seemed to him like a meticulously crafted mask.

"Lieutenant General Locke." He skipped the polite greetings, his icy blue eyes like two sharp, icy blades piercing the other man.

"What exactly did you say to my lord yesterday?"

The question was so direct that he almost lost his usual composure.

It was Shen Yan's icy attitude that made Chong more uneasy than any torture, and he desperately needed to grasp any possible clues, even if those clues came from his mortal enemy.

Locke's face displayed just the right amount of surprise, even with a hint of concern:

"Lord Shen Yan? What happened to him? I only bumped into you yesterday and chatted for a few minutes."

He furrowed his handsome brows slightly, his tone tinged with genuine regret, and sighed softly, "However, from what you've said, it seems that something unpleasant happened between you and Your Excellency? That's truly... a pity."

His regret was spoken lightly, but the last syllable seemed to hook, precisely tugging at Karandal's already taut nerves.

She stared intently at him, trying to find a crack in his impeccable expression.

But Locke's gaze was calm, carrying a moderate degree of confusion and sympathy, leaving the insect with no leverage.

A surge of powerless anger and a deeper sense of confusion welled up inside him. In the end, Karandal could only purse his pale lips and squeeze out a sentence from his throat: "...It's nothing. I asked too many questions."

Without looking at Locke again, she walked past him and headed towards the conference room.

Standing there, watching Karandel's still upright but undeniably stiff back, the female soldier's perfect smile deepened almost imperceptibly, and a fleeting, elusive, cold pleasure flashed in her eyes.

……

Shen Yan hasn't been home for three days.

At this moment, he was deeply slumped in the sofa of the bar booth, several empty glasses piled on the table, the strong smell of alcohol surrounding him, but it did nothing to extinguish the chaotic fire in his chest.

He fled that home, that place filled with the atmosphere of Calander.

His clothes hung in the walk-in closet, and there were military documents he had half-read in the study. Even the air seemed to retain his cool yet reassuring scent.

Every detail silently interrogated Shen Yan, tormenting his conflicted soul.

However, bars are not a haven of purity either.

His exceptionally handsome appearance, especially the mane that occasionally swayed slightly with his emotions, symbolizing his male identity, attracted countless prying eyes, both overt and covert, like fireflies in the night.

Bold females or sub-females kept approaching him, their tone ingratiating and their eyes greedy, trying to get the attention of this high-ranking male who was clearly in a bad mood.

"roll."

Shen Yan's response was only one word: cold and impatient. The rebuke, imbued with the natural pressure of a male insect's spiritual power, successfully scared away several waves of harassers.

But this environment only made him more agitated. The dizziness from the alcohol brought no relief; instead, it amplified his isolation and anger. He suddenly stood up, intending to leave this nauseating place.

"Lord Shen Yan, what a coincidence."

A cheerful voice sounded beside him. Locke appeared at the booth without him noticing and sat down opposite him with complete ease, as if they were friends who had arranged to meet beforehand.

He frowned, coldly staring at the handsome face with a fake smile before him, and did not respond.

Seemingly unconcerned by his coldness, the other person waved to the waiter for a drink before turning his gaze back to Shen Yan, his tone carrying just the right amount of concern:

"You're drinking alone here, a mere insect? You seem to be in a bad mood. Is it because...Admiral Calander?"

Upon hearing that name, the fingers gripping the cup tightened abruptly, knuckles turning white. He remained silent, but his suddenly somber expression said it all.

Gently swirling the amber liquid in his glass, Locke sighed seemingly unintentionally:

"Admiral Callandall is indeed an excellent female officer, but... sometimes she is too focused on her work and inevitably neglects the feelings of her male lord."

He subtly shifted his tone, leaning forward slightly, lowering his voice, and making his words direct and seductive: "Your Excellency, forgive my boldness, but I have also done some necessary research on the General's situation recently."

Shen Yan finally raised his eyes, his dark eyes looking at him with a hint of scrutiny.

Meeting his gaze, Locke continued to deliver his carefully prepared lines:

"I have heard that Your Excellency's reproductive organs were severely damaged by Samuel."

"This means that he may have difficulty, or even be unable, to bear you children."

The voice was like a devil's whisper, full of seductive power.

"I do not seek the position of Queen, since you have already rejected me once. I don't even need to ask for the formal title of Queen."

His gaze became intense and direct: "However, Your Excellency, you are an SS-class male, one in a million, while I am an S-class female."

"Our offspring will undoubtedly possess the empire's most outstanding talents! For me, this is to ensure the continuation of the family's finest genes, and for you..."

Locke's lips curled into a sly yet confident smile: "...This is nothing more than a pleasurable experience in the long course of life. It's a win-win situation, and you won't lose out no matter how you look at it."

"I'm very durable and will make you very comfortable..."

As he spoke, he put down his wine glass, his slender fingers gracefully resting on the top button of his military uniform, as if to unbutton it, revealing the sincerity that might be hidden beneath.

"So... please give me a child, okay?"

Her eyes were full of provocation and determination, as if she could already see the noble male beetle nodding in agreement under the lure of her charm and the promise of profit.