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

Locke's words, like a sticky serpent, coiled around his ears. The words "Please give me a child" made his stomach churn.

The female soldier was even bolder, pressing almost half her body against him, the scent of her high-end pheromone perfume wafting over him, her hands even tentatively trying to place on Shen Yan's waist.

Shen Yan frowned, leaned back, and was about to reprimand him sternly.

Suddenly, the sofa cushion next to him sank, and a figure with a cool and aloof aura, completely out of place in the bar's atmosphere, sat down.

The taste was so familiar that he turned his head in astonishment and met those familiar, yet now filled with brokenness and deathly silence, icy blue eyes.

It's Callandall.

The other person's face was so pale it was almost transparent, even their lips had lost all color, and their eyes were filled with an overwhelming weariness and... a clear-eyed despair.

He sat there, his posture still habitually upright, yet he resembled an ice sculpture about to shatter, as if a gentle touch would cause it to collapse completely.

"...Did I disturb you?"

Karandal's voice was very soft, almost drowned out by the bar's languid background music, but every word was like an icicle, piercing Shen Yan's eardrums and heart.

Almost reflexively, she shoved Locke, who was clinging to her, away with such force that the female insect was caught off guard and crashed into the back of the sofa, letting out a muffled groan.

"You... how did you get here?" His voice was filled with shock and panic that he himself was unaware of. He sounded just like a husband caught in the act of adultery, even though he hadn't done anything.

Karandal's gaze slowly swept over Locke, who had been pushed away and looked displeased, before finally settling on Shen Yan's face. His empty gaze sent a chill down Shen Yan's spine.

"I saw your spending records from 001," he stated calmly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

The music in the bar wasn't deafening, but every word Locke said about "damaged reproductive cavity," "inability to conceive," and "give me a child" reached Calander's ears.

Shen Yan opened his mouth, a strong urge to explain rising in his throat.

I was about to tell you it wasn't what you thought; Locke came to me himself, and I was about to push him away. I have absolutely no feelings for him...

What can it explain?

She had already planned to end their partnership once the Empire returned Kalandall's house and property.

Since the decision has been made to turn a blind eye and give each other a way out, then this misunderstanding and this hurt can push the female insect even further away.

All the words that rushed to his lips were forcibly swallowed back, turning into a deeper silence and a deliberately maintained indifference on his face.

She even looked away, no longer meeting Karandal's broken gaze, afraid that if she looked at him for even a second longer, all her efforts would be in vain.

In Karandal's eyes, this silence was undoubtedly a tacit agreement.

The last glimmer of light in her eyes went out. The female insect gently twitched the corners of her mouth, as if trying to show a smile of understanding or indifference, but the curve appeared incredibly stiff and sorrowful.

"A powerful ruler need not deliberately avoid me."

He lowered his eyes, staring at his slightly curled fingers resting on his knees, his voice still eerily calm.

"I've come today... to say goodbye to you."

"Goodbye?" Shen Yan's heart skipped a beat, and she turned around abruptly to look at him.

"Yes."

Karandal raised his head, his gaze seemingly falling on some intangible point behind Shen Yan:

"The energy fluctuations in the 'Rift' zone are becoming increasingly frequent, and the Empire has decided to dispatch an advance fleet to investigate and stabilize the situation. The military has appointed me as the commander of this operation."

As if stating official business unrelated to himself: "We'll be leaving tomorrow morning."

"When I come back,"

He continued, his voice as soft as a dream, yet carrying a cruel, self-destructive prophecy: "The lord's child... should have hatched by now."

These words were like a red-hot dagger, stabbing deeply into Shen Yan's heart, causing him so much pain that he could barely breathe.

"But your injury..."

The words of concern almost slipped out, and Shen Yan's voice carried an anxiety and worry that he himself was unaware of.

Although the injuries Karandal sustained at Samuel's place have healed on the surface, his mind and body are far from being back to their peak condition. Going to a place like the "Rift" would be tantamount to suicide!

But he stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

This abrupt end to the concern was like a lamp that had just been lit and then suddenly blown out. It caused the faint hope that had briefly lit up Karandel's eyes because of the first half of his sentence to quickly dim again, becoming even deeper and more desperate than before.

The female insect slowly stood up, her movements somewhat sluggish, as if bearing an immense burden. She gave Shen Yan one last, profound look, her gaze so complex it was heartbreaking.

"I won't bother you any longer."

He bowed slightly, giving an impeccable yet utterly cold military salute.

May you...be safe and well.

After saying that, he turned around and left the bar without any hesitation, disappearing into the hazy lights and noise.

Frozen in place, Shen Yan's outstretched hand hung in mid-air before finally falling limply to the ground.

He stared in the direction where Karandal had disappeared, his heart feeling as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain causing him to bend over, almost vomiting.

Locke straightened his wrinkled collar, and seeing Shen Yan's distraught appearance, all his displeasure turned into a soft chuckle:

"It seems I've arrived at the wrong time? However, Your Excellency, my suggestion remains valid..."

"roll."

Shen Yan raised his head, his eyes filled with an unprecedented coldness and ferocity. His powerful mental pressure spread uncontrollably, making the surrounding air seem to freeze.

"Don't make me say it a second time."

Locke's face paled, forced back a step by the palpable pressure. He finally realized that the male was in an extremely foul mood and it was definitely not a good opportunity for seduction. He pursed his lips resentfully, ultimately saying nothing more, and quickly turned and left.

In the empty booth, only Shen Yan remained.

The music in the bar was still playing, and the surrounding noise seemed to be separated by a thick layer of glass. He slumped back onto the sofa, buried his face in his hands, and his shoulders trembled slightly.

He didn't know how he got home.

His consciousness swirled in the mire of alcohol and the vortex of heartbreak. He only vaguely remembered that the bar manager, fearing that he would be taken advantage of by some treacherous insects, contacted the male insect protection association's guard team, who "rescued" him from the suffocating noise of the bar.

My body sank into the soft down comforter, but my soul seemed to be falling endlessly. My stomach churned, and my head throbbed, but neither of these could compare to the dull, hollow pain in my chest.

"Master insect! Master insect?!"

001 anxiously circled around him, its optical lens flashing a yellow light that represented worry.

"You've had too much to drink! I'll go get you some hangover medicine."

Karandal is not here.

He probably went to the military headquarters early in the morning to report for duty and make final preparations for departure.

Why...?

He curled up, burying his burning face in the pillow that still carried a trace of coldness—a scent that belonged to Karandal, but now pierced his heart.

The alcohol amplified the pain and grievances; the emotions suppressed for days finally broke free, turning into broken murmurs that choked out from the throat:

"Why... why him of all people... why did he have to destroy Earth...?"

Tears uncontrollably soaked the fabric, carrying a scalding temperature.

Just then, 001 returned with the hangover cure, and its clear audio receiver picked up Shen Yan's tearful mutterings.

"Blue Star?"

The mechanical voice, tinged with pure confusion, tilted its round head, and the screen flickered:

"Master Insect, are you referring to Blue Star, one of the achievements of the Husband Insect? No insect destroyed it... It died out completely millions of years ago."