Chapter 94

Chapter 94

Nair Inan finally understood, nodding in reluctant agreement.

He hadn't intended to go out for fun; Nair Inan simply felt that Lu Cian had been busy for so many days and deserved a good rest.

Yet, the other was solely focused on the mission, making Nair seem like the frivolous one.

The public shuttle’s speed was impressive, and they soon arrived at the seaside.

Lu Cian was genuinely awestruck by the distant scenery.

Truly worthy of the name "Sea and Sky as One." He finally understood why this restaurant was built here and why it bore such a name.

"Sea and Sky as One" truly lived up to its magnificent reputation.

This was, of course, also thanks to the diligent work of the maintenance drones.

Lu Cian took off his shoes, and the fine sand beneath his feet felt incredibly comfortable, as if the grains were kissing his soles.

He crouched down to examine it, feeling that this wasn’t real sand but rather something engineered.

He couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer extravagance.

Of course, nobles had plenty of money to spend as they pleased.

Lu Cian thought to himself: Go ahead, spend it all. The more they spend, the better—let those star coins flow right into his pockets.

Presumably, the entrepreneurial types thought the same.

Seeing Lu Cian enjoying the sand so much, Nair Inan suddenly felt a pang of pity, wondering if the other had suffered greatly outside.

"Male Lord, shall we go to the restaurant to eat?"

Hearing this, Lu Cian stopped playing with the sand. "Alright, let’s eat."

He was hungry anyway and wanted to try the seafood here.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t had seafood since arriving here.

The "Sea and Sky as One" restaurant was elegant, with impeccable service. As soon as the machines detected the approach of a distinguished male, a female attendant immediately came forward to greet them.

"Respected Sir, our restaurant’s ocean-view private dining rooms are fully booked, but there is a semi-open ocean-view private room on the second floor. Would that be acceptable...?"

The attendant spoke apologetically, then added, "To express our regret for the inconvenience, we’ll offer you a 50% discount on your bill this time."

Finally, not another free meal, Lu Cian thought to himself.

Along the way, insects kept giving him star coins, and accepting them all made him feel undeserving.

Usually, the wives or consorts of male guests made the arrangements for dining here. "Sea and Sky as One" had powerful backing, requiring reservations in advance. Once fully booked, they refused further guests—quite exclusive.

But Lu Cian didn’t know this rule, and neither did Nair Inan and the others.

Even if they had done their research, their status as "servants" wouldn’t have granted them the privilege of reserving a good private room in advance.

The reason Lu Cian received such good treatment was due to his handsome appearance and the strong pheromone signature detected by the entrance machine. Lu Cian had concentrated the mint juice scent, leading them to mistake him for a high-ranking male.

For high-ranking males, their status was elevated no matter where they went.

A 50% discount was an unprecedented discount for "Sea and Sky as One," as their usual maximum discount was only 15% off.

After escorting Lu Cian, Nair Inan, and their protective detail to the second-floor private room, the attendant activated the retractable wall feature, allowing them to stand on the balcony and enjoy a broader, more expansive ocean view.

Lu Cian stepped onto the balcony and noticed a large terrace on the opposite side of the restaurant. It was quite far, and since it had been obscured by the building when they were on the beach earlier, they hadn’t seen it.

A crowd had gathered on the terrace, and it seemed quite lively.

Lu Cian turned to the attendant and asked, "What’s happening over there?"

The attendant had initially considered flirting with this handsome male, but upon seeing Nair Inan—whose altered appearance was still striking—she immediately realized she stood no chance and kept her distance.

Hearing Lu Cian’s question, she respectfully replied, "Sir, that’s a banquet hosted by Sir Liam."

"Liam?"

The attendant nodded. "This lord arrived on our planet, Apban, a year ago. He particularly enjoys the cuisine at 'Sea and Sky as One' and visits almost daily. Every month, he hosts a banquet on our restaurant’s large terrace."

Lu Cian nodded. So, he was here to splurge.

Hosting a banquet every month—this guy really had money to burn.

But Lu Cian wouldn’t criticize. After all, he had also bought plenty of what his father deemed "pointless acquisitions"—things that couldn’t be eaten or drunk.

Lu Cian had no interest in such gatherings of wealthy socialites, but...

A thought crossed his mind, piquing his interest. "Are there many males at these banquets?"

The attendant nodded. "The guests Sir Liam invites are mostly distinguished males."

Lu Cian pondered for a moment before asking, "Are there any requirements for attending his banquets? Must one have an invitation, or...?"

The attendant immediately understood his implication and explained, "Sir Liam is very hospitable and enjoys lively gatherings. Initially, invitations were issued to ensure enough guests attended, but later, as more insects became familiar with his preferences, many were eager to join. Female insects can also attend if they buy their way in."

With that, Lu Cian understood—males could enter freely, while female insects had to pay to get in.

Lu Cian raised an eyebrow, sensing that this banquet was somewhat akin to an unofficial matchmaking event.

And that was indeed the case.

Liam was no fool.

He had initially hosted these banquets to socialize with other males, but after discovering that female insects were willing to pay exorbitant prices for invitations, he saw an opportunity.

Selling invitations ensured only premium companions attended while also earning him additional income.

No insect would ever complain about having too much money—males included.

Liam wasn’t as benevolent as the attendant made him out to be. This male was arrogant and disdained males who weren’t from the home planet. He only appeared briefly at the start of the banquet to see if any female insects interested him. If not, he would leave, bored.

After all, hosting duties for the other males wasn’t his responsibility.

Lu Cian became interested in this banquet—mainly for business prospects.

He had originally planned to go alone, given the event’s purpose, which wasn’t suitable for companions. But Nair Inan insisted on coming along.

If the boss was going, the entourage followed suit. So in the end...

A group of over a dozen insects made their way grandly toward the banquet platform.

Ximeno was also a male insect visiting the planet Apban for leisure. He found the banquet rather dull, as it was held every month in the exact same format—no matter how novel it initially seemed, repetition bred boredom.

When he spotted Lu Cian and his entourage, Ximeno’s eyes lit up. This male insect was quite pleasing to the eye.

Truth be told, by the aesthetic standards of male insects, the most ideal partners were actually other males.

Pampered from birth, male insects had fair skin, slender builds, and delicate features—some even possessed model-good looks.

Lu Cian, surrounded by a group of female insects, checked all the boxes for male insect preferences.

Of course, the Empire would never permit male-male pairings, so they could only look but not touch to scratch that itch.

Ximeno loved befriending male insects like this—who wouldn’t when they were so easy on the eyes and pleasant?

"I’m Ximeno Paen. Who are you?"

"Haven’t seen you around before. Did you just arrive on Apban today?"

"I’m from one of the Homeworld’s affiliated planets. Where’re you from?"

"You’re really tall—half a head taller than me! How’d you get so tall?"

"..."

"You’re really good-looking."

Lu Cian hadn’t expected to encounter such a motor-mouth the moment he stepped in. Upon hearing the last remark, he thought: "..."

So not only are insects into same-sex stuff, but even male-male romance isn’t off the table?

"You... are quite good-looking too." Lu Cian decided to take the last comment as a compliment and responded politely.

He wasn’t lying—the male insect across from him did have rather pretty-boy looks.

Ximeno’s eyes lit up. "Really?"

Lu Cian’s stomach dropped. Had he actually run into a male-male action enthusiast?

Ximeno tossed his head. "I think so too."

Lu Cian: "..." Oh. So he’s just a narcissist.

"I asked you so many questions earlier, and you haven’t answered any of them."

Though the other was talkative, Lu Cian glanced around and noticed that while some male insects had spotted him, none seemed inclined to strike up a conversation. So he continued chatting with Ximeno.

Still, Lu Cian was wary of saying too much and making mistakes. He only shared his name, mentioned he’d just arrived on Apban, and admitted he wasn’t familiar with the place.

"Lu Cian? That’s a weird name..." Ximeno mumbled under his breath.

Lu Cian thought to himself that he found Ximeno’s name just as strange.

Ximeno: "But it sounds nice. I like it."

Lu Cian: "..." So this was a male insect who enjoyed talking to himself and talking in circles.

As they chatted, Ximeno’s gaze drifted to the group of female insects behind Lu Cian, noticing the "suppression rings" on them.

Following his gaze, Lu Cian explained, "These are all my female servants."

Female servants were like spare parts—useful wherever needed.

Ximeno looked confused. "Why only female servants? Didn’t you bring your empress consort or concubines?"

This male insect was so foolish—going solo without his main wife meant he had no backup if conflicts arose with other males.

How pitiful. Luckily, Ximeno was smart. He’d have to look after this male insect more in the future—who knows what could happen if he got bullied?

Lu Cian replied, "I don’t have an empress consort or concubines yet. These are just the ones I favor. Once one of them gets pregnant, they’ll be promoted to concubines."

Though Ximeno still didn’t fully understand, he found the explanation somewhat acceptable.

But—

"Why don’t you have an empress consort or concubines?"

Lu Cian took a deep breath. This guy really was a never-ending question machine.

"Because I’m still underage. My father hasn’t arranged any for me."

Ximeno exclaimed, "Huh? How old are you?"

Lu Cian answered, "Nineteen."

Ximeno blurted out, "You’re just a kid!"

Lu Cian’s face fell. No guy likes being called young!

Seeing Lu Cian’s displeased look, Ximeno worried he’d hit a sore spot and quickly backpedaled, "Hey, no worries, you’ll turn adult next year. Then you can marry all the wives you want."

"By then, you won’t have to be stuck with just these servants anymore."