SGT CH198

198 Zerg: Major General X Falls into the Hands of a Malicious Mental Groomer 4

◎The Male Who Claimed Him Was the Marshal’s Son◎

As early as when the familiar footsteps sounded, X had already frozen on the spot.

His mind went completely blank.

Carrying the crisp fragrance of fruits and flowers, the male briskly stepped past him, throwing himself into the Marshal’s embrace, calling the Marshal “Female Father.”

The male who had claimed him, and who had also bestowed mental soothing upon him, was the Marshal’s male son.

X felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

Exceedingly similar light-golden hair, similar rare heterochromatic eyes.

They were naturally father and son.

Anyone seeing them standing together could tell at a glance that they shared blood ties.

Back when he first saw the male’s heterochromatic eyes, X had already suspected that the male was a relative of Marshal Shi’an.

He simply never imagined that the other was directly Marshal Shi’an’s male son.

Because in his impression, the Eldest Prince was still an underage cub.

Yet the one who had possessed him was distinctly an adult male.

Was his information simply far too outdated?

No, a prince’s physiological awakening was a monumental event; it was impossible for there to be zero word of it.

X suddenly recalled that petite “sub-female” he had seen when first entering that equipment shop in the underground district.

The other party’s height and stature back then had differed vastly from when the male finally departed.

Previously, he had merely assumed that it was the male’s disguise.

That the male had used some special item, altering his height and build along with it.

Thinking back now, that week of chaotic entanglement between them had been the male’s physiological awakening.

It had also been the Prince’s physiological awakening.

As for why the Prince had chosen him, and chosen to undergo his physiological awakening in a place like the underground district.

Most likely… he did not want to take responsibility.

X watched as the Marshal dotingly coaxed the male down from his body, smiling as he introduced him:

“This is my male son, Prince Mu Si.”

The Prince held onto the Marshal’s arm, both bugs—so alike in hair, eyes, and even skin tone—looking toward him together.

What a blissful, harmonious family.

He, too, had once possessed such a blissful home.

Although devoid of the power and noble status of the Marshal’s household.

He and his little male had accompanied and supported each other through harsh conditions.

He had done everything within his power to give the little male the best life possible.

However, everything had been wiped out beneath that barrage of artillery fire.

He had lost his little male forever.

Facing the Marshal’s introduction and the male’s covertly threatening gaze, X pulled his lips into a strained, unsightly smile, barely responding:

“Your Imperial Highness.”

Interactions between females were typically strictly measured, without prying too much into others’ affairs.

Seeing that X looked unwell, Marshal Shi’an gave him a slightly worried glance.

Yet seeing that X himself voiced nothing, it was inconvenient for him to pry.

He could only continue introducing him to the Prince:

“This is Major General X, an exceptionally outstanding officer from White Night Star. You must have heard of him.”

Prince Mu Si was simultaneously the feudal lord of White Night Star; an outstanding general emerging from his own domain was someone the Prince could not possibly be unaware of.

“I know a thing or two,” Mu Si smiled.

He merely knew the shapes of the other’s reproductive tract and egg chamber, that was all.

Marshal Shi’an constantly felt that his male son’s attitude today seemed somewhat off.

Yet he couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong.

The Prince carried himself very gently and elegantly, a kind and friendly good cub.

Endowed with the heavy filter of a female father, Shi’an felt that his own cub was simply the best.

Any sense of an odd attitude was surely just an illusion.

“Alright, don’t just stand there, everyone take a seat. Come, here is the little cake you love.”

Shi’an placed a portion of cake before Mu Si, even providing the cutest fork to go with it.

“Female Father, I’m not a cub anymore,” Mu Si muttered under his breath with slight embarrassment.

Yet in the female’s ears, it sounded far more like acting spoiled.

Watching the warm, blissful scene before him, X’s eyes felt as if stung.

The taste in his heart was impossible to describe.

There was envy, certainly.

Aside from envy, there were also traces of jealousy that he himself could not comprehend.

“No matter how old you grow, you are always Female Father’s cub,” Shi’an’s eyes brimmed with laughter.

He was inherently a female father who doted on his cub excessively.

Toward this cub whom he had failed to protect properly, causing him to wander outside from childhood, deep down Shi’an harbored profound self-reproach.

Especially after the Prince was brought back, his body had been damaged due to past hardships, delaying his entry into physiological awakening for a long time.

Clearly the eldest son, yet he had remained in the state of a cub even after his younger didi had reached adulthood.

This made Shi’an feel both heartache and guilt, unable to stop himself from showering him with even more love and care.

Yet in the end, his male son had soundlessly completed his physiological awakening out in the world.

He even refused to say which female had served as his guide.

This gave Shi’an a deep sense of defeat.

Feeling that he still hadn’t paid enough attention to his male son.

His male son even kept little secrets from him, his female father.

Still, both he and His Majesty the Zerg Emperor were open-minded bugs, willing to respect the cub’s little secrets.

Focusing entirely on tending to his cub, Shi’an almost forgot about Major General X to the side.

Only upon noticing that the Prince kept sneaking glances in Major General X’s direction did he remember that another living bug was present.

This was also the innate nature of a female who had become a female father, always unable to refrain from centering more focus on the cub.

“My apologies, Major General X, I haven’t asked the purpose of your visit today.”

Shi’an looked gently at Major General X, waiting for him to explain his reason for coming.

Mu Si tensed up instantly, glaring fixedly at X.

He was actually rather panicked inside.

Just like a cub who had done something wicked outside, on the verge of being found out by his parents.

What he had done wasn’t just ordinary mischief.

If X were to report this to his Female Father…

His Female Father had always doted on him with virtually no bottom line.

Even if he had done something, his Female Father wouldn’t punish him too severely, and might even shoulder the blame onto himself, taking the fall on his behalf.

His Male Father, however… his Male Father would beat him to death.

Well, beating him to death was perhaps a slight exaggeration, but he definitely wouldn’t have an easy time.

In His Majesty the Zerg Emperor’s eyes, he was first the imperial heir, and only second his male son; he had to bear his own responsibilities.

Mistakes had to be punished.

And punished severely at that.

Mu Si feared being beaten by his Male Father, and didn’t want to make his Female Father sad either.

He could only threaten X with his eyes.

Naturally, he didn’t count on his threats working.

Moreover, he assumed X would definitely seize this opportunity to retaliate against him ruthlessly.

Looking at the two pairs of heterochromatic eyes turning his way in unison, X remained silent for a long moment, then lowered his gaze deeply, saying:

“It is nothing in particular… Having returned to the Capital Star from the expedition, it is only proper that I pay a visit to thank you for your years of guidance and support.”

“?”

Mu Si eyed X with suspicion.

Not understanding what scheme he was playing at.

To unexpectedly refrain from exposing what he had done.

Shi’an chuckled, “I didn’t exert much effort; everything was your own merit.”

“If I truly did anything, it was probably… bringing the Dark Star Region under Zerg jurisdiction, allowing the Empire to gain an unpolished jade like you.”

When mentioning the “Dark Star Region,” Shi’an glanced at the Prince beside him, his eyes carrying deep affection and guilt.

Consequently, he missed the fleeting shift in X’s expression.

Mu Si, however, noticed it.

After an instant of bewilderment, he attributed this to X disliking having his origins brought up, and wishing even less for others to know the past of him having once abandoned a little male.

“Hmph.”

Mu Si let out a cold snort, thoroughly displeased by X’s performance, finding him an eyesore.

Marshal Shi’an was puzzled.

Not understanding why his habitually well-behaved little male son had suddenly turned unhappy.

“Is staying in the parlor too stuffy?”

Shi’an looked at Mu Si with concern. Remembering something, he suggested:

“Why don’t you take Major General X for a stroll in the garden? The moonlight tonight is lovely, and the evening primroses transplanted from White Night Star are all in bloom, very fitting for enjoying flowers.”

Stunned, Mu Si lifted his eyes, meeting X’s equally surprised and tense gaze.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. Before X could look away, Mu Si stood up and said:

“Please follow me, Major General X.”

Rather than letting X remain here chatting with his Female Father, it was better for him to lead this volatile factor away from his Female Father’s sight.

Meeting the Marshal’s gentle, encouraging eyes, X could not refuse, able only to follow the Prince outside.

The imperial palace garden was vast.

High-grade females possessed exceptionally acute senses; Mu Si led X as far away as possible from the area where his Female Father sat.

Winding through various turns, they arrived at the center of the garden.

A sea of evening primroses bloomed here, facing the bright moon in the sky, putting forth pure white blossoms.

Mu Si halted his steps.

X had been following closely behind the Prince’s pace the entire time, having had zero leisure to observe the garden.

Now that the Prince had stopped, he finally noticed the evening primroses blooming all around.

He fell dazed for a moment.

Evening primroses were the most representative flowers of the Dark Star Region.

The Dark Star Region lacked sunlight, and these flowers that bloomed exclusively at night were a unique and beautiful spectacle of the region.

In the forest where his and the little male’s safehouse was located, there was a meadow full of evening primroses.

Whenever the twin moons rose, the little male would cling to him, wanting to go outside.

The little male would play amidst the pure-white sea of blossoms, while he roasted meat and prepared fruits and food beneath the nearby tree.

Whenever he noticed the little male running too far, he would deploy his exoskeleton to pull the little male back.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking.”

The Prince’s haughty voice drifted over.

X lifted his eyes to look. The Prince stood with arms crossed amidst the cluster of flowers, pure white moonlight spilling across his face, tracing his exquisite, flawless features.

Even the moonlight could evoke a bug’s envy.

“You didn’t tell my Female Father about that matter just now because you plan to blackmail me with it, right?”

Mu Si stared at him with cold eyes.

Certain bugs were simply unreasonable in their beauty.

Even with icy eyes and an arrogant demeanor, it made a bug willingly cast everything aside just to maintain his willful, dazzling radiance.

“Your Highness overthinks. I will not tell that matter to any bug, let alone blackmail you with it.”

What X had abandoned was never telling others about what had occurred in that cramped room of the underground district.

Rather, he had abandoned interrogating the Marshal about the artillery bombardment that had destroyed the little male.

He had abandoned his retaliation and revenge against the Marshal.

He actually knew the Marshal’s character very well.

The Marshal was not a bug given to indiscriminate slaughter.

On the contrary, as the Empire’s Marshal, he protected all citizens, loving all bugs equally.

On the battlefield, artillery fire was inherently indiscriminate.

The Marshal had no idea that beneath that forest, inside an underground safehouse, resided a little male.

Now that more than ten years had passed, even if he spoke out and brought everything to light, it would change nothing.

The little male could not come back to life.

It would merely burden the Marshal with guilt over an innocent life.

His own life was already dreadful enough.

He had no wish to destroy the Marshal’s happiness over his own one-sided hatred.

He had no wish to cast a shadow over the blissful family of the Marshal and the Prince.

Having him alone trapped in darkness and agony was enough.

Other bugs could continue their happy, wonderful lives.

X had abandoned an interrogation and revenge that held no meaning to begin with.

He would not disturb the lives of the Marshal and the Prince.

Afterward, he would leave the Capital Star, joining another expedition, or garrisoning the border for the Zerg.

Never returning to the Capital Star, until he fell on the battlefield.

Death was the destination that truly belonged to him.

His finest conclusion.

Mu Si observed X’s expression with bewilderment.

X had said that he wouldn’t blackmail him with that matter.

Yet for some reason, he felt that X was profoundly sad.

It was an emotion bordering on hopeless despair, as if all life had turned gray and decayed.

This brought Mu Si an inexplicable sense of restless irritation, wanting to tear something apart.

“Honestly, would it kill you to just let me be blackmailed by you? It’s not like I said I wouldn’t agree…”