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

Shen Yan, a dazzling insect, is never short of sycophantic followers. Anyone would be more pleasing to her than him, a fallen female soldier. He couldn't understand why the other party would spend time on him.

Is it sympathy? Pity? Or is there another motive?

Countless speculations swirled in his mind, making his heart ache. But then he remembered Shen Yan's gentle gaze as he applied the medicine, and he stopped thinking about anything.

Finally, he sighed softly.

He acknowledged the life-saving grace. Even if Shen Yan was truly faking it, it didn't matter. There was nothing wrong with it. After all, a worm like him would probably live like this for the rest of his life. It was already a rare privilege to have a worm to be grateful to.

From the day he became Shen Yan's property, his fate was already firmly tied to the other party's hands, leaving him with no room for choice.

The familiar stinging pain returned to the spot on his shoulder blade where his wings used to be, as if a thousand tiny needles were piercing his bones. This pain had been constant since the day his wings were cut off, a constant reminder that he could no longer spread his wings and soar into the sky, and that he was no longer the female soldier who could fight freely in the sky.

Unwilling to accept it—

Although the female ruler has a little more dignity and insignificant rights than the female slaves and servants, she is still ultimately the property of the male insect and depends on the male master's favor for her entire life.

He didn't even dare to hope to return to the military headquarters. Even if Shen Yan really agreed, a wingless insect would only humiliate himself if he went back.

It will only make them a laughing stock.

Imperial law stipulates that female insects do not have the right to apply for the dissolution of a marital relationship unless the male insect initiates the application.

However, the possessiveness of male insects is ingrained in their bones. They will hold onto their possessions tightly. They will never let go of anything, and even if it comes to that, the only fate of an insect that is disliked by the male is destruction.

……

early morning

In the private estate next to the Imperial Parliament building, morning dew still clung to the rose petals.

As soon as Shen Yan entered the study, he saw the original owner's father, Toses, sitting behind a desk covered with a dark-patterned tablecloth, playing with a jade seal in his hand. It was the symbol of the council chairman and also the mark of Toses' many years of power.

As a middle-aged man who had a child and was the only male insect offspring, Shen Yan was spoiled rotten by Toses from a young age. But at this moment, Toses' handsome face was devoid of its usual gentleness.

"sit."

Tosses pointed to the leather sofa opposite him.

"I heard you submitted a marriage application? The other party is that female insect named Calandall?"

Shen Yan sat down, his back ramrod straight, yet not stiff. His dark hair hung loosely at his sides, a few strands swaying gently with his movements, revealing his smooth forehead. His thin lips were pressed into a straight line, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the surface of his skin.

"Yes, Father."

Tosses placed the seal on the table with a soft click. He took a stack of documents with gold-embossed covers from a drawer and pushed them in front of Shen Yan:

"This is Councilor Lin's youngest son. He has A-level mental strength. His family controls energy mines in three star systems. If you want to play with interstellar spaceships or raise rare pets in the future, his family can provide it for you."

"This is the nephew of the Chamber of Commerce president. He has access to many top-tier clubs. Whenever you want to relax or have fun, he can arrange it perfectly for you."

"These are the female rulers who will ensure your happiness and well-being for the rest of your life. I don't care if you want to take female slaves or servants; I can even help you choose."

"But you chose a female insect who crawled up from a garbage planet, has nothing, and whose wings have been clipped, to be your queen. What can he give you? Are you expected to take care of him instead?"

Shen Yan's fingers loosened their grip on the documents; the few pages were casually draped over his lap, not even glanced at. He looked up at Toses, and began to whine, his voice soft and slightly aggrieved:

"Father, I don't want them."

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes shining like they held stars, his tone full of dependent coquettishness.

Of course, he was faking it.

"You can give me everything they can. I don't need anything else, just having you by my side is enough!"

"They're being unreasonable again."

Torses chuckled. After all, this was his own insect offspring, just reaching adulthood but still retaining its naivety. His tone carried a hint of helplessness:

"I spoiled you so that you could live a carefree life. I must admit that Calander's past honors were dazzling, but that's all in the past."

"You're a male, born to enjoy all the privileges. Why bother finding a female who requires your care and will be the subject of gossip in the community?"

"If they knew you married a former general whose wings were crippled, they would laugh at you, saying you couldn't even find a decent queen."

I don't care what others say.

Shen Yan did not mention that she chose to marry Karandel in order to save him.

He also intended to use this as an excuse to reject the female insects that the Empire would match with, since every day he would be on blind dates, which was unbearable.

He couldn't appreciate the horrifying nature of the Zerg; butterflies were much better, more beautiful.

Because the few male insects enjoy the favor and resources of the entire insect race, they also bear the obligation to continue the species after they reach adulthood.

One must marry a female ruler to establish a master-servant relationship, or take female servants or female slaves as companions.

According to Zerg tradition, female servants and slaves often take on the responsibility of being the male's sexual initiation toys in the early stages of his adulthood, contributing to the reproduction of the Zerg. This is a tacit consensus engraved in the Zerg social rules.

Of course, resources are not distributed equally among males; lower-ranking males receive fewer resources. However, most males have a tendency to be wasteful, so they have two choices:

The option is to donate sperm for a very generous reward, which many low-level male insects are happy to do. After all, the thought that a female insect might be conceiving their child on some planet or in some corner of the insectoid world gives them a strange sense of pride.

These sperm will be stored in a cryopreservation facility, where female insects without males but desiring offspring can purchase them at high prices and implant them using advanced technology.

The only option is to marry a female insect. According to the rules of the insect race, after a female insect marries a male insect, all her property will be transferred to the male lord. This is also a very attractive option for low-level male insects who need resources. However, a male insect can only marry one female lord, and there are also limits on the number of female servants and female slaves he can take.

The lower the male's rank, the fewer female servants or slaves they can take. Therefore, they cannot acquire resources indefinitely through this method.

"I know you mean well and are worried that I won't be happy in the future, but the marriage registration has already been approved. I'm not here to argue with you today, but to tell you my decision."

Tosses looked at his son and remained silent for a long time. He knew Shen Yan's temperament; once he made up his mind, he wouldn't turn back.

Although he was assertive in politics, he never thought about truly restraining his child in his personal life; he was just afraid that his child would regret his decision later.

The air was silent for a few seconds, but he still chose to compromise, picked up the jade seal, stamped it on the document, and pushed it back into the drawer.

"Fine, whatever you like. Bring her out after you recover, I want to see what's so special about this female soldier you're so infatuated with."

Shen Yan hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."

Once Calander's injuries are fully healed, he will probably be eager to leave him and run towards the freedom he has longed for.

After all, I was a witness to his embarrassing dark history.