Chapter 115: Epilogue

Chapter 115: Epilogue

Fifteen minutes ago.

Sivray was hauled out by the guards in a daze, his bloodshot eyes vacant, and his gaunt cheeks hollow under the light, making him look like a puddle of mud. The Third Prince almost didn't recognize him at first sight:

"Sivray?"

Sivray sat motionless in his seat, silent.

The Third Prince frowned, subtly signaling the guard beside him to serve tea. "I heard you wanted to see me?"

The scene before Sivray's eyes was surreal; he could only see long, slender shadows. Their words turned into meaningless strings of characters in his ears, buzzing incessantly.

In a trance, Sivray seemed to catch a familiar scent. He couldn't help but lean across the table, staring intently with widened eyes, whispering two words: "Amber...?"

Confusion clouded the Third Prince's face as he didn't understand what Sivray was saying. "What about Amber?"

Sivray's sudden outburst caught all the bugs off guard. With a loud crash, he overturned the table and lunged at the Third Prince, his hands tightly around the other's neck, his expression twisted as he growled, "I'll kill you! Kill you! I'll take you down with me!!!"

The guards on both sides were shocked and hurriedly tried to pull Sivray away, but his hands were like steel-reinforced concrete, impossible to pry open. The Third Prince, starry-eyed from being strangled, struggled to draw a photon gun from his waist, glaring fiercely at Sivray as he aimed it directly at his head and pulled the trigger—

"Bang!!!"

The deafening gunshot echoed, and a mixture of blood and brain matter instantly spattered out. Sivray's body stiffened, and he slowly fell to the ground under the stunned gazes of all the bugs. A strange smile hung on his face as he mustered all his strength to utter a sentence:

"Use... use the Mutual Destruction Card..."

"Ding! Mutual Destruction Card used!"

"Sorry, incorrect target, cannot be used!"

This card could only be used on Amber alone, but unfortunately, Sivray could no longer hear that. His eyes remained open on the ground, his once bright blue irises now a pale brown, and his golden hair began to wither, a far cry from his former self.

His luck... had vanished...

Meanwhile, Amber, who was sitting in his study writing invitations, also received a notification from the system. Hearing this, his pen paused, dragging a streak of ink across the gilded floral paper—

"Ding! The assassin's mission failed, has been eliminated. The crisis in this world is resolved. Congratulations on your successful survival!"

Amber raised his eyes to see a black heart floating in the air, undulating up and down, still surrounded by faint blue-violet currents, just as before. But for some reason, whether it was an illusion or not, its body seemed to be tinged with a faint crimson.

Amber put down his pen and leaned back into the chair, asking with interest, "Sivray is dead?"

The system recounted the events to him: "You had Ludwig inject Sivray with a large amount of hallucinogens. He mistook the Third Prince for you and wanted to lunge over to die together, but he was accidentally shot dead by the Third Prince."

Hearing this, a hint of regret flashed in Amber's eyes. "I thought they would both die."

The system reminded him, "That card only works on you."

Amber's eyebrows arched slightly. "Then I'm truly honored."

He had assumed there were no restrictions on that card, so he had taken great care to set up a scheme. However, it wasn't bad that Sivray and the Third Prince ended up fighting each other. Killing such people would have dirtied his hands.

The system looked at the stack of half-written invitations on the table, seemingly hesitating on how to tell Amber that they should move on to their next task: "Do you want to stay in this world?"

Amber picked up on the undertone in the question: "What do you mean? Can I return to my original world?"

The system replied, "You can't go back. Your dynasty has vanished."

The once prosperous fairy realm could not withstand the relentless march of history. Like those magnificent palace walls, it had crumbled to dust over time. Amber could no longer be an emperor, and his former ministers had become nothing more than empty names. He couldn't even remember the faces of his old acquaintances.

"…"

Amber closed his eyes, lost in thought. Just as he was about to answer the system, a sudden click sounded outside. The door opened, and a pair of military boots stepped in.

Ludwig had just finished dealing with the commotion in the meeting room. He silently walked up to Amber, crouched down in front of him, and slowly rested his face on the male bug's leg, closing his eyes and whispering, "Sivray is dead, shot dead by the Third Prince."

There was neither joy nor sorrow in his tone.

Amber sensed something was off with his mood. He slid the chair back and scooped Ludwig into his lap. His palm pressed tightly against the female bug's slim waist. The curtains in the study were half-drawn, and as the sun set, the light dimmed. The corner lamp cast a warm yellow glow, creating an intimate and cozy atmosphere:

"What's wrong? Not happy?"

Upon hearing this, Ludwig opened his eyes. Under the warm yellow light, his eyes seemed to turn amber again, hiding a probing confusion: "No, I was just wondering why Sivray's body suddenly disappeared after his death."

When Sivray was shot dead by the Third Prince, Ludwig led his team inside and saw the body gradually fade and disappear in the air, leaving no trace. All the bugs present were stunned, and since the surveillance had been cut off, there was no evidence. They were still investigating the matter.

Amber caressed the end of Ludwig's eye with his fingertips, catching a glimpse of a faint blue hue in the other's eyes. His voice was low: "Ludwig, there are many things in this world that don't need to be deeply investigated. Perhaps he simply did not belong here, and when the time came, he left."

A dark shadow flickered across Ludwig's eyes at these words. He couldn't help but grip Amber's shoulders tightly, frowning and asking softly, "And you?"

He suddenly asked, "Will you one day suddenly leave?"

Amber paused. "Why ask that?"

"…"

Ludwig didn't answer. Instead, he kissed Amber's lips without a word, biting down hard with his teeth. In the extreme intimacy, there was a pain that was difficult to describe. His voice was muffled: "Sir, I always feel like you're a gust of wind, disappearing at any moment. Promise me, you won't disappear, okay?"

Amber's behavior and actions were completely different from those of the insect race. There was always a sense of not belonging to this world. Now that everything was settled, Ludwig suddenly became worried, filled with unease and fear.

At these words, Amber tilted his head slightly, trying to break free from the suffocating kiss to catch a breath and speak. But Ludwig wouldn't let him easily escape. He reached out to hold the male bug's head, kissing him more passionately and suffocatingly. His possessiveness poured out like a floodgate opening: "Even if you disappear, my soul will always follow you..."

Ludwig hadn't told any bug about this, but he had been having the same dream frequently during this period. In the dream, he found himself as a corpse, lying in a sunless ravine, covered in blood. Cold winds assaulted his skin, freezing him to the bone. And the culprit behind all this was Sivray.

Ludwig's soul floated above, watching his own body being buried, then witnessing Duke Bach being poisoned by Sivray, and finally seeing Amber and Sivray dying together. That was why he had instinctively shot Sivray on Quarga Star...

He didn't know if the dream was real or not, but he knew he had never left Amber's side. Even in death, his soul followed the other.

Ludwig's body couldn't help but slowly slide down as he knelt on the ground, a crease appearing in his knee-high black military boots. He was panting softly from the deep kiss they had just shared, his eyelashes trembling, and a red tinge of tears stained the corners of his eyes: "Sir..."

Bathed in the warm yellow light, his pale skin took on a jade-like luster, his nose was high and straight, his features delicate, and his rose-colored thin lips were tightly pursed. He was stunningly beautiful, yet there was always an indescribable sharpness about him.

Confronted with such beauty, Amber found himself unable to remain a gentleman.

He reached up to brush away the strands of hair in front of Ludwig's eyes, revealing his distinct eyebrows and eyes, then leaned down for a soft kiss, as if capturing a ripple of spring scenery. Without even making it to the bed, he held the female bug and rolled together onto the carpet.

The neatly arranged military uniform buttons were undone, the black military belt loosened, but not completely removed, the clothes haphazardly draped over his body, revealing glimpses of his abs.

The air was filled with the strong scent of pheromones. Dizzied by the allure, Ludwig vaguely heard the male bug whisper in his ear, "Ludwig, your eyes have turned blue..."

Ludwig didn't know why this was happening. A hint of confusion flashed across his blue eyes as he panted softly, "Does it look a bit unfamiliar?"

Amber pecked at the corner of his eye, "No, it's very beautiful."

Ludwig didn't know if the male bug would touch him tonight. He tried his best to relax his tense body, eager to keep the other close. The overwhelming pheromones came at him like waves on the sea, one after another without end.

The night was long and silent, with the bright moon hanging high.

Ludwig could never forget the despair he felt on the brink of death in his dreams. He clutched onto everything he could grasp, beads of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, yet he didn't know what he was afraid of. Amber, however, did his utmost to soothe him, smoothing out the frown on his brow until he finally fell into a deep sleep in the late hours of the night.

Ludwig wasn't one to sleep in. The next morning, when the sky began to lighten, he opened his eyes on time. Subconsciously reaching out to touch the space beside him, he met only cold emptiness.

"Whoosh!"

Ludwig immediately got out of bed, his expression uncertain. He put on his military pants and shirt and rushed to the bathroom, but it was empty, with no sign of Amber. He subconsciously looked at the bug pattern on the back of his neck in the mirror, only to find that its color hadn't changed.

The male bug hadn't marked him last night.

In that moment, Ludwig couldn't describe how he felt, only that he felt himself sinking deeper. Barefoot on the floor, he walked to the study to find his terminal to send a message to the male bug. His gaze inadvertently swept across the corner of the desk, where he noticed a stack of neatly embossed wedding invitations, each tied with an exquisite ribbon and carefully written with the guests' names in pen, the handwriting elegant and dignified.

They were all written by Amber.

Ludwig picked one up at random, his icy blue eyes involuntarily softening for a moment. As he was lost in thought, there was suddenly a tapping sound at the window outside. A white dove was knocking on the balcony glass, lingering and refusing to leave.

Ludwig went over and opened the balcony door. When he saw the scene below, he was completely stunned. The originally empty garden lawn was suddenly filled with countless blue and purple iris flowers, blooming splendidly in the morning sun, stretching as far as the eye could see, breathtakingly beautiful.

Standing in the midst of the flowers was a tall, relaxed figure, handsome, unmistakably Amber. He was dressed in a proper suit, his eyes clearly filled with laughter, dignified and graceful amidst the sea of flowers. The first rays of morning sunlight fell upon him, more dazzling than the entire garden of flowers.

Ludwig's heart pounded nervously. Not knowing what the other was going to do, he stood motionless on the balcony, subconsciously gripping the railing.

Seeing this, Amber smiled and took out a small velvet box from his pocket. Opening the lid, inside lay a graceful iris ring:

"Ludwig, although we're about to get married, I thought about it, and I might still owe you a proposal."

His tone suddenly became low, hard to conceal his seriousness: "General Ludwig, under the witness of the iris flowers, will you be my only partner?"

Not one among many female bugs, but the only one.

Most emperors are cold-hearted and detached. They possess vast wealth, and the world's treasures are within their reach. However, there are three things that cannot be forced: the blazing sun, the bright moon, and the sincere heart of another.

The fairies had long since perished, and the emperor who once ruled them should have perished along with them. The past cannot be reclaimed, and Amber believed that living well in the present was most important. He had never thought of leaving; otherwise, he wouldn't have spent days bent over his desk, carefully transcribing those wedding invitations for the guests.

Hearing this, Ludwig's eyes instantly lit up, unable to hide his joy and surprise. With one hand, he pushed off and leaped from the second-story balcony, flying into Amber's arms. The latter, unsteady, stumbled back a step, falling with him into the sea of iris flowers.

"Yes! Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"

The female bug knew nothing of restraint, directly pinning Amber beneath her, repeating excitedly a hundred times in his ear. Her light golden hair fell messily before her eyes, but it couldn't obscure the surprise and hope in her azure eyes, happy like a simple child.

Amber didn't bother struggling. He propped one hand behind his head, while the other clasped Ludwig's fingertips, subtly slipping the ring onto his finger. A smile played at the corner of his lips: "Good, now you have no chance to change your mind."

Ludwig said nothing, only gazed deeply at Amber, then slowly leaned in close to his ear, his voice husky, whispering seductively: "Understood, my lord..."

He drew out the last two words deliberately, inexplicably sexy.

Amber: "..."

His throat tightened inexplicably, and he couldn't help but grip the other's fingertips tighter. Ludwig keenly sensed the male bug's physical changes. His pale cheeks flushed pink, his ears burning hot, but his expression was triumphant: "You missed a beautiful dream last night."

He had lain in bed, ready and willing, but this male bug preferred to feign propriety, not touching him at all. There was a saying, wasn't there?

If you bring it upon yourself, you can't escape it.

As the sun rose, the sea of iris flowers looked like a wave from afar, engulfing the newlywed young couple. A black heart slowly floated upward, looking down at Amber. It found that the faint traces of affection in his mind gradually became clear, as if a hand had wiped away the fog on a windowpane.

Now, even without Amber's answer, the system knew his response.

However, the life span of a bug is a century, which passes in the blink of an eye. What seems like a long time to humans is merely a virtual number to the system. Even if Amber stayed, it wouldn't matter.

In the years that followed, the fate that had been disrupted returned to its original course.

At the age of thirty-seven, Ludwig became the youngest marshal in the empire's history, while Amber fought alongside him, undefeated, and later received a special title from the Bug Emperor, becoming one of the few male bug generals in history.

As for Fang Yun, his body suffered severe aftereffects and died in the winter three years later. After death, a person is like dust blown away by the wind, leaving no trace to be found. But only the system knew that after Fang Yun's death, he returned to Earth, becoming one among millions of ordinary people. To him, the bugs were more like a dream tinged with a heroic hue that ended sadly, gradually forgotten in old age.

In the system space, death is the key to unlocking everything, while forgetting is the end for everyone...