Chapter 106: An Affair

Chapter 106: An Affair

Ludwig had appeared at the door at some unknown time. His arms crossed, he leaned against the door frame, watching the scene before him as if it were a play, his lips slightly curled. A closer look into his eyes revealed only darkness:

"Sifrey, why didn't you say earlier that you liked Lord Amber? It would have saved Lord Fangyun from his infatuation."

"Bro... Brother?! Weren't you in a meeting?"

Sifrey hadn't expected Ludwig to suddenly appear here. His mind buzzed, and he instantly retreated in panic. His fear of Ludwig was something he'd grown up with. Every time he saw the other's expressionless face, his heart would suddenly jolt, leaving him with an eerie feeling.

Ludwig lifted an eyelid. "How could I not come and see this good show?"

He wasn't actually very surprised. Sifrey's gaze on Amber was obvious even to a blind man. Today's incident was just a matter of time.

Amber seemed to think the situation wasn't big enough. He nonchalantly took a clean coat from the wardrobe and draped it over his arm, offering a half-hearted apology to Sifrey. "Sorry, I was worried that your appearance in the male locker room would cause misunderstandings if it got out, so I asked Ludwig to come by. You two can chat slowly."

After saying this, Amber turned and walked out, leaving a message for Ludwig as he passed by him. "Come down early, I'm waiting for you in the cafeteria for dinner."

"Mm," Ludwig replied with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "Ten minutes."

After Amber left and considerately closed the door, the locker room fell into silence. Sifrey broke out in a cold sweat, never expecting there to be a male like Amber in the world. Not only did he ignore the advances thrown at him, but he also called over his mate to catch them in the act.

"Bro... Brother... I was wrong..."

Sifrey, leaning tightly against the lockers, rambled incoherently. "I was just joking with Lord Amber."

Ludwig approached him step by step, the sound of his military boots echoing softly on the temperature-controlled floor. His voice was low and deep. "Sifrey, this isn't funny at all."

He moved his fingertips, pinching Sifrey's chin. Because of years of warfare, the calluses from gun handling made his palm rough against the smooth skin. Without much force, Sifrey didn't dare to struggle.

Ludwig raised an eyebrow and asked, "Sifrey, are you afraid of me?"

But he had never laid a finger on this younger brother since they were children. Why was he so afraid?

Sifrey shook his head stiffly. "Brother, if you're angry, hit me. I won't complain."

Ludwig remained silent, instead reaching out to pat Sifrey's cheek. The sound was crisp yet slow, the faint stinging sensation making the skin burn. His tone was low and dangerous. "Be good. After all, you are my younger brother. It would be too ugly to break your bones."

"This is the last time, understood?"

Sifrey nodded nervously. "Understood, understood."

Only then did Ludwig calmly retract his hand and turn to leave.

By then, Amber had already ordered two meals in the cafeteria. He timed it, and at nine minutes and fifty-six seconds, a figure sat down opposite him. The other lazily sank into the chair, clearly amused, like a victorious general. "Well, I didn't arrive late, did I?"

Amber's lips curved momentarily before he suppressed it, not wanting to let the other know he had been enjoying the spectacle. "So, did you fight?"

Ludwig snorted. "You seem to be looking forward to us fighting?"

Indeed, Sifrey did need a bit of discipline.

Amber pushed the plate towards Ludwig. "Looks like you didn't fight. Let's eat, it's getting cold."

Ludwig bit his fork, leaning close to Amber, and said proudly and arrogantly, "You belong to me, no one can take you away."

His canine teeth were sharp, like a small beast baring its fangs.

Amber smiled. "I'm not a hot commodity, not many bugs want me... By the way, when will the operation to clear the beasts on Quarga Star begin?"

Mentioning this, Ludwig's expression became more serious. "The notification should come down tomorrow, and we'll depart within three days. The Empire's largest energy mine is on Quarga Star. The longer we delay, the greater the losses. The higher-ups won't allow the situation to worsen. Fortunately, males don't have to go to the battlefield. When the time comes, you'll just stay on the starship."

Amber raised an eyebrow inwardly, neither confirming nor denying.

The departure date came much faster than expected. After the Empire issued the order, the army gathered their troops overnight to check their weapons. In addition to the Black Eagle Corps, another regiment was dispatched from the First Army to assist. Dozens of giant starships sailed majestically toward Quarga Star, their massive silhouettes almost blotting out the sky.

Amber sat by the window of the starship, polishing a long sword in his hands. This was something he had custom-made from the armory long ago. It could cut through iron like mud and sever hair with a single breath. With the technological progress of the insect race, it was far harder than any ancient weapon. In comparison, the light energy gun was less handy.

Ludwig had just finished laying out the battle plan and walked out of the inner cabin meeting room. At first glance, he saw the male carefully polishing the cold weapon in his hands. The other wore a neat military uniform, exuding a cold and sharp aura, far more piercing than the long sword, drawing many gazes from the shadows, though he himself didn't notice.

"What are you looking at?"

General Joyce of the First Army walked behind Ludwig, following his line of sight and instantly understanding. "Your fiancé is quite special, but you'd better remind him that on the battlefield, cold weapons like swords aren't as useful as light energy guns."

Ludwig snapped back to reality. "It doesn't matter, he doesn't have to go to the battlefield anyway."

The main role of males in the army was to use their mental power to soothe the military females who fell into a state of chaos. They often wouldn't come into contact with the core combat zone, so he felt that it didn't matter what weapon Amber used.

General Joyce laughed upon hearing this. "That's true. Enjoyment and pleasure are more suitable for males."

On the other side of the corridor, Fangyun's situation was completely different. Many female soldiers of the First Army surrounded him, each handsome and beautiful, chatting and laughing endlessly.

"Lord, you're amazing. I've been on missions so many times, but this is the first time I've seen a male join the Black Eagle Corps."

"When the mission is successful and we return to the capital, can I invite you to dinner?"

Fangyun seemed somewhat at a loss with this enthusiastic adoration, but he was secretly pleased. He couldn't refuse, so he nodded in agreement to every invitation from the military females, completely ignoring the playful intentions in their eyes.

Seeing this, Ludwig's eyelids twitched, and he said to General Joyce, "Make your soldiers behave. We're going to war, not holding a matchmaking event."

The First Army was the heart of the Insect Emperor's forces. Most of the females who joined were relatives of the royal family. They were warriors in military uniforms, but once they took off their uniforms, they were nobles of Heiz City. Due to their superior backgrounds, these females didn't take civilian males seriously, always playing them around like toys. If one had to describe it, it was probably like... Fangyun?

General Joyce shrugged. "They're already being honest. Otherwise, the one being 'surrounded' now wouldn't be that male, but your fiancé, Lord Amber. Believe me, they're more interested in your fiancé."

If it weren't for Amber's cold gaze, which made him seem unapproachable, there would certainly be a hundred times more females surrounding him than Fangyun.

Ludwig snorted coldly, somewhat unhappy with this statement. "He's not that easy to seduce."

Finding a male who wouldn't be swayed was both a blessing and a curse for Ludwig. If it weren't for Amber's reactions during their intimate moments, he might have suspected that there was something unspeakable about the other.

Ludwig patted Joyce's shoulder and walked straight to Amber's side, taking a seat beside him. Upon seeing Ludwig approach, the male insectoid ceased his motions of wiping his sword, sheathing it instead: "Why did you take so long to come out?"

It was novel, for Ludwig could detect a hint of barely concealed complaint in those words: "What’s wrong?"

Amber didn’t elaborate, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly: "It’s too noisy around here."

A spot had been left empty next to him. For some reason, the female insectoids from the First Army kept asking if they could sit by his side. Amber had refused them at least eight times, maybe ten, until he was parched from speaking. In the end, he simply drew his longsword and laid it horizontally between the two seats, effectively warding off any further disturbances.

Only then did Ludwig realize something. A glint of amusement flickered in his eyes as he feigned disappointment, whispering in a voice audible only to the two of them: "Oh~ I thought you missed me. Don’t worry, the meeting is over. There’s nothing pressing now."

They still had two days and two nights before reaching Quarga Star. During this time, Ludwig clung to Amber like a puppy guarding its bone, never leaving his side. The female insectoids who wished to get close to Amber found themselves at a loss.

As for Fang Yun, he enjoyed the "happiness of Qi Ren"1 to the fullest during these two days. The aristocratic young masters of the First Army, despite not yet being adults, were already spinning tales at the dinner table, each sweeter than the last, each more adept at flattery than the previous. They inflated Fang Yun’s ego to the point where even Xifray was neglected, often sitting alone in a corner, looking somewhat pitiful.

"Flattering male insects can’t be trusted. Although you seem cold, you’re much better than Fang Yun… no, he can’t compare to you."

For the past two days, they had been eating, sleeping, and living on the starship. Ludwig could only hide in the storage room to be intimate with Amber. He was kissed against the door until his legs turned weak, panting softly by the male insectoid’s ear, thanking his lucky stars for his good taste for the ten-thousandth time.

"Cold?"

Amber found the word intriguing. "Am I that cold?"

Ludwig kissed his cool lips, his voice muffled: "Mmm… very cold, but you only need to be warm for me."

The storage room had a small porthole, through which one could see an endless expanse of night sky, stars twinkling in the vastness. This meant they were getting farther from Aliga Star and closer to Quarga Star.

Amber glanced outside, then retracted his gaze, chuckling deliberately: "Is that so? Then I’ll have to think about it."

Ludwig tugged at Amber’s collar, his voice hoarse: "Once this mission is successfully completed and added to my accumulated military merits, I’ll be promoted to Major General. The youngest Major General in the Empire. You won’t lose out~"

He was a rising gem in the Empire, and Amber had never doubted that.

After spending half an hour in the storage room, they left separately to avoid gossip. Amber waited for Ludwig to leave, then after about ten minutes, he pushed the door open and stepped out. To his surprise, he spotted two familiar figures around the corner, causing his eyebrows to arch slightly.

"No… Andrew, we’ve just met. Calm down…"

Fang Yun was being kissed into a corner by a brown-haired female insectoid. Faced with her ardor, he seemed flustered, his resistance ambiguous, resulting in several kisses landing on his cheeks.

Andrew had a round face that looked rather adorable, but his skilled kissing gestures indicated that he was no innocent virgin: "Sir, I believe that when fate arrives, time isn’t an excuse. We might die on the battlefield in the next second. Why not enjoy ourselves a little?"

Fang Yun couldn’t muster the same boldness he displayed in front of male insects when faced with a female: "But…"

"No buts. Xifray won’t find out."

Andrew had noticed the wavering of this male insectoid. After saying this, he kissed again, his passion blazing. Fang Yun’s resistance weakened, his psychological defenses breached.

To be honest, Amber wasn’t in the habit of interrupting others’ affairs, but as soon as he moved, the "lovers" heard the sound and instantly recoiled in shock, staring at him in astonishment.

Fang Yun’s eyes widened, his expression ugly: "It’s you?"

How could Amber explain that he had also come here to have an affair with Ludwig and unexpectedly ran into them?

Of course, he couldn’t say that.

Amber lazily stretched his neck, smiling ambiguously: "Sir Fang Yun, there’s no need to be so surprised. I just came to the storage room to fetch something. Carry on."

After saying this, he gestured to the blanket in his hand, then brushed past them, heading towards the inner cabin, leaving Fang Yun standing there, his expression doubtful and uncertain.

Andrew glanced at Amber’s departing back, his gaze lingering on the other’s slender figure. It was inevitable that he felt a bit regretful. This male insectoid was far more attractive than the current Fang Yun. However, Ludwig had privately warned him not to touch him, or else he could have tasted what he was like.

Andrew reached out to pull Fang Yun, showing no panic or unease at being discovered. Instead, he was filled with enthusiasm: "Sir, shall we continue?"

Fang Yun, however, dodged irritably: "I have something to do. I’m going back."

Deep down, he still retained some human sense of shame. He knew that catching someone in the act wasn’t glorious, especially since all the insects around knew that he and Xifray were a couple. If this spread…

At this thought, Fang Yun couldn’t help but feel alarmed. He worried that Amber would spread rumors. He really had no mood to continue entangling with Andrew and hurriedly returned to the inner cabin.

By then, Amber had already settled into his seat, wearing an eye mask and leaning back in his chair to rest and sleep. Meanwhile, Ludwig held a light pad in his hand, adjusting the map to check Quarga Star’s location while discussing battle plans in the online meeting group.

Since it was nighttime, the cabin was particularly quiet. Every insectoid was conserving their energy, preparing for the upcoming battle. Fang Yun, perhaps due to his guilty conscience, felt that the air was abnormally quiet. When the female insectoids heard his footsteps, their gazes, mixed with scrutiny and appraisal, made him blush with embarrassment.

It must be because Amber said something!