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

Listening quietly to the other person's narration, only Locke's heavy, suppressed breathing could be heard in the room. Outside the window, the night on the Imperial Star was still dark, but a faint glimmer of light was already showing on the horizon.

"so."

After a long silence, the male insect finally spoke, his voice calm and even: "You attribute your predicament to me and Calandall?"

The other person had their eyes closed, but a mocking smile played on their lips. They neither admitted nor denied anything.

Shen Yan stood up and walked to the window: "Victory or defeat on the battlefield is never determined by a single factor. Karandall was able to return to the rank of general because his abilities and value were recognized."

"Otherwise, even with my support, he would only get an insignificant position."

After thinking for a moment, he ultimately decided not to mention that he would have helped the other party if they had asked him for help in the first place, since the deed was already done.

"As for what you said, if you become my queen..."

Turning around, her gaze calmly fell on Locke: "Placing your hopes on a male insect who is neither a relative nor an acquaintance, didn't you consider that it might be another pit of fire?"

"What if I'm just good at pretending? What if I'm not as gentle and harmless as I seem? What will you do then?"

The female insect suddenly opened her eyes, a cold flame igniting in her pale golden pupils. She stared intently at Shen Yan, her jawline taut, as if she were using all her strength to maintain the last shred of her crumbling dignity.

"You chose this path, Seewolock."

His voice remained flat, devoid of blame or sympathy: "The pressure from your family is an external factor, but it was you who walked into that banquet hall and let them tie silk and silver cords around your neck."

His fingernails dug deep into his palms, the pain clearing his muddled mind somewhat. Locke gritted his teeth, his spine straightening as if it had snapped instantly, swallowing back the metallic taste churning in his throat, stubbornly refusing to show any vulnerability.

Seeing his forced composure, Shen Yan walked to the bedside table and started operating something on the terminal.

"If you want to continue working in the military."

The voice was deep and clear:

"Perhaps we should consider breaking away from the Locke family completely. Imperial law allows female insects to apply for the cancellation of family guardianship and gain free status after proving they have been persecuted."

"Although you will lose the protection of your family, it is not a bad thing for you."

Locke's pupils contracted slightly, and his clenched fist trembled almost imperceptibly.

Even he himself had forgotten that there was actually another path he could take...

Having said enough, Shen Yan sighed and turned to leave.

"This room will remain open. The PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) and post-coital contraceptive medication are on their way and should arrive soon."

He gripped the doorknob and didn't turn around.

"The choice is yours."

The door closed gently, separating the two worlds.

……

Alone on the edge of the bed in his hotel room, the morning light streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a long, thin patch of light on Locke's pale face.

He gave everything for his family.

These seven words have been etched into my bones since I can remember.

When he was three years old, he was locked in a dark punishment room for an entire night because he couldn't memorize all the family's long and arduous admonitions. The cold walls were engraved with the achievements of generations of family members, and those names weighed on his young heart like shackles.

When he was eight years old, his father beat him hard with his cane after he lost to his cousin in training, and scolded him sternly: "The heir of the Locke family must be strong."

Before he went to the battlefield for the first time at the age of fifteen, the family elder patted him on the shoulder and said, "Your life belongs to the Locke family, and your glory is the glory of the family."

Over the years, he has been like a precisely programmed machine, with every decision and every breath serving the supreme directive of "family interests".

No matter how high one's achievements are in the military, in the eyes of the family, they are nothing more than tools to bring glory to the family.

But now...

Locke slowly raised his hand, looking at the red marks on his wrist where the silver cord had been. These marks would soon fade, but everything that had happened tonight had left an indelible mark on his soul.

I remember the greedy eyes of those male insects, their dirty touches, and how I was displayed and used like a test subject.

Is this what the family calls value?

An absurd thought suddenly flashed through his mind: if it had been any other female insect in the family standing there last night instead of him, would the outcome have been different?

No, it won't.

In the eyes of their families, they were all just pawns that could be sacrificed at any time. The only difference was the value of the pawns.

Unconsciously, his fingertips traced the mottled scars on his body, where the pain of being treated roughly still lingered.

This pain is strange; it doesn't just come from the body, but more like a despair that begins to rot from the inside out.

Shen Yan is right.

he.

Hivelock.

He rose to the rank of lieutenant general through his own abilities. Those achievements and victories were earned with his life; what did they have to do with his family?

But why, when the family needs him, does he give up everything without hesitation?

The sky outside the window grew brighter and brighter; the capital city began to awaken.

The sound of aircraft flying by echoed through the streets; a new day had begun.

She slowly stood up and walked into the bathroom. A strange face was reflected in the mirror—

Pale and exhausted, yet something he had never seen before burned in his eyes.

He turned on the shower, and the icy water poured over his head, as if to wash away not only physical filth, but also the ideological shackles instilled in him over the years.

It's time to make a choice.

It was all for his own sake.

……

Back home, Shen Yan moved as quietly as if he were a thief.

It wasn't that he felt guilty; Karandal was a light sleeper and easily awakened by the slightest noise. He didn't want to disturb the Queen's rest by returning late.

I entered the house cautiously, making almost no sound. The entryway was completely dark, with only the 001 standby indicator light emitting a faint blue glow.

After changing into slippers, he planned to sneak into the guest room to spend the night, since the queen in the master bedroom was probably fast asleep by now.

She tiptoed through the living room like a shadow, and just as she was about to reach the guest room door...

"Snapped!"

The entire house's lighting system turned on instantly, and soft yet flawless light poured down, illuminating every corner clearly.

Shen Yan froze on the spot, subconsciously squinting to adjust to the sudden light.

In the center of the living room, in the shadows behind the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, a tall and slender figure stood quietly beside the sofa.

Karandal was wearing a silk robe, and his long, icy blue hair was not tied up as he usually did before bed, but was casually draped over his shoulders, making his skin appear even paler.

Holding a clear glass of water in her hand, her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the inside of the glass. Her face was expressionless, except for her ice-blue eyes, which appeared even deeper under the light, as she quietly looked at Shen Yan with a calm expression.

A silent pressure permeated the air.

"Hahaha... Karandal, you're still awake?"

The female insect didn't speak immediately, but tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping from the collar of Shen Yan's slightly disheveled dress to a few strands of hair falling across his forehead, before finally settling back on his face, which held a hint of surprise.

I gently placed the water glass on the coffee table beside me, making a crisp, light sound that broke the suffocating silence.

Then, he parted his thin lips slightly, his cool voice echoing in the empty living room, revealing neither joy nor anger, but carrying a sense of impending doom:

"So you know how to come back, sir?"