Chapter 55 Very Good

Chapter 55 Everything Settled

Lanen's azure eyes met his, frozen in shock for a couple of seconds.

He stayed frozen in place as Lin You swiftly flipped him around, pinning him against the wall in the backstage area of the courtroom.

Lin You didn't use much force. There was a physical disparity between them, and Lanen could have easily broken free with a slight struggle, but he let Lin You handle him, his waist going limp like a plush, oversized pillow.

Lin You prodded the 'pillow's' side, and the pillow let out a soft hiss, finally snapping out of his daze. Lin You snapped fiercely, "What’s that look about? Do you not want to marry me?"

"..."

Lanen had never dared to dream of a wedding.

Before meeting Lin You, his life had already been shattered, with a bleak future looming—the eldest prince had framed him for harming his former fiancé, White despised him to the core, there would be no wedding between them. Later, in a last-ditch effort to gain favor from the Third Prince, Lanen knew his future was bleak; no one would value something so easily given, and he had never hoped for a wedding.

But now, with everything settled, Lanen realized that beneath the layers of shame and numbness, he found himself secretly yearning for it.

Yearning for the day when he could hold someone's hand, pledging to spend their lives together.

He remained silent, and Lin You grew slightly irritated. He raised his voice, trying to mask his disappointment, "Do you really not want to marry me?"

In the story, Lanen had been indifferent to marriage, even ready to trade his body as a bargaining chip, not caring about these so-called ceremonies. Lin You knew this well, admiring the protagonist's free-spirited clarity while reading the novel. But now, seeing Lanen visibly stunned, he felt a pang of sadness.

"Fine," Lin You stepped back, feigning departure, "Then I'll go to the coronation ceremony alone."

Of course, he didn't leave.

Lanen grabbed him, embracing him from behind, hesitating for a moment before saying softly, "...I just never thought about a wedding, my own wedding, um, what should I do?"

This question was quite unprofessional. As a noble female, he should be familiar with all etiquette, handling everything for the Emperor, just like Admiral Hoyle did for Lin You's coming-of-age ceremony, from the guest list to the decorative flowers, everything had to be reviewed.

But even as a noble, one wouldn't think of handling the Emperor's wedding.

Lin You: "First, we need to get the wedding attire made."

They fooled around in the lounge, Lanen indulging in the first half, smiling as Lin You fiddled, allowing him to measure the attire size, from chest to waist to other parts, but halfway through, he suddenly couldn't laugh anymore.

After a long separation, his body missed Lin You more than he imagined.

The overwhelming scent of citrus filled the air. They hadn't seen each other for five months, and the sudden contact with the pheromones was almost addictive. Lanen was more sensitive than during his first marking, instantly softening his waist, as if drunk on orange-flavored sake, relying on Lin You to keep him from sliding down the wall. He clung to Lin You, asking for a kiss, then tensed up when someone passed by outside, pleading, "Young Majesty..."

This was the courtroom lounge.

With the trial concluded, many people passed by outside, from the court clerk to the jury, even the chief judge, all dressed neatly and solemnly.

At that moment, Lin You was sliding down the waistline to the abdomen. After sleeping for five months, Lanen had slimmed down a bit, but his waistline was even more beautiful. He mumbled, "Fine."

They walked out through the private passage of the courtroom, dazedly boarding the aircraft. Halfway through the flight, Lanen suddenly realized, "This isn't the way to the prince's residence?"

Lin You: "I've already moved."

Lanen was in a daze: "Right."

He was no longer the Third Prince, but the Emperor of the Empire, and should reside in the palace.

By the time they had replenished their pheromones in the new bedroom, too lazy to move a finger, it was almost evening.

Lin You talked about "measuring," but ended up not figuring anything out, and had to have the royal tailor come with a tape measure.

Both of them were strikingly handsome, tall with long legs, standing there like perfect clothes hangers. The tailor tightened the measuring tape, meticulously jotting down the measurements, then flipped through the pattern book and handed it to them to choose from.

Lin You flipped through several pages, but none of them satisfied him. The royal attire was intricate, somewhat resembling Rococo-style men's clothing, adorned with intricate lace patterns, with some cuffs featuring lace embellishments.

Lin You frowned and finally asked, "Can we modify two corresponding sets from this uniform?"

He secretly had 66 print out the model from his game account's avatar.

The tailor readily agreed.

The royal tailors weren't fazed by the Young Majesty's specific requests; they only worried that his descriptions might be too vague. They glanced at the draft, ready to praise and flatter even if the Young Majesty brought them a pile of dog poop.

—But this set of attire turned out to be quite beautiful.

The avatar stood quietly on the display screen, just as tall and slender, wearing a silver-white uniform that was both elegant and sharp. The well-tailored outfit highlighted the slim waistline, and the overly long silver hair was tied into a low ponytail, secured with a matching hairband.

This was Lin You's digital wife, painstakingly crafted over a month in the real world.

66, who had been lounging nearby, suddenly noticed something as its gaze shifted between the printed draft in Lin You's hand and Lanen. It exclaimed in surprise, "Wait, did you base this avatar on Lanen?"

Although 66 had helped Lin You import the data, it hadn't paid close attention. Now, upon comparison, it realized the resemblance.

Lin You hesitated, "Actually, no. If anything, Lanen looks like my wife."

"…"

66's eyes glazed over, "I'm such an idiot, really."

At some point, the plot suddenly went off the rails. 66 thought to itself that even though Lin You had many unconventional moves, at least his completion rate was higher than Xie's, and his score was better too. It could handle the slight deviation, but it never expected the task was doomed from the start.

—How could Lin You possibly mistreat his wife? Ahhhhh!

As the system silently crashed, Lanen's gaze fell on the avatar's right shoulder.

There, prominently displayed, was an Iris insignia.

The same insignia Lin You had "snatched" from Lanen during his first visit to the Third Army, which was later imported into the game by the system and became one of the avatar's decorations.

The Iris insignia held significant symbolic meaning. Lin You never wore it during matches, but this was their wedding, and he wouldn't accept any imperfections.

As Lin You discussed the attire details, Lanen frowned slightly, glancing around, feeling the outfit seemed somewhat familiar.

The military uniforms of the Empire were generally similar, following a standard design, but Lin You's set was slightly different, with more decorative straps and tassels hanging from the shoulders. It looked familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had seen it before.

After all, military Zergs were there for training during matches, and no one paid attention to others' clothing.

At this point, Lin You had finalized the design. He turned to Lanen and asked, "What do you think?"

Lanen smiled, "It's beautiful."

His Young Majesty looked beautiful in anything.

With the attire decided, the guest list finalized, and the date set, the coronation and wedding were scheduled for the same day. The esteemed Third Prince of the Empire and his Consort would drive through the capital in the morning, then arrive at the palace, where Admiral Hoyle would present the crown and scepter to the new emperor.

Following this, the Zerg Emperor would announce with a slight smile, under the gaze of all, that the day of the emperor's coronation and the following three days would become legal holidays, as he and his Consort would be on their honeymoon. This announcement was met with thunderous applause, with the enthusiastic residents nearly lifting the palace roof.

The coronation ceremony was grand and solemn, but the wedding was more intimate. Neither Lin You nor Lanen were ostentatious, inviting only a few close friends and relatives. Lin You had few friends among the Zerg, so he entrusted the guest list entirely to Admiral Hoyle. Lanen, on the other hand, sent out many invitations to old acquaintances from the Third Army.

When Devin received the invitation, he was slightly surprised. His rank as a colonel was respectable in the Third Army, but it seemed insignificant before the Zerg Emperor. He felt somewhat uneasy and asked, "You're not going to seat me at the same table as Admiral Hoyle and the others, are you?"

Admiral Hoyle was bound to invite many high-ranking military officials, and possibly even Devin's teachers or superiors from the military academy. If they had to share a table for drinks, Devin worried he wouldn't even be able to enjoy his meal properly.

Lanen said, "Don't worry, we've arranged a separate table for you."

Among Admiral Hoyle's friends, he actually reserved a separate table for the Third Army.

On the wedding day, besides Devin, there was also a red-haired female soldier, her hair vibrant and intense, as radiant as a rose, with a strikingly beautiful face.

He was a former member of the Third Army who had been rescued from the "factory." After spending too long in the dark confines of the factory, he had lost his ability to speak and his expressions became dull. Even after receiving proper care and treatment arranged by Lanen, including royal physicians, it wasn't something that could be reversed overnight. Amidst the festive wedding scene, he stood awkwardly in a corner, silent and out of sync with the surrounding revelry.

But when the emcee loudly pronounced the blessings and the newlyweds kissed, he actually smiled at Lanen.

Having endured hell for so long, he still smiled for his superior's happiness.

Lanen bit his lower lip.

Lin You held him and asked, "Are you good friends?"

Lanen forced a smile and said, "He was my junior at the military academy and a former genius in the military. I once mentored him; he was an excellent marksman and aced his tactical courses. If it weren't for that battle, he should have..."

He couldn't continue.

He should have had a bright and promising future.

Lin You sighed softly and said, "The empire has allocated special funds for his treatment and rehabilitation. The treatment has been quite effective; in at most three years, he can return to the military. There will also be substantial compensation later, which, although it cannot offset the harm, offers some comfort."

The lineage of the Grand Prince was thoroughly purged, and all assets were confiscated. The profits involved were staggering, even to Lin You. The parliament swiftly established a relief fund to aid the surviving female soldiers from the "factory," and professional doctors were organized to closely monitor their physical conditions.

The remnants of the "factory" were hauled to the capital planet and dismantled into many parts. The parliament unanimously passed a resolution to build a park around it. As citizens stroll through the park, they can glimpse the past cruelty and bloodshed through the mottled, dark glass walls and among the massive mechanical arms.

At the center of the park stands a towering memorial obelisk, inscribed with the names of those who perished in the 23rd District Defense Battle, corresponding to the remains in the planetary graveyard.

Lanen lowered his eyes and said, "...Thank you."

If it weren't for Lin You, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly. He might have died bearing infamy, with people speaking of the Third Army's major as a violent female who not only harmed his fiancé but also dared to assassinate a prince. The truth buried in the graveyard would have gone unnoticed.

Unconsciously, they walked out of the wedding into the deserted gardens of the palace. Lanen took a deep breath and suddenly hugged Lin You, burying his face in him.

Lin You stroked his Consort, belatedly realizing that the major was trembling, so he also reached out to hold his back: "What's wrong?"

Lanen nuzzled him, holding tighter, like a drowning man clutching the last straw, as if trying to merge Lin You into his very bones. He said nothing, just stubbornly repeated, "...Thank you."

Lin You was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "What are you thanking me for?"

Lanen just shook his head, not speaking.

He had too much to be thankful for—grateful for today's grand wedding, for the gentle kindness of the past, for the proper care of old friends, or perhaps... grateful that Lin You caught him before he fell into hell.

What would have happened without Lin You?

Lanen couldn't help but think about that future. He would have become addicted to pheromones, locked in a dark dungeon, wasting away under endless torment, with only the ghostly fire of revenge burning in his chest. He might still have gone to the graveyard, fired that shot, but he would never have been able to walk in the sunlight again, never have this warm embrace today.

Lanen once thought he could be fearless, but now, just thinking about that future was unbearable.

Lin You stroked the silver-white hair again: "You can thank me tonight."

That night, they lay on the bed in the palace's master bedroom. Lanen wanted to change clothes, but Lin You stopped him. The emperor of the empire leisurely undid the buttons of his uniform, like unwrapping a gift.

The silver-haired major was in disarray, all the buttons of his uniform undone, the sash discarded to the side. Lin You slowly peeled the desired gift out of the uniform, pressed down on Lanen's trembling legs, and placed light, tentative kisses on the smooth skin. When those azure eyes lost focus, he leisurely said, "Lanen, this isn't pleasure, it's punishment."

"Before we were married, it wasn't appropriate for me to settle things with you, but now, it's time to clear things up."

...Punishment?

...Settle accounts?

Lanen's unfocused eyes slowly fell on Lin You, looking a bit hurt.

These two words didn't bode well. Zerg punishments were often brutally cruel. Lanen's mind was foggy from the pheromones, vaguely remembering the 'punishments' he'd witnessed. His father had once locked his mother in a bunker, either bloodied, humiliated, or tortured. Deep down, he didn't believe Lin You would punish him, but when the Emperor said so in bed, he still felt hurt.

Lin You teased him with pheromones, taking his time: "Do you know why I'm punishing you?"

Lanen tilted his head, his brain barely functioning, acting on pure instinct: "Because I didn't manage the wedding well?"

—Admiral Hoyle handled most of it.

Lin You reached out and tightened Lanen's belt, releasing more pheromones, the citrus scent in the air becoming even stronger: "That's not it, no."

Lanen pursed his lips: "...Because I slept for five months and woke up too late?"

Lin You: "While I was upset about that, you were recovering your body—it wasn't your fault."

Lanen: "..."

He trembled as he hooked his leg around Lin You's waist, breaking down: "I don't know."

Lin You was exasperated: "Going to the 'factory' was such a dangerous thing, didn't you know to tell me first? While I couldn't help much, I had the right to know!"

The Young Majesty's voice was filled with indignation, truly angry to the extreme.

The tight string in Lanen's heart loosened, a relieved smile spreading across his face: "So it was because of this."

Lin You tightened the belt again, dissatisfied: "What do you mean 'just because of this'?!"

His threat fell flat, Lanen mumbled a plea for mercy, throwing the general's unyielding spirit to the wind: "Your Majesty, forgive me, please..."

Lin You couldn't bear it any longer and kissed him.

In the education of females, such things often did not mean pleasure, but torture and humiliation. But Lanen opened himself more forcefully than ever before, like a clam eagerly opening its hard shell, revealing its softness, inviting the taste of its inner sweetness. He longed to merge into one, to blend inseparably.

When the rain stopped and the clouds dispersed, the battle ceased, and they fell into a hazy sleep, waking up to the bright daylight.

Lanen clung tightly to Lin You, planning to sleep a little longer. In his drowsiness, he thought: "This is good."

Waking up in the same morning, on the same bed with the one he loved, was good.