Chapter 93

Chapter 93

The Ho family.

There was only one that was renowned near and far.

The royal family of Emperor Star bore the Ho surname.

Were there any other Ho families? If one were to trace the lineage, it could only lead back to the royal family of Emperor Star.

The occupants of the One Star Ship fell silent, especially the elderly auntie whose expression shifted.

"Which planet are they from?"

Huo Nian fixed his gaze on the group he had overheard. "They're from Emperor Star."

His words were directed at them.

This caused the faces of several people to alter.

The cub lowered its voice when it was around them:

"Whatever scheme you have in mind, better weigh your own capabilities."

"..."

This little cub was actually giving them a sense of intimidation.

They couldn't help but see him as a young prince; the distinct power fluctuations were evident, characteristic of a high-grade genetic offspring.

After speaking, the cub returned to its original position. Its eyes regained their childlike clarity, and it appeared particularly well-behaved in front of Lu Wei.

The group: "..." This kid had a dual personality.

Since the cub addressed them directly, it meant... it had overheard their conversation? The words were clearly a subtle warning to them.

Each of them pondered in their hearts, their expressions filled with surprise and uncertainty.

It was now a clear hint.

No wonder this child exudes an aura that's not like an ordinary person.

Not at all.

How could one possibly come across the Queen with the Crown Prince during a casual outing?

Amidst the silence,

Danjiao puffing his chest with pride, replied, "I'm different, you see. My family name is Lu."

The old aunt responded, "R-Really? Your family name is Lu?"

This sparked curiosity among the others.

"Why do you have the family name Lu?"

Lu Danjiao crossed his arms and humphed, "Well, because I take my father's family name."

Then, wouldn't that make the older one...

Their gazes fell upon the noble figure lounging nonchalantly with one leg crossed over the other.

The Queen!

So it was true that the Queen had returned with a child in tow.

This child was brought back by the Queen.

In other words, Emperor Star truly did have two young princes.

They had thought that the rumors were mere fabrications.

After all, who would believe that the royal family of Emperor Star had produced twins in this generation?

—Unless they saw it with their own eyes.

Lu Wei yawned. "Mm, this child will take my surname."

Everyone else: "!!!"

It seemed the rumors about the Queen's unconventional nature were true.

If one didn't know that this person was the Queen, they would undoubtedly think this was an effortlessly charming and wayward rover!

Moreover, His Majesty had not one but two children. What happened to the supposed infertility?

As Lu Wei prepared to disembark from the starship, he was blocked by someone.

It was the refined young man he had accidentally bumped into during their three-dimensional communication.

Before Lu Wei could even utter a word to him, the man promptly seized his hand.

"Queen, save me!"

Lu Wei: "Huh?"

"Meow, pointing at myself, 'Ah'.jpg"

The young man didn't appear to be jesting; his expression was unsettling, as he scanned his surroundings anxiously.

"… They'll send me to Your Majesty as an offering. Please spare my life."

Lu Wei: Huh??

This sounded like they wanted him, the original partner, to be magnanimous and allow the royal dog, His Majesty, to take concubines for the sake of offspring.

"I'm just here on vacation, not dead."

The seemingly delicate young man actually knelt before him right then and there. "Please, I only seek a place to shelter."

Lu Wei: ???

Brother, are you performing a palace drama here?

The male had a pale face, looking pitiful. "I have no intention of disrupting your relationship with His Majesty. I just don't want to be sent back to Garden Star again. As long as I can have a position on Emperor Star, I'd be willing to work for you like an ox or a horse."

The Earthling almost bowed in a full private ceremony. "Bro, don't do this, it scares me."

"…"

Despite not fully understanding Lu Wei's words, the man sensed that he was not an unpleasant person to deal with, so he continued, "Please, I beg of you, just convince those people to take me to Emperor Star."

Lu Wei replied, "Brother, your pleading is useless in this case."

"I am Ostril, Your Majesty. I cannot bear to be on such familiar terms with you."

"Alright, little Brother Ostril, don't call me Queen, it's eerie. Just address me as 'hey'."

Ostril's expression froze, seemingly surprised by the nature of the Queen he had heard so much about on Emperor Star.

Yet, how could he dare to call her 'hey'?

The man was persistent, "As long as Your Majesty doesn't interfere, they'll still cling to hope and send me to Emperor Star."

The Earthling was perplexed, "If you want to go to Emperor Star so badly, why not just buy a ticket yourself?"

Ostril appeared on the verge of collapse, "No... you wouldn't understand, since you're not from Garden Star. Here, we have no choice in the matter."

After a series of inquiries, Lu Wei gained a general understanding of the situation on Garden Star.

The Garden Star was known as the "Backyard of the Mighty."

At first, Lu Wei was puzzled by this title. This place was clearly a planet for botanical tourism; what did it have to do with "the mighty"?

Astoria explained that the nickname was related to the planet's laws.

Here, recipients who were married to others could be freely sold.

According to Garden Star's law, even if one ascended to the position of queen, they were entirely dependent on their monarch. The monarch could dispose of them at will to others. Some concubines on the Garden Star had already been distributed to nobles for amusement.

This planet's regulations were the most radical in the B-star system. However, the Garden Star managed to sustain itself economically, functioning almost like a lawless territory.

Astoria claimed he had no intention of seducing His Majesty to replace the queen. He merely wanted that group to send him to the Emperor Star, thereby breaking free from the Garden Star's outdated system.

Initially, Lu Wei was skeptical, but the man's display of kneeling and weeping before him moved him.

It wasn't easy for a grown man to behave like that.

Lu Wei patted his shoulder. "Brother, I believe you."

"..."

Yet, could you please not cry with your dainty fingers up? It's making my skin crawl.

Unfortunately, those people still caved and decided to send Aster back to Gardenia first. They planned to observe the Queen's actions before deciding whether or not to send him to Emperor Star again.

The nobles of Gardenia had already caught wind of Lu Wei's arrival even before he touched down.

Upon learning that the Queen of Emperor Star had brought the Crown Prince over, they, of course, did not dare to be careless.

They went as far as escorting the trio all the way to the royal banquet hall reserved for honored guests on Gardenia.

"You and the young prince can have something to eat to settle your stomachs first. The King has already made arrangements for your accommodations. Please rest assured."

The servant who led them in seemed to be sizing them up with a somewhat evaluative expression. His gaze toward Lu Wei was anything but respectful.

The three of them would have to wait here for the ruler of Gardenia to make further plans.

The attendant then introduced the dishes on the table. "These are dishes prepared from unique crops native to our planet. You won't find their like anywhere else in the galaxy. Many nobles who have tasted them have been longing for them ever since."

The servant was highly confident in their cuisine, their expression haughty.

Yet, the two youngsters exchanged a glance and saw the disdain in each other's eyes.

They both found it unappetizing.

It wasn't even a tenth as delicious as what their father could cook.

Lu Wei took a few bites before pausing.

"..." How sinister.

Although it tasted better than nutrient solution, it was still rather peculiar.

The servant was proud: "How is it? The produce on our Garden Star is among the richest in the galaxy, and our specially prepared dishes are one of a kind."

Elder Brother Earth didn't hit a smiling face: "Not bad."

The servant asked, "I've heard that the Queen won Emperor Star's heart with her culinary skills. I wonder if Her Majesty has any advice to share?"

Lu Wei chuckled. "That's not due to my culinary skills."

The servant replied, "Your Highness, there's no need to feel insecure about your cooking just because our food is delicious. Since His Majesty has taken a liking to you, your cooking must be quite good."

Lu Danjiao interjected earnestly, "Uncle, you should have something more substantial to eat."

Huo Nian commented sharply, "A frog in a well."

The servant dismissed their words but dared not show any disrespect.

Soon, the monarch of Gardenia arrived, followed by a woman who seemed to be his spouse.

"Your Majesty," they greeted.

The Gardenia King waved. "Prepare a refined seating area for the two young princes."

Two plush seats were arranged, one on each side, for the two little round fellows, Pang Qiu.

They even assigned them personal attendants, which might be the highest form of etiquette on Gardenia.

The monarch of Gardenia had already started conversing with the two youngsters.

Everything was proceeding smoothly.

Everyone, that is, except for Lu Wei.

- The Terran noticed that this Gardenian had ignored him from the start, not assigning him a seat before engaging in conversation with the children.

?

Fortunately, the Terran was the type to adapt to any situation. It wasn't the first time he found himself without a place to sit.

Scanning his surroundings, Lu Wei's gaze ultimately settled on the golden chair beneath the Gardenian. Under the watchful eyes of all, he smoothly pulled the chair over and placed it between the two children before taking a seat.

Attendant: "..."

The person who seemed to be Garden Lord's spouse was also filled with uncertainty.

They whispered beside him, "We can't sit on these chairs. The queen should wait alongside me just as I am, until they finish their conversation."

Lu Wei: "Why not?"

"Why... because that's just how it is."

Only then did Lu Wei realize that this person wasn't seated beside Garden Star's monarch but was kneeling on the outskirts, without even a chair.

Earthling: "Bro, aren't your knees hurting? You'll end up with bowed legs like that. Should I grab a chair for you to sit on?"

The well-meaning suspected Garden Lord's spouse: "...?"

After observing their whispers, the monarch of Garden Star spoke, "His Majesty, the Empress of Emperor Star, turns out to be quite impetuous. One should always follow local customs, and since you're here in Garden Star, you should abide by our traditions."

Lu Wei: "Sitting like this makes it easy to develop an inward-pointing toe."

"As a receiver, you don't have the right to be seated yet. Even if you're the queen of another nation, it's no different when you come to our Garden Star. I believe that even His Majesty would approve of our rules when visiting."

The Garden Star has maintained trade relations with Emperor Star for hundreds of years, and their crops are irreplaceable by any other planet.

This is the proud capital of the Garden Star's monarch.

Human from Earth: "...."

The monarch burst into laughter, his tone laced with disdain. "What? Is the queen going to cry and run back to His Majesty for help?"

Lu Wei raised an eyebrow.

Well, to be honest, he hadn't actually physically fought someone in a long time; lately, it had all been just verbal sparring.

Now, his itch for action was triggered.