Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The adjutant, who had just been relieved at not having to face the cold monarch again anytime soon, froze as the sounds from within abruptly ceased.

The previously warm and bubbly atmosphere had suddenly come to a halt.

Startled, the adjutant hurriedly pressed his ear against the door to catch any conversation that might be taking place.

Lu Wei's voice: "It's actually him?"

Having been preoccupied with thoughts of rejecting the marriage and only giving the name a cursory glance, he hadn't retained any memory of this person before being caught by His Majesty, the Dog.

The monarch's voice: "Preparing to rekindle our past connection."

Lu Wei was taken aback: "How can you blame me for something that wasn't even part of my assignment?"

His Majesty, the Dog, was typically one to avoid self-deprecation while deflecting blame onto others.

Upon hearing what seemed like an explosive revelation, the adjutant, like a frustrated burrower unable to reach a juicy melon, scratched his head in anticipation outside the door.

Lu Wei: "Speaking of which, I have to ask, were the laws of your planet really drafted with feet? Why force people into arranged relationships?"

The canine monarch was oblivious: "You're actually considering leaving with him?"

Lu Wei: "I... *&^%#"

The canine monarch's voice turned icy: "If you dare run away with him, I'll break your legs."

Lu Wei softened his tone: "Brother, please listen to reason. This job was your idea, we just happened to cross paths. Besides, I don't even know him."

The canine monarch narrowed his eyes: "You'd run off with someone you don't know, I can't imagine what would happen if you got to know him."

?????

You! Forget it!

Lord Lu Wei always adhered to the principle of not engaging in arguments with intellectually challenged children.

The adjutant's jaw dropped in astonishment.

What did he hear?! Mr. Lu is actually having an affair!

The hyperactive weasel grew even more curious and wished it could stand right in front of the two to listen.

Lu Wei noticed that His Majesty the Dog could only grasp extraordinary keywords and then interpret them on its own. In such a situation, the approach was...

To pretend to be weak first.

"Your Majesty, you misunderstood me," Lu Wei gritted his teeth, suppressing his frustration. "I haven't even had more than five conversations with him."

More than five conversations?

Anyway, no one would know.

Putting himself in the other person's shoes, Lu Wei continued, "It was just a casual encounter between ordinary colleagues. I doubt he even recognized me."

His Majesty the Dog responded, "Oh."

"Mm-hmm." — Oh, really?

The canine sovereign lifted his chin. "Listen to what he said to you."

Lu Wei still had great faith in Herman; from his behavior, he seemed like a normal person who cared about his colleagues.

Thus, he confidently opened the message on his terminal.

[I've been contemplating whether or not to send this message to you. I couldn't sleep last night and after much deliberation today, I've decided to send it.

From the moment I saw you, I recognized you as my assigned partner. Ever since our allocation, I've been trying to imagine who you might be through your photos and name. I'm eagerly anticipating the day we meet.

When I actually saw you, I was filled with delight. You're very unique, different from anyone I've ever met. Your presence brightened up the entire office... please forgive me, I'm not very skilled at complimenting others.

I have no idea why our allocation record was canceled. Was it a system error? After meeting you, I've been wondering what our wedding would be like if we were truly meant to be together.

If it's due to a system issue, I hope you could inform me.

And you left your bracelet behind...]

The canine sovereign read each word aloud. "You left your bracelet here. Should I return it to you?"

Herman gazed at Lu Wei expressionlessly, his face seemingly asking, "Do you have anything else to say?"

Lu Wei lifted his hand to inspect it, realizing that the identification bracelet he always wore was indeed missing.

His mind raced as he recalled the only plausible explanation – he must have dropped it on the floor when he vomited in the cafeteria, and Herman had picked it up.

Why couldn't he just plainly say he found it?

Why use such an ambiguous sentence?

Lu Wei said, "If I told you that he found the bracelet when I threw up in the cafeteria, would you believe me?"

The sinister monarch replied, "You claimed your conversation didn't exceed five sentences."

"It really didn't...” Who could keep track of how many sentences were exchanged?

Lu Wei's smile vanished.

It was a beautiful irony, akin to shooting oneself in the foot.

Herman, I take back my praise for you.

The adjutant outside was utterly stunned.

Adjutant: O-M-G! Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-OUR MAJESTY IS A LOVE RIVAL!

The adjutant tried to make sense of the situation.

So Mr. Lu already had someone before he came, and they happened to meet at Star TV! Then something unpredictable occurred, resulting in Mr. Lu's bracelet landing in the hands of his former partner — how on earth did that happen?

Mr. Lu... This situation would sound implausible even if it wasn't the Emperor but anyone else telling the story; it's too suggestive!

The adjutant silently lit a candle for Lu Wei in their heart, Amen.

The imperial dog smirked slightly. "Go on, I'm listening."

Damn, that tone clearly indicates anger.

Lu Wei blinked. "Actually, that day went like this: I ordered a mandarin orange-flavored nutrient drink at the cafeteria, and then blabbered on..."

He recounted every detail of his encounter with Herman that day, but it was unclear how much the Canine Majesty, with its paw idly rubbing against its knuckles, had taken in.

Lu Wei lowered his eyelids. "..." Thinking of a mouse.

His Majesty the Canine sounded dangerously intrigued, "What are you thinking?"

With two long trails of imaginary tears streaming down his cheeks, Lu Wei vowed inwardly, "When I'm rich someday, I'll bankrupt the entire Orange Fragrance Nutrient Solution Corporation."

The corners of Emperor Dog's mouth lifted in a subtle smile. "It won't work even if you try to amuse me."

Lu Wei: ?

"Who's teasing you?"

With His Majesty the Dog's erratic breath, situations often veered into indescribable territories.

Fortunately, he had an inexplicable sense of humor, which alleviated the tension in the atmosphere.

Lu Wei: "I'll go retrieve the bracelet and bring it back along with a visit to that student Herman."

The Canine Majesty harrumphed. "Let someone else bring it to you."

"…Sure, I guess."

The Canine Majesty wouldn't agree to let him go to Star TV again, and Lu Wei didn't want to return there either.

In the end, it was Markov who delivered the bracelet.

Lu Wei had been out in the wind for a while, and his stomach began to feel uneasy, causing him to retch.

Markov had already heard about the two of them, and now he witnessed Lu Wei retching.

While the Canine Majesty and Lu Wei didn't mind, Markov was an experienced adult.

Seeing this scene, Markov paused. "Little Lu, do you feel a bit worn out lately?"

Scratching his head at the unexpected question, Lu Wei replied, "Nope, gaming is just too fun."

"How about... um, feeling sleepy or easily fatigued?" Markov rubbed his hands together.

Reminded in this way, Lu Wei responded, "Seems like there is something to it. I've started taking naps recently."

Markov left it at that.

His thoughts delved deeper than Lu Wei's. If he were truly pregnant, then whose child would he be carrying in the royal family, which had difficulty conceiving?

To suggest that it was His Majesty's child would be on par with witnessing a historical event, and the likelihood was too low.

That only left one possibility—

Markov's pupils trembled.

As the head of StarVision Network, Markov believed he had seen his fair share of grand spectacles, but this situation, where he was tiptoeing around the edge of a beheading, was unprecedented!

Lu Wei casually rubbed his nose. "I should head back, or else the dog… His Majesty will go crazy again."

Markov smiled gently. "Alright."

The moment he turned around, Markov's expression changed.

Markov was drenched in sweat, contemplating the scenario if his guess were indeed correct.

As he walked, he bumped into his approaching adjutant.

The adjutant was an old acquaintance of Markov's, "You look terrible."

Markov: "..." If you knew what had happened, your expression would be just as grim.

After a moment of internal struggle, Markov divulged his thoughts entirely to the adjutant.

Adjutant: "!!"

Markov expressed his concern, "You see, Little Lu has been vomiting and sleeping excessively lately, and I couldn't help but wonder if he might actually be pregnant."

The adjutant hadn't considered that possibility before, but upon hearing Markov's words, more evidence began to surface in his mind.

Adjutant, "Mr. Lu mentioned yesterday that he had an intense craving for sour foods..."

Markov: "Ah."

Markov was drenched in sweat. "What if it's true and she's pregnant?"

The birth rate on Emperor Star was quite low. In theory, any family would be overjoyed upon learning about a pregnancy and eagerly await the arrival of a new life.

But that wasn't the case for the royal family.

Due to difficulties in conceiving offspring within the royal bloodline, pregnancies among royal consorts were scarce. Historically, when a queen became pregnant, it often signaled that the nobles had been cheated on.

Yes, almost 99% of pregnancies resulted from infidelity, easily detectable.

Even the branches of the royal family had such issues, let alone His Majesty.

Adjutant: "I-I don't think so. It could just be a craving for sour foods, excessive sleeping, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea from strong scents, and frequent vomiting..."

Goodness, didn't all those symptoms match perfectly?

Markov: "Y-Yeah, no need to scare ourselves."

"..."

"..."

One could deceive his brother, but not himself.

The aide coughed softly and ventured hesitantly, "There's something else I haven't told you. That Herman in your department used to be Mr. Lu's assigned partner."

Ten minutes later, the two of them sat formally in a nearby conversation room.

Markov said solemnly, "Could it be that Little Lu is really carrying the child of... someone else?"

The aide crossed his arms and replied, "Most likely Herman. When did Herman and Mr. Lu cross paths again?"

Markov shook his head. "I don't think Little Lu recognizes him. Could it all be an act? Besides, Herman seems like an honest kid. He wouldn't do something that would warrant a death sentence, would he?"

The aide clicked his tongue. "The more someone appears innocent, the more capable they are of pulling off a major scheme."

Both of them fell into deep contemplation.

Markov continued, "I just received His Majesty's order to retrieve a bracelet from Herman for Little Lu. What's the meaning behind this?"

Adjutant: !

All the pieces fell into place with this revelation.

The adjutant swallowed hard. "What follows is purely my speculation. Please don't spread it around."

The story he conjured in his mind went like this: Mr. Lu and his former lover were deeply in love when His Majesty swooped in and took Mr. Lu back to the Royal City. With his wit (and perhaps some pillow talk), Mr. Lu managed to secure a job at Star Television, thus reuniting with his ex. Their rekindled passion was indescribable, which led to Mr. Lu leaving his bracelet behind at Herman's.

And it was precisely due to this secret liaison that Mr. Lu became pregnant.

Markov: ?!

Markov's mind went blank. He couldn't bear to imagine the repercussions if this happened within his own television station, and how His Majesty would vent his anger on them.

The adjutant's expression grew even more grave. "This is the first time His Majesty has brought someone back. It's also because of this person that his condition has improved significantly. If he found out about this… the consequences could be disastrous."

Markov: "..."

Aide: "..."

In their locked gaze, they reached an unspoken agreement:

They absolutely could not tell His Majesty about Mr. Lu's suspected pregnancy!