Chapter 90: A ~ Date

Chapter 90: A ~ Date

While this male's appearance was indeed commendable, wasn't he being a bit too narcissistic?!

This thought inexplicably popped into Ludwig's mind. He slowly leaned back into his chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the steering wheel as he said with an unreadable expression, "Your Excellency Amber, if you want me to believe in you, care for you, and protect you, shouldn't you show the proper attitude instead of making a mockery of yourself every day in Hertz City and stirring up romantic rumors with other females?"

"I've said it before; what happened yesterday won't happen again."

After Amber spoke, he gave a slight smile, pulling out a restaurant card from his coat pocket and handing it to Ludwig. His slender, bony fingers held the thin, gold-embossed card which seemed almost transparent under the sunlight, perfect like a work of art. "I heard this restaurant is good. As an apology, how about I treat you to a meal? It's close to the military department, so it won't waste too much of your time."

He had considered everything, leaving no room for refusal.

Ludwig frowned as he glanced at the address on the card. "Is this your attitude?"

"Not just that," Amber's smile didn't change. "But the rest, you'll have to witness over time."

Although Ludwig didn't say anything, he still took the card from Amber's hand and steered the aircraft toward their destination. Clearly, he had accepted Amber's "invitation."

The restaurant Amber chose was quite popular, especially since it was near the military department. Many female soldiers would meet here for dinner after work, making it a famous spot for couples' dates.

It was dinner time, and the restaurant was nearly full. Many customers were forced to wait outside in the open-air tea area for their tables to be called.

From the moment Ludwig stepped through the restaurant doors, he regretted it. If he accidentally bumped into a colleague during the meal, it would likely lead to gossip. He was used to being alone and wasn't accustomed to such situations.

Ludwig furrowed his brow. "There are too many customers here. Should we switch to another place?"

He hoped Amber would agree, but the reasonable male seemed to misunderstand his intentions. "It's normal for there to be many customers during meal times. It would be the same at another restaurant."

Ludwig persisted stubbornly. "But waiting for a table will take a long time."

Amber glanced at his terminal on his wrist. "No problem. I made a reservation for six o'clock in the afternoon. The timing is perfect."

Ludwig looked at Amber in surprise. "You made a reservation in advance? What if I hadn't agreed to have dinner together?"

Amber smiled indifferently. "It doesn't matter. I would have eaten by myself anyway."

Even if Ludwig had declined the invitation, Amber would still need to eat dinner at six o'clock, so it wasn't a loss.

Ludwig: "…"

So infuriating.

Males were always the center of attention in the capital, and handsome males walking down the street would garner a hundred percent attention. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that when Amber entered the restaurant, more than half of the females subconsciously looked over, causing a brief silence in the air.

Amber seemed unaware of those overly intense gazes. Following the procedure, he reported his terminal number to the waiter and was led to his reserved table with the waiter's dazed steps.

"Hello, this…this is our menu."

The young female waiter handed the menu to Amber, not daring to look directly at his dazzling face. Her face flushed red, and she was so nervous that her hands were trembling. Amber said "thank you," then passed the menu to Ludwig beside him. "Take a look. What do you want to eat?"

This was against protocol; usually, the male would order first.

Ludwig wouldn't make such a mistake in public. He handed the menu back to Amber. "You order. I'm not picky."

Amber didn't refuse and directly ordered two highly recommended sets. He barely flipped through the menu pages, clearly having done his research beforehand.

Ludwig felt as if he had been placed on a chessboard, as if all his actions had been calculated by the other party. He lightly tapped his knee, frowning as he looked at Amber. "Why didn't you tell me in advance about going to see the third prince today?"

The restaurant served two glasses of sparkling wine, but the taste wasn't great. Amber gently placed the glass back on the corner of the table. In the clear wine, many small bubbles rapidly rose and then burst one by one.

"Apologizing isn't a good thing. I could go by myself."

This statement was particularly fresh on Aliga Star because whether they were nobles or commoners, when males caused trouble, it was assumed that the females would step forward to apologize. Admittedly, this sentence improved Ludwig's mood slightly, even raising his impression of Amber from rock bottom.

The dishes arrived one after another, and they ate in silence. However, the attention around them didn't decrease but rather increased. Some people even took out their terminals to secretly photograph them.

Amber wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Looks like I should have booked a private room."

Did so many people stare at him when he ascended to the throne?

Most likely not, because staring directly at the emperor was a capital offense.

Ludwig lifted his eyelids, his smile neither genuine nor fake as he twirled the ring on his ring finger. "I thought you enjoyed being the center of attention."

Amber scanned the surroundings and then retracted his gaze. "They're more like watching a spectacle."

Compared to being admired as a brilliant diamond, he preferred to be respected as a sharp sword.

On the second floor of the restaurant, a group of youthful female soldiers came out of a private room, their arms around each other's shoulders. They were mostly in their early twenties, clearly new recruits who had come here for a meal. Their laughter and chatter filled the air.

"Hey, Sifrey, last time I saw Your Excellency Fang Yun invite you to the Dari Ken Hall for an art exhibition. Did you agree to go with him?"

The blonde, blue-eyed female blushed and waved her hands. "No…don't misunderstand…Your Excellency Fang Yun only came over to thank me for helping him photocopy documents…"

Her companion drew out her tone. "Oh~ gratitude, Sifrey. Such a gentle and polite male is hard to find. You should seize the opportunity. If you don't like him, you can let me have him."

Sifrey stumbled over her words. "Don't talk nonsense. We're just colleagues…"

Her companion urged, "When you see an excellent male, you should seize the opportunity. Otherwise, if you end up like your brother, finding a fool with an empty head, even the God of Insects won't listen to your cries."

Another insect countered, "Hey, Sifrey isn't like General Ludwig who brings misfortune to his partner. He has the purest blue eyes of the Lanyi family. There are plenty of males in Hertz City who want to marry him. No matter what, he wouldn't choose a commoner from a lower-class star."

The noise grew louder, and it was unclear what was said afterward.

"…"

Amber glanced at Ludwig, whose face was dark across from him, put down his knife and fork, and comfortingly said, "General Ludwig, don't pay attention to their words. Rest assured, I have a strong life force."

He seemed to be comforting, but it was like sprinkling chili powder on a wound.

Upon hearing this, Ludwig's eyelids twitched, nearly warping the knife and fork in his hand: "Is that your way of comforting me?"

Amber nodded earnestly: "Exactly, comfort from an empty-headed... fool?"

The group of military females happened to descend the stairs, and one of them, glancing towards the dining area, nudged her blonde companion in surprise: "Hey, Sifflay, it looks like Colonel Ludwig is also dining down here!"

With Amber's back to the staircase, his face was obscured, or else they would have been even more astonished.

Sifflay froze for a moment upon hearing this, then looked over, indeed spotting Ludwig seated at a nearby table not far away. Coincidentally, the other party also glanced their way—

Those amber eyes, branded as those of a mongrel, were always so cold and indifferent, as if nothing in the world could capture his attention.

Every time Sifflay found himself under the gaze of those eyes, he felt exposed and vulnerable. He hesitated for a moment before approaching with his companions to greet them: "What a coincidence, Ludwig, you're dining here too?"

The military females behind him were somewhat uneasy, having just spoken ill of Ludwig.

"Mm."

A single, lightly uttered word served as an answer to Sifflay's question, followed by an awkward silence.

Sifflay gave an awkward smile, struggling to find a topic: "Are you dining with friends? I often come to this restaurant, I can recommend..."

Before he could finish, he suddenly caught sight of Amber's devilishly handsome face, his voice trailing off as his mind went blank:

"L... Lord Amber?"

Sifflay was momentarily disoriented—had the other party always looked like this?

Amber rose from his chair at the opportune moment, saying calmly: "Thank you, but we've already finished our meal. Ludwig is usually very busy at the military headquarters, and it's rare for him to take time out for a meal. I doubt he'll be coming here again."

After finishing his sentence, he called over a waiter to settle the bill, then extended his hand to Ludwig: "Let's go, I'll escort you back to the military headquarters."

Ludwig was taken aback for a moment when he saw Amber reaching out. Before he could react, he was led out of the restaurant by the other party, leaving Sifflay and the others staring at each other in confusion.

Unable to resist, one of his companions nudged Sifflay, stammering: "S... Sifflay... who was that lord just now? My god, I've never seen such a handsome male insect. Has Colonel Ludwig found a new lover?"

His information was notoriously well-informed in Heiz City, so he shouldn't have missed any news.

Sifflay glanced at his companions, who were still dazed. They were all simple-minded, hot-blooded military females, and seeing such a beautiful male had left them all flushed and flustered.

"I called out his name earlier, Lord Amber, didn't you hear?"

Sifflay was somewhat helpless: "He's my brother's fiancé."

As they left the restaurant, the sky had gradually darkened, and the streets were bustling with insects. If they weren't careful, they could easily get separated. Ludwig's wrist was tightly held by Amber, and any attempt to struggle would result in an even firmer grip. It wasn't until they reached the spacecraft that the hand was released.

The scorching warmth vanished, replaced by a chill as the cold wind passed through his fingertips.

Ludwig instinctively took half a step back. Frowning, he hid his hand behind his back: "We didn't finish our meal, there's no need for you to rush off."

He assumed Amber had left the restaurant because of him; the steak had just been served, and the other party had only taken one bite.

"I can't eat anymore," Amber said with a smile as he adjusted his cufflinks. His fingertips were pale and slender, the joints distinct, giving off an air of cold abstinence: "Perhaps some bugs are too revolting."

Revolting? Who? Cyphre?

Ludwig's eyebrows slightly raised; it was the first time he heard such an evaluation of Cyphre. After all, his younger brother was always popular among the males: "It seems this meal didn't satisfy you."

Amber didn't seem to mind: "No problem, we can make another appointment next time."

Years of imperial tactics told Amber that when you found yourself in a helpless situation, you must find ways to rally powerful allies, and Ludwig before him was an excellent choice.

Powerful, prestigious, from a family, and his fiancé, it couldn't be more perfect.

As for his brother? What was that?

Ludwig had his hands in his pockets, leaning against the spacecraft's hatch door. This posture made his legs, encased in military boots, appear particularly slender. He asked with interest: "Is this your new trick to seduce females?"

Amber smiled: "If you want to think so, you can."

Ludwig took out a black memory card sealed in a transparent protective case from his trouser pocket. He hooked the hanging rope on it and deliberately spun it around his finger a few times, countering: "Reciprocity, should I also try to seduce you?"

Amber: "Is that so? It might be a bit difficult."

Upon hearing this, Ludwig leaned close to Amber's ear, bringing their distance extremely close. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly, whispering a sentence: "Then... are you interested in the surveillance footage from the auction house?"

Amber paused.

...

In the projected image, one could clearly see a group of males gathered in the lounge area on the first floor of the auction house. They seemed to be either for amusement or mischief, intentionally plying a black-haired male with alcohol. After drinking, the latter appeared somewhat agitated, holding a glass and shouting loudly while standing on a chair. In the end, he urgently looked for the restroom, turning around aimlessly like a headless fly.

A waiter pointed him in the right direction, but unexpectedly, he went the wrong way and mistakenly entered the third prince's private room, leading to a dispute with the guards at the entrance. His drunken voice echoed through the screen, conveying a strong sense of arrogance:

"I am Major Ludwig's fiancé, let's see who dares to stop me!"

The recording ended here, the sound abruptly cut off.

Sitting on the sofa in his living room, Amber pressed the replay button for the seventeenth time. He zoomed in on the screen and finally froze on the waiter who had given directions. The man wore a black-rimmed hat, obscuring his face. A strand of light chestnut hair fell by his ear, and there was a six-pointed star pattern on the back of his right hand:

"The last drink was handed to the original body by him, and the path was also shown by him, very suspicious."

Amber asked in confusion: "Is he the assassin?"

A black heart quietly landed above his head: "Sorry, involving plot details, cannot disclose."

Amber had already learned from the system that the world he was in was a novel, and Amber Klinz was a minor character in the original work who died at the hands of an assassin. As for anything else, the system refused to say.

"If I reveal the plot, it would be equivalent to telling you the identity of the assassin. How could the game continue? But I can tell you that if you don't change your fate now, both you and Ludwig will ultimately face destruction..."

The cold and rigid mechanical voice was deliberately lowered, evoking an inexplicable feeling of horror, like a moth consumed by flames, knowing full well that ahead lies a precipice, yet unable to resist the instinct to court disaster again and again.

Amber keenly picked up on a piece of information and spoke with interest, "Both Ludwig and I will ultimately meet our demise?"

"Yes."

If the system had a human expression, it would certainly be smiling, its tone both icy and enigmatic,

"And it's you who leads him to his end..."

The black heart suddenly dissipated into a cloud of smoke, quietly vanishing into the air, but Amber caught a glimpse of a hint of crimson, the true color of a heart.

"Is it me who leads him to his end?"

Amber muttered to himself, somewhat puzzled by the meaning of these words, but he knew the system wouldn't tell him more, so he didn't press further. Instead, he picked up his terminal and sent a message to Ludwig:

"Investigate the identity of the waiter at seven minutes and twenty-four seconds."

Perhaps he hadn't fully shed his imperial identity, for he found it particularly smooth to issue orders to bugs, resulting in the other party's call request coming through directly three seconds later.

Amber clicked to answer, and the sound of Ludwig's slightly disgruntled voice came through the speaker, no need to guess that the other party must have a sour look on their face: "Are you ordering me around?"

Amber smiled, "No, I'm seeking help."

Ludwig's eyebrows raised slightly, "Why should I help you?"

Amber reclined on the sofa, catching sight of his grandfather Fernan just coming out of the upstairs room from the corner of his eye. He used the remote control to turn off the projection, got up, walked to the balcony, and continued the call: "I am your fiancé, isn't it only right to help your fiancé?"

Ludwig seemed to scoff, "That doesn't mean I need to go through fire and water for you, sir."

Amber's deep voice came through the receiver, inexplicably veiled in a hazy sensuality, yet making one feel particularly calm: "Don't jump to conclusions so soon, General Ludwig. After all, no one can predict the future. Don't you want to seek justice for your pitiful fiancé?"

Ludwig had just returned to his private residence. He loosened his tie, his entire figure collapsing onto the sofa as he said lazily, "Pitiful? I don't find you pitiful."

But hateful, that was true.

Below the balcony was a flower garden, but without a gardener's care, the branches grew wildly, appearing somewhat messy, yet hard to conceal its vibrant vitality.

Amber quite liked this place, after all, trimming it too neatly would be boring: "It doesn't matter if you don't investigate. I'm just worried that if I get framed again next time, I won't be so lucky. Bugs who don't know any better might think I was cursed by you."

Ludwig suddenly opened his eyes, "Are you threatening me?"

Amber chuckled softly, "No, just looking out for your reputation."

Ludwig frowned in thought for a moment, finally saying unwillingly, "Give me a few days."

Amber: "You're agreeing?"

In Ludwig's mind, an image of the male bug's excessively bewitching face surfaced. Oh, he had to admit, his future fiancé did indeed have a good appearance, capable of truly mesmerizing bugs.

Everyone liked beautiful things, and Ludwig was no exception. Holding the communication terminal, his fingertips lightly tapping the sofa, it was a compromise, but also a warning: "Not again."

He had already used the convenience of the military to handle too many troubles for Amber, his patience on the verge of depletion. If any more messy problems arose, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't explode.

Amber glanced at the darkening sky outside the window, his eyes more unfathomable than the night, a smile flickering across them: "Rest assured, I've said there won't be a second time."

"It's getting dark, rest early. Next time, I'll take you to a different restaurant."

As Ludwig was about to say something, the receiver on the other end emitted a series of beeps indicating the call had been hung up. He looked at the terminal screen, an absurd thought inexplicably popping into his head—

Was this male bug intentionally playing hard to get?

Ludwig didn't understand the reason until he went to bed that night. He felt as if his thoughts were somewhat scattered, every move led by the other party, a sense of defeat he couldn't articulate. It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that he finally fell asleep.

The next morning, the sky was still dim.

Amber woke up promptly at five o'clock in the morning. This was the time he used to attend court, and his biological clock hadn't adjusted yet. Staring at the ceiling above him for a moment, he realized he was no longer in ancient times.

"…"

Amber fished out his terminal from under the pillow to check the time, finding it was still early. Just as he was about to catch some more sleep, unexpectedly, a hot search notification popped up on the Star Network news, emitting a ding sound:

# Shock! Male bug Amber seen with sexy submale at night, spotted entering and exiting hotel together last month #

Amber slowly typed out a question mark: "…?"