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

Outside the door, Shen Yan seemed to have rested his head against the door panel, making his voice even clearer, carrying a hollow echo:

"I...I don't know how to explain all the awful things I did before. Ignoring you, disregarding you, even at the bar..."

His voice choked noticeably, filled with pain.

"It's not because I don't care about you, quite the opposite... it's because I care too much, so much that... I'm almost being torn apart by that contradiction."

A faint hint of confusion and unease flickered in Karandal's icy blue eyes.

contradiction?

Shen Yan's voice continued, with a resolute determination, as he began to unravel the deeply hidden secret:

"I come from the blue planet millions of years ago."

This statement is like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

"My soul comes from a place called Blue Star, the home of humankind. In my past understanding, it was blue and full of life."

The voice carried a distant longing and profound pain.

"And I, upon waking up, found myself transformed into Shen Yan, the male son of the Imperial Zerg."

Karandal was completely stunned.

Like a thunderclap in her ears, her icy blue eyes were filled with disbelief and shock, and her previously composed demeanor gradually began to crack.

Soul...humanity...Blue Star? These words were far beyond his comprehension, but the profound and undeniable emotion in the other person's tone made it impossible for him to easily deny them.

The soul of the powerful ruler... actually came from there.

He had always had a vague feeling about it, but never dared to think about it deeply. His unusual gentleness towards Shen Yan, and his almost equal attitude that was so different from other male insects, were suddenly confirmed by this bizarre truth.

It's not surprising anymore... it's really not surprising anymore.

The empire will not have a male insect like Shen Yan.

Male insects do not get angry when female insects are insulted, do not interact with females in a respectful manner, and do not show such deep, almost equal pain when inflicting harm.

It turns out that the differences he had carefully sensed were not illusions or pretense, but rather stemmed from a fundamental difference that transcended world boundaries.

Outside the door, Shen Yan's voice continued, tinged with bitterness:

"This is...an absurd misunderstanding."

"I didn't know I had traveled to the future, so I narrowly believed that you were the one who destroyed Earth. When I learned the truth, I realized how serious a mistake I had made."

"I have mistakenly projected my obsession with my lost homeland and my hatred for an unknown enemy onto you."

His explanation was clear and restrained.

"My previous actions were based on this flawed understanding, and... I didn't know how to handle the responsibility in such a complex situation."

His voice lowered: "You are my queen, I should have investigated thoroughly... but I blindly chose the worst possible course of action."

Inside the door, Karandal was still reeling from the shock, but Shen Yan's subsequent explanation, like a jigsaw puzzle, connected all the previously incomprehensible actions.

The root cause wasn't malicious manipulation, but a tragic mistake so heavy it was almost laughable. The deepest fear of being repeatedly mocked seemed to be somewhat lessened by this bizarre truth at that moment.

"I know that a misunderstanding cannot erase the damage that has already been done."

Shen Yan's voice returned to its previous calm, but carried a firm sincerity: "I also know that as your lord, my actions have been derelict and contemptible. I do not ask for your forgiveness, Calander."

He paused for a moment, as if gathering his courage:

"But I hope... at least I can have a chance to fulfill my responsibilities in a more... more appropriate way, instead of becoming a source of harm as before."

A long silence descended once again.

Without saying anything more, Shen Yan simply waited quietly.

Karandal stood inside the door, his initial shock slowly subsiding into a complex mix of emotions. He stared at the door, as if he could see through it the soul of the stranger outside.

finally--

A soft "click" sounded.

The door was pulled open a crack from the inside.

The female insect stood behind the door, her face still pale, but the coldness and wariness in her icy blue eyes had been replaced by a deep, complex emotion, a mixture of realization and scrutiny. She looked at Shen Yan, remained silent for a long time, and then slowly spoke, her voice low and deep:

I accept your reasons.

These words echoed in my ears like a pardon.

He looked at the crack in the door that had finally opened, and at Karandal's eyes behind it, which were no longer cold but filled with complex emotions. His heart felt like it was being gently squeezed by something, a bittersweet feeling mixed with a faint glimmer of hope.

He struggled to his feet, using the door frame for support; his legs were numb from maintaining the same position for so long. But he couldn't care less about that now. He just nervously and tentatively stepped into the private space that belonged to the queen.

The interior was simply furnished, with the neatness characteristic of female soldiers, yet it was also filled with a cool, desolate atmosphere, as if no insects had lived there for a long time.

His gaze involuntarily followed the other man as he silently walked to the center of the living room, his back to him, the lines of his shoulder blades appearing somewhat taut under his military uniform, where the roots of his wings had not fully recovered.

A subtle silence filled the air. Although the misunderstanding had been cleared up, the estrangement and hurt could not be erased with just a few words.

Shen Yan's heart clenched.

Language is so pale in the face of undone harm. He needs to do something, not with words, but with actions, to express his deep regret and to soothe the wounds he himself inflicted.

His gaze fell on Karandal's crisp military trousers.

The memory, like a blade tempered with ice, suddenly ripped open his mind, revealing how that morning, the female insect stood silently, almost like a statue, in the morning light, her straight back and humble posture forming a heartbreaking contradiction.

And I just walked past him indifferently, as if I didn't see him at all...

The sharp pain from this image assaulted his nerves more violently than the lingering effects of any hangover.

An irresistible impulse seized him, a mixture of overwhelming regret and an almost atoning desire.

A powerful impulse drove him to slowly, almost reverently, kneel down behind Kalandall, then on the other knee…

The male knelt down.

Sensing the movement behind him, Karandal stiffened slightly but did not turn around immediately.

Shen Yan reached out, his fingertips trembling slightly, and carefully and very gently touched the legs wrapped in military trousers.

This touch was like opening a floodgate. Shen Yan's vision blurred instantly, and moisture uncontrollably billowed up.

He lowered his head deeply and gently pressed his warm lips, filled with endless repentance and pity, onto the back of the other's knee, like the most devout believer kissing a sacred totem.

A kiss devoid of any lust, attempting to soothe wounds with its own warmth, a touch trembling with desire.

Karandal's breathing suddenly stopped, and his entire body stiffened. He had never expected Shen Yan to do this.

Male insects kneeling before females? This is unheard of in the entire insectoid society.

Not to mention... such a humble kiss.

The gentle touch, penetrating the fabric, felt like a faint electric current, instantly coursing through his limbs and bones. An indescribable tingling and throbbing sensation violently struck his already frozen heart.

"sorry……"

He gently pressed his cheek against the other person's calf, his voice muffled and choked with sobs, repeating the pale yet heartfelt apology.

"Does it... hurt here?"

His hands, hanging at his sides, unconsciously curled up. Karandal still didn't turn around, but the taut lines of his back relaxed slightly, to a degree that was barely perceptible to the naked eye.

That gentle, moist touch seemed to contain an irresistible penetrating force, transforming into a subtle yet powerful electric current that unexpectedly surged through his stiff spine and spread to every part of his body.

It wasn't pain, but a strange, surging, tingling sensation, mixed with immense shock and a hint of... a thrill he dared not admit.

There was no answer to whether it hurt or not; the physical discomfort had long since passed.

But a deeper, neglected, and hurtful pain seemed to find some indescribable solace in this unexpected, humble gesture and gentle kiss from the male insect.

He remained silent, but this silence was no longer the cold barrier of initial refusal to communicate; instead, it was mixed with too many complex and unspeakable emotions.

Shock, bewilderment, and the quiet ripples that begin to spread.

And... a subtle emotion that he himself may not have clearly perceived.

Shen Yan received no verbal response, but he keenly sensed the subtle changes in Karandal's posture.

Without pushing his luck any further, he simply maintained this almost submissive posture, gently pressing his warm forehead against the other's knee, like a large dog seeking forgiveness and comfort, silently conveying his remorse and his desire to be close at that moment.

The afternoon sun had turned completely golden-red, and through the window, it enveloped the two silent insects in a warm and tranquil halo.

The estrangement remains, and the wounds have not healed.

But in this silence, something frozen seemed to finally begin to slowly, cautiously... melt away.