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

The starship's engines emitted a steady, low hum as it headed toward the military outpost on the edge of V-73.

The soft click of the hatch closing was like a signal, completely isolating the two insects from the outside world and enveloping them in an absolutely private space.

Almost the instant the hatch locked, the composure he had barely maintained crumbled.

Karandal had just finished setting up the autopilot and hadn't even had a chance to turn around completely when he was suddenly shoved against the cold bulkhead by a force.

Shen Yan's movements were almost fiercely urgent. He braced himself on the female soldier's ear with one hand and grabbed her collar with the other, then kissed her directly.

The kiss was not gentle; it carried the fear of surviving a catastrophe, the ecstasy of regaining what was lost, and all the suppressed longing and unease during the separation.

The tongue forcefully invades, entwining and sucking, as if trying to merge into one through this method.

The female soldier hesitated for only a moment before responding with even more fierce passion.

He tightened his arms around Shen Yan's waist, almost squeezing him into his bones, his fingertips digging into the cool black hair of the male master, holding the back of his head in place, and deepening the kiss.

Without any rhyme or reason, only instinctive intimacy remained. Rapid breaths filled their mouths, and the saliva that they couldn't swallow gradually heated up and became hot as their skin rubbed together.

The small space was filled with a rich spiritual energy and emotional atmosphere.

Only when their lungs were exhausted and their brains were slightly dizzy did the two insects separate, panting, their foreheads touching and their noses rubbing together, their hot breaths mingling.

The man's eyes were red-rimmed, whether from lack of oxygen or from excessive excitement, he looked into his wife's icy blue eyes, which were also tinged with desire, and his voice was broken and hoarse:

"Kalandall..."

"I am here."

His response was equally low and hoarse. He cupped Shen Yan's face and gently brushed his slightly swollen lips with the pad of his thumb.

The touch beneath my fingertips was warm and moist, and because we were so close, I could clearly feel how thin the other person's cheeks were.

"How come you've lost so much weight?"

Her fingertips lingered carefully on Xiongzi's cheek, tracing the jawline that was slightly thinner than she remembered. Her brows furrowed, and her voice carried an undisguised heartache.

"Have you been neglecting yourself these past few days?"

Feeling the other person's affection and heartache, Shen Yan felt both warm and bittersweet.

Its tail hook was practically blurring with every swish, yet its face remained as docile as a pitiful creature seeking its master's comfort, gently nuzzling against Karandel's warm palm and muttering softly:

"I can't eat or sleep... When I can't see you, I feel empty inside and can't muster any energy for anything."

This candid confession, tinged with dependence and grievance, felt as if the female soldier's heart had been clenched tightly.

He carefully placed kisses, each one filled with apology and tenderness, on the other's forehead, cheeks, and eyelids, and finally covered those slightly pale lips with them again, his movements gentle, as if he were treating a fragile treasure that had been lost and found again.

"It was my fault."

Between lip movements, he whispered a promise: "We'll never be apart again."

The intense kisses and tenderness calmed the initial excitement that almost overwhelmed them, but their bodies, pressed tightly together, could still feel each other's rapid heartbeats and lingering heat.

Clinging to his wife in a submissive posture, Shen Yan buried his face in the crook of her neck to calm his breathing, greedily inhaling the reassuring, cool breath.

Calander placed the male on his lap, letting him sink completely into his embrace.

This posture is full of protectiveness and possessiveness.

Shen Yan obediently adjusted her posture to make herself more comfortable, her fingers unconsciously twirling and playing with a strand of ice-blue hair.

The tide of passion has receded for a while, leaving behind a warm and intimate tranquility.

It was in this atmosphere where he felt incredibly safe and content, both physically and mentally, that Xiongzi remembered that important matter.

He slightly raised his head, resting his chin on Karandal's collarbone, looking at him with clear eyes and an intimate tone as if sharing a secret:

"Honey, I need to tell you something."

"Um?"

Her nose brushed against his scalp, and the female soldier made a questioning sound, her arms still firmly wrapped around him.

"My mental strength..."

"It seems... it's been upgraded."

Karandal's eyes sharpened.

"You know the highest rank in the Imperial Records is only SS, right? I used to be that rank."

Shen Yan continued:

"But this time at the base, that guy Shi Yan wanted to take advantage of my youthful and beautiful body. Of course I didn't want to. After all, chastity is the best dowry for a man, and I am determined to remain chaste for my wife."

"The situation was urgent, and I was almost in despair when I suddenly felt something in my mental sea burst out with a 'crack,' and then my mental energy changed on its own."

He straightened up slightly, and a clear golden light gathered at his fingertips. The light was restrained, yet it subtly revealed a sharpness that was different from his usual gentle nature.

The male insect's spiritual power is primarily focused on healing and soothing; it simply cannot possess such a strong edge.

"It became aggressive, and very strong."

"I guess I might... have accidentally broken through to the legendary SSS rank?"

She paused, as if recalling an earlier sign, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she leaned close to Karandel's ear, lowering her voice even further, with a hint of slyness and shyness:

"And thinking about it carefully, it seems that it was after our first time that my mind started to stir."

Mental strength upgrade—this is something unheard of.

As Karandal listened to this news that was enough to overturn the Empire's understanding, and looked at the bright, dependent, and teasing eyes of the insect in his arms, the shock in his heart seemed insignificant compared to the overwhelming love he felt.

He tightened his arms, pressing the insect back against his chest, then lowered his head to kiss the top of its head, his voice deep and resolute:

"If that's the case, then it's my honor."

His focus remained on Shen Yan himself.

Enveloped by the complete acceptance and appreciation in his words, Shen Yan sighed contentedly and snuggled back into his arms, like a large dog that had been thoroughly comforted, rubbing her nose against his neck.

Outside the porthole was a flowing galaxy. Calandall's starship finally landed smoothly at the military outpost on the edge of V-73.

As expected, after learning that Shen Yan was actually in the front-line star field, the Imperial Headquarters sent a strongly worded encrypted communication.

We strongly demand that this rare male prince be immediately escorted back to the absolutely safe Imperial Star.

However, Shen Yan's attitude was unusually firm.

"I'm not going back."

He stood in the communications room, his tattered clothes now changed, exuding an air of nobility. Looking at the anxious face of the headquarters envoy on the holographic screen, his tone left no room for negotiation.

"I need this opportunity to observe from the front lines."

He offered a seemingly legitimate reason, but his eyes darted furtively toward Karandal beside him.

The real reason is known to all the insects.