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

Time seemed to stretch out in the ward. Shen Yan sat on the chair by the bed, leaning forward, his hands tightly wrapped around Karandel's slightly cool fingers.

The female insect's face was still somewhat pale, but her icy blue eyes seemed to be veiled by a thin mist, carrying a sense of dazed relief after surviving a catastrophe.

My heart felt as if it were entangled by invisible threads, churning in waves.

He was filled with lingering fear, fearing that his carelessness had almost caused a major disaster; he felt heartache, heartache that Karandal had endured so much suffering alone.

Do you resent me?

Shen Yan spoke very softly, as if afraid of disturbing the peace of the moment. He stroked the back of Kalandel's hand with his fingertips again and again, trying to convey some warmth and strength.

The female insect slowly shook her head, her movements somewhat sluggish. She gave the male a warm smile that reassured him, but the curve of the smile betrayed obvious reluctance.

"I don't resent it."

His voice was much lower and hoarse than usual, filled with a deep weariness.

"I'm just... a little tired."

She paused, her gaze involuntarily falling back to her slightly protruding belly, her fingertips unconsciously curling up slightly.

There, a miracle was being conceived, one they had longed for but dared not hope for, but its arrival was accompanied by so many twists and turns…

Shen Yan suddenly realized that he hadn't had a chance to tell his wife about his plan to forge the pregnancy test report. She must be bothered by his attempt to delay his blind date with the female insect a few days ago, so he quickly explained.

Upon hearing these words, Karandel lowered his eyelashes, his eyes trembling almost imperceptibly; he seemed particularly vulnerable and thoughtful during his pregnancy.

"A mighty ruler."

"Am I...useless? Not only did I ruin your plans, but I didn't even notice such a big change in my body, and...I almost..."

He choked up and couldn't say the rest, but Xiongzi understood what he meant.

I almost hurt the baby because of my carelessness.

"nonsense!"

Shen Yan immediately interrupted him, her tone resolute and unwavering.

He released his wife's hand, then moved his face closer, forcing her to look directly into his eyes.

"This is not your fault at all! I was just too stupid and arrogant!"

His dark eyes were filled with regret and pity:

"We...we're so frequent, you must be feeling unwell, but you never say anything. Are you afraid I'll think you're...rejecting me?"

Karandal blushed and his eyes flickered at his blunt question, and he tacitly agreed.

Indeed, he endured many minor physical discomforts, partly because he didn't want to spoil the master's mood.

On the other hand, he always struggled to be a powerful ruler, so he habitually suppressed all abnormalities.

Seeing his wife like this, Shen Yan felt as if his heart had been violently clenched, and he felt an indescribable bitterness.

At the time, I was only thinking about not revealing the plan, but I completely underestimated how much this uncertainty and being kept in the dark would hurt my wife.

His partner, his general, could face thousands of troops on the battlefield without flinching, yet he was tormented by emotional turmoil and became so haggard.

"It's my fault. I didn't take your feelings into account... I made you overthink and bear so much pressure..."

Karandal's eyes welled up with tears, which silently streamed down his face, soaking the fabric of his shirt.

These aren't tears of grievance, but rather the reassurance of knowing that I am still deeply loved.

"It's not the fault of the powerful ruler..."

He said it in a muffled voice, with a nasal tone.

"...I just...can't help being scared..."

"It won't happen again, never again."

Shen Yan carefully helped his wife lie back down on the pillow, wiped away her tears, and said softly, "Your most important task right now is to rest. Don't think about anything else. Leave it to me, okay?"

Looking at the unwavering determination and tenderness in the other's eyes, the female ruler slowly nodded. Overwhelmed by extreme exhaustion, and enveloped by the male ruler's gentle gaze and soothing spiritual power, she finally succumbed to sleepiness and fell into a deep slumber.

Once he was sure Karandal was sound asleep and his breathing had become steady and long, the tenderness on the male's face was gradually replaced by a cold hardness.

He gently kissed his wife's forehead, tucked her in, and then got up and went to the resting area in the outer room.

Shen Yan made a video call with his female father, Toses.

The screen lit up, revealing the Speaker of the Council. He had clearly learned of Karandal's hospitalization through his own channels, and his expression was one of concern and seriousness.

"Yan Yan, I heard that Kalandel is sick. How is he now?"

The male insect smiled genuinely and said, "Father, Lanlan is pregnant, she's fifteen weeks along, and it's our male offspring."

Tosses was taken aback at first, then a huge smile of joy spread across his face, and his voice rose a few decibels: "She's pregnant?! That's wonderful! This will save you two a lot of trouble."

"How is he feeling? Is he alright?"

"She's sleeping now, and her sleep is relatively stable."

He first calmed the father-in-law's agitated emotions, then his expression darkened, and his tone turned icy: "However, Lanlan's hospitalization this time was not an accident..."

His smile vanished instantly, and Tosses's eyes sharpened like knives: "What happened? Explain yourself."

"It's the Proliferation Management Committee, that bunch of bugs led by Morris."

Shen Yan's voice was filled with suppressed anger:

"I just found out that they approached Calander from the very beginning, using his military rank, my male status, and our marital relationship to force him to accept female servants and to make him 'know his place'."

He took a deep breath and continued, "Kalandel is a very thoughtful person. She carries all the pressure on herself and didn't dare tell me. The long-term anxiety and unease, coupled with the physical burden of pregnancy, finally exploded today..."

He didn't say anything more, but Tosses on the other side of the screen was already ashen-faced.

The speaker of parliament unconsciously clenched his fist on the table, and the veins on the back of his hand were visible.

"Do you really think I'm dead?"

"Female father..."

Shen Yan looked at the other person, his eyes cold and resolute:

"This matter cannot be easily dismissed. I want more than just an apology or a few scoundrels suffering some physical pain. I want to use this opportunity to completely break their spirit."

"I want to make sure that no insect will ever dare to disturb Lanlan's peace again, under any pretext."

Seeing the unwavering resolve in his son's eyes, Tosses felt both gratified and awe-inspiring. After a moment's hesitation, his politician's instincts kicked in, and he quickly weighed the pros and cons before nodding.

"I understand what you mean."

"Yan Yan, compile all of Karandel's medical records from this hospitalization, as well as all the evidence you can gather of the pressure exerted on him by the management committee, and send it to me."

"Leave the rest to the female father."