Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Border Star System, Dihaino, Seventh Frontline Preparatory Base.

*Beep.* "Major General Bivich has left a voice message. Would you like to play it?"

"Mhm."

"Gore! Gore! Quick, check out the video I sent you! There’s a male playing the Thunder Drum—listen to that sound, doesn’t it feel familiar?!"

Thunder Drum...

The female, who had been meticulously wiping her laser gun with insulating cloth, slowly lifted her gaze. Her long, slightly curled black lashes rose as her deep, sea-blue eyes darkened.

Her attention shifted to the comms unit carelessly tossed onto the cabin floor. She remained silent, not instructing her AI to play the video Bivich had sent.

Lowering her head, she resumed cleaning the gun with painstaking care, her callus-ridged hands moving with methodical precision.

But Bivich, impatient and sensing her reluctance, sent another urgent voice message. Following her previous command, the AI automatically played the new message.

"It’s not just some male playing around with the Thunder Drum—he actually used his psychic power to play it! This new lordling even called out on those other males who turned the drum into a drinking game. Seriously, you have to watch this! You’ll kick yourself if you don’t, I swear!"

......

Silence.

Her hands continued moving over the gun barrel, but slower and slower, until—

She set the freshly cleaned laser gun on the weapon rack. A strand of her blue hair brushed against a nearby sharp blade, severing and falling unnoticed. Taking a step back, she finally pressed play.

Military-grade comms units boasted the highest standards in holographic realism and clarity.

The video unfolded above the device in true-3D, immersing the viewer as if they were there.

The silver-haired male never looked up, his head bowed as he played the entire piece. Yet, at this moment, no one would notice his appearance first.

Even though it was just a recording, lacking the full psychic resonance of the live performance...

In the quiet of the main combat cabin, the female—who usually cared for nothing but firearms and warships—watched the whole video with uncharacteristic patience.

She didn’t move, didn’t speak, didn’t even blink.

As if the male in the video were quarry in her combat zone, her blue eyes enveloped him like tidal waves. Her gaze swept over the drumhead, trembling under his strikes, and her pupils darkened subtly.

The drum composition was unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar.

Once, in this very star sector, another male had struck the drum with the same intensity.

No frills, no unnecessary pauses—that lord, too, had kept his head down, gripping his drumsticks with fierce concentration.

And then...

And then—

"Hey."

"Aren’t you going to applaud?"

The video... reached its end.

Her lowered eyes refocused on the hologram. The two locked gazes, and she clenched her fist silently.

Undeterred by her silence, the young male in the video flicked his sweat-dampened silver hair back. His violet eyes gleamed with a taunting, triumphant smirk.

Raising his drumstick, he stared back with unflinching confidence and boldness.

The recording trembled slightly at this moment.

But... perhaps it wasn’t just the recorder’s shaky hands.

The video didn’t linger—as if afraid the male would notice—and soon cut off entirely.

Silence.

She didn’t look away.

Staring at the frozen final frame, none could guess what thoughts raced in her mind.

The comms unit’s blue light flickered. The AI, detecting the playback’s end, calmly inquired:

"Playback complete. Would you like to replay?"

"Countdown: ten seconds. No response will trigger automatic replay. Ten, nine, eight... two, one. Acknowledged. Replaying now."

The drumbeats began again.

Tonight, countless others were likely listening to this unfamiliar drum composition. Though some recordings missed the male announcing its name, it wasn’t hard to find out.

"'General’s Command'?"

"Appropriate. It matches your style, Zhousha. Philo probably named it with you in mind."

Turning to the female, Yi Jia Fa’s expression was one of absolute certainty.

But the Old General seemed indifferent to the remark. Gazing at the child inside the med pod, he asked quietly,

"Are we certain this sudden use of psychic power won’t harm Philo’s body? I noticed his arm muscles still twitch intermittently."

"General Zhousha, there’s no need for concern. The fundamental structure of a male’s psychic reservoir differs from ours. Unless they overextend themselves to the point of depletion, their bodies remain unaffected."

"As for the lord’s arm—the Thunder Drum’s sticks are crafted from B-grade star beast bone. Given his frail constitution, muscle spasms and pain are inevitable after use. Once he soaks in the nutrient bath, these symptoms will fade."

Bowing slightly, Dr. Gu De—summoned urgently by the Toras family after the banquet—had examined the unconscious male before immersing him completely in the med pod.

Though Philo had only played the drum initially, exerting only physical energy, his later drunken state and first-ever full psychic exertion meant that, untreated, he’d awaken not only with bodily pain but a pounding headache.

Yi Jia Fa, initially thrilled by Philo’s commanding performance, darkened at the doctor’s words.

"That little shit Siluan... Seems Du Dafei’s been too soft, letting him forget which insects he can and can’t mess with! If not for Philo earlier, I’d have stripped the insignia from his neck myself!"

"Where’s Taxiso? Load the ship-to-ship missiles onto my private ship now. If I don’t settle this score tonight, I’m not Yi Jia Fa!"

Without waiting for dissuasion, the male marched toward the rear hangar armory, barely containing his fury.

The insects stationed near the med pod stood motionless, as if deaf to his outburst. Xing Hua and Qian Hua, uncharacteristically calm, showed no sign of unease toward their angry father.

But...

Raising his eyes to glance at Yi Jia Fa who had already walked away, then turning to look at Zhousha who remained standing in place, the elderly female—also Siluan's attending physician—couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

"General, Prince Du Dafei will surely reprimand Prince Siluan properly upon returning. Today, Prince Philo was just a bit exhausted. There shouldn’t be any major conflict between the two families. Perhaps... you could persuade Prince Yi Jia Fa?"

Though this incident was instigated by Prince Siluan, no real harm was done to Prince Philo. But if Yi Jia Fa were to actually bombard the Qi Mengtu family with ballistic missiles—even if they were non-lethal deterrent rounds approved by the Male Insect Management Committee—the situation could escalate...

"Rest assured, His Highness will not go."

Won’t?

The aged eyes stared at the solemn Commanding General before him, and for once, Dr. Gu De doubted whether the other was joking.

Yi Jia Fa was practically raised under his care—was there anything that temper wouldn’t do? He might even find firing missiles unsatisfying and decide to personally step in and fight.

Imagining the scene, coupled with Yi Jia Fa’s earlier vengeful threat to remove Siluan's insignia, the old doctor sighed silently in worry. Just as he was about to press further—

"Prince Du Dafei has personally called. Prince Yi Jia Fa has halted the missile loading."

The Tulas family's private security detail, composed of soldiers either injured or voluntarily stationed on the capital planet, stood at attention. The former aide-de-camp who once served under Zhousha reported in a low voice, simultaneously easing Gu De’s concerns.

Nodding, the elderly female insect finally understood the meaning behind Zhousha’s earlier words, recalling the temperament of that particular highness and his consort, Speaker Norman.

"That works out well."

With a smile, he stopped worrying about the others. The old doctor, who needed to stay by Philo’s side all night, bent down again to examine the real-time data from the med-pod.

As he focused, the other insects also turned their attention to the sleeping figure inside.

The chaotic day ultimately passed peacefully with Philo’s quiet slumber.

The Day After the Banquet

Capital Planet, Tulas Family Estate. Sunny skies. Mood... relaxed.

"Headache? Not at all."

Shaking his neck, Philo, who had just bid farewell to Dr. Gu De, answered Yi Jia Fa’s concern with a bright smile.

Though it wasn’t his first time experiencing the advanced tech of the insect med-pod, the fact that it could even fix a hangover was truly impressive.

Having been thoroughly checked by Dr. Gu De and Yi Jia Fa since waking, Philo genuinely felt fine.

He’d just had a few extra drinks and played the drums. If he couldn’t handle that, the college guy with pride in him would’ve found it embarrassing.

Now familiar with the routine, Philo stretched out an arm and nudged the hardest-to-shake Yi Jia Fa to sit at the dining table.

Having undergone various examinations since waking in the med-pod, Philo hadn’t eaten breakfast yet—nor had the others.

Back when he’d first read a few interstellar novels, he’d worried about the food situation after learning he’d transmigrated into the insect race. He feared they’d be eating arthropods, energy stones, or nutrient paste like in some stories.

But in reality, the insect race wasn’t stupid—they pursued culinary pleasures too.

Soft and chewy rice porridge, crystal-clear steamed dumplings, small pouches of Thunderbolt Juice worth tens of thousands of star credits, fruit-flour steamed cakes—a delicacy beloved by male insects from the Tree-Fruit Planet—and decades-aged Qionglin meat wraps...

Picking up the silverware engraved with his name, the already starving guy ate with great enthusiasm and satisfaction.

Perhaps because he was enjoying it so much, even the usually picky Yi Jia Fa found today’s breakfast slightly better than usual.

Taking a bite of the fragrant steamed cake and watching Philo wolf them down, Yi Jia Fa couldn’t help but eat a few more himself.

But when Philo showed no signs of stopping after two whole plates, Yi Jia Fa grew concerned.

"Slow down. Don’t choke."

Eating so eagerly—though their chef was skilled—Yi Jia Fa couldn’t help but overthink.

"It’s all because Zhousha lost you back then. Otherwise, your health wouldn’t be so weak now. These are things male insects grow up eating. You liking them so much now is probably because you never had them before..."

Never one for self-blame, the male insect, though feeling guilty, confidently shifted the blame onto others.

The insects in the room were long accustomed to this, and even the scapegoat himself, General Zhousha, offered no rebuttal.

But Philo, mid-bite with a meat roll on his fork, paused. Seeing Yi Jia Fa about to launch into another tirade, he quickly interjected.

"Nah, it’s just that today’s breakfast is especially good. And I was a bit tired from last night’s party. It has nothing to do with my past hardships, really."

As if fearing Yi Jia Fa’s retort, Philo slid the last piece of steamed cake onto the other’s plate.

Staring at the cake in his bowl, Yi Jia Fa—getting food from his son for the first time—happily ate it, his earlier emotions dissipating.

But recalling the banquet, Yi Jia Fa finally voiced a question that had been bugging him since last night.

"By the way, Philo. Didn’t you say you don’t remember your past? Then how did you know how to play the Thunder Drum?"

Even if he did remember, the backwater planet he was found on wouldn’t have had a drum, let alone a Thunder Drum.

At this question, the previously silent insects all turned to look.

Fingers resting on the silverware, the now sober male insect—his alcohol fully metabolized in the med-pod—shot back without missing a beat.

"Oh, I don’t know either."

He was an amnesiac. What were they expecting?

No answer. None at all. If pushed, he’d play dumb.

...

This response wasn’t entirely unexpected.

But unanswered questions only fueled curiosity—insects were no exception. Yi Jia Fa frowned, his voice deepening.

"Could it be that another insect found you back then? Seeing you were a male insect, they hid you and raised you secretly, teaching you to play the drums. Then something happened—maybe pirates or a ship explosion—and you ended up alone on that barren planet?"

This speculation... was weirdly plausible.

Frowning, the two young women at the table their faces fell, considering the possibility. If true, the insect who’d taken Philo... had it coming.

"The Alliance recently started sweeps across all recorded barren planets. While no male insects like Philo were found, multiple kidnapping rings were uncovered."

"This operation will continue ongoing. Additionally, I’ve had the Male Insect Management Committee propose to the Alliance, under the Male Insect Protection Law, to make it an annual standard op for border planet outposts. If anyone did hide Philo back then, we'll get them eventually."

His voice dead serious, Zhousha—usually gentle in the presence of the two male insects in the Tulas estate—finally reminded them he was one of the top brass in the Alliance.

Smiling, the young male insect’s smirked.

Though he didn’t know how the original host had ended up on that barren planet, this at least evened the score and was good karma.

The unexpected news flash changed the mood from anger about Philo's disappearance to a sense of grim satisfaction.

In better spirits, though still puzzled about how Philo knew how to play the Thunder Drum, Yi Jia Fa couldn't help but share what happened after Philo finished playing the drum and passed out drunk yesterday.

"You beat up Siluan! You pulled out a fistful of his hair and even tried to gouge his eyes out—well done! Truly my son!"

"Your mental energy also stunned those female bugs yesterday. Several of them wanted your contact info before leaving, but I shot them all down! No need for them to bother you daily. Though, a few were quite hot—if you like them, you can always add them back later."

"And that bug Di Gu—Philo, you really got payback for me! He used to show off in front of me, but after last night’s banquet, he didn’t even dare greet me before running off. Hahahaha…"

Boisterous and triumphant laughter spilled from the male bug’s mouth. Philo, who had frozen upon hearing he had hit someone—wait, a bug—now watched Yi Jia Fa’s manic laughter, hesitating to speak.

That laughter really didn’t sound like it came from a good person. But then again, he *had* hit someone too… Hmm, maybe he wasn’t much better than Yi Jia Fa.

"Ahem… Is that Siluan guy okay? I’m pretty strong—did I hurt him badly?" Come to think of it, Yi Jia Fa’s description sounded a bit off.

Pulling hair? Trying to gouge eyes?

Wasn’t that how kids fought? He wouldn’t do something like that, right?

"That brat’s slippery—he bolted as soon as things turned against him. Oh, and I was planning to blast him with an orb-shell missile last night to get revenge for you, but Du Dafei apologized so quickly, saying he’d come in person today to make it right, so I held back for now."

……

Hold up, what?

Orb-shell… missile? What kind of real missile had a name like that?

And wasn’t that the kind of missile totally illegal for civilians back in his hometown? Seriously, were bugs in this interstellar era *this* wild?

"It’s non-lethal. At worst, it just produces a lot of smoke. We also call it a smoke bomb off the record."

In fact, it was a missile specifically designed for male bugs in emergencies—the only type of missile legally available to civilians outside border planets.

Once deployed, the massive, conspicuous smoke would immediately alert nearby female bugs to rush to the scene and protect the threatened male. So while it *could* send an unarmed male flying, aside from looking stupid, it wasn’t actually dangerous.

Explained in a hushed voice, Qian Hua—who, just like the first day, was seated beside Philo—seemed to sense his confusion and took the rare initiative to clarify.

Grateful, Philo shot his young attendant a glance before turning back to Yi Jia Fa.

"Mr. Du Dafei is coming today?"

"Yes." Nodding, Yi Jia Fa checked the time and estimated, "He should be here soon. We ate a bit late today—it’s about the same time he said he’d arrive yesterday."

As if on cue, an elegantly dressed attendant quietly entered the hall, announcing the arrival of a guest.

Well… speak of the devil.

"Good day, Your Highness Philo."

A familiar face, familiar black hair and eyes.

Compared to yesterday’s formal attire, the female bug now wore casual clothing, shedding some of his high-class vibe but appearing far more down-to-earth.

Nodding in return, Philo—who had also changed into a light blue shirt with casually rolled-up sleeves after being notified of the guest’s arrival—looked perfectly suited to the sunny morning.

The female bug’s smile grew warmer.

No fuss, no games.

Upon entering the room, Du Dafei and Norman, who were uncharacteristically humble, were the first to apologize to Philo, Yi Jia Fa, and Zhousha.

Du Dafei, older than Yi Jia Fa, had devoted himself in earlier years to using his mental energy to soothe female bugs, exhausting his reserves faster than most male bugs. As a result, he now appeared much more aged.

Yet despite this, this now revered Highness still apologized to the Turas Family for the sake of his own male and female offspring’s future.

Meanwhile, Shang Ling, the elder brother of Siluan and the primary figure representing Siluan in today’s apology, bowed deeply, sincere in his apology, earnestly expressing regret and pleading for forgiveness.

Tilting his chin up, Yi Jia Fa’s arrogance remained undiminished even in the face of Du Dafei, who was older than him and currently held a leading position in the Male Bug Management Committee.

Or rather, if this had happened before yesterday’s incident, he might have at least pretended to show some courtesy. But now, the spiteful Yi Jia Fa made it clear he wouldn’t be so easily appeased.

Pursing his lips, the male bug was about to unleash the venom he’d been holding back—but—

"Uncle Du Dafei, Uncle Norman, this matter is a conflict between us juniors. There’s no need for you to apologize on his behalf."

Yi Jia Fa, who was practically baring his fangs, didn’t expect a paragon of virtue to be standing beside him.

Unaware of his father’s twitching lips, Philo—who had very much wanted to pummel the guy who had inexplicably picked a fight with him yesterday—now bore no grudge, especially after realizing he had already beaten the other up.

Generally, he settled scores on the spot. And since this was just a petty squabble, seeing the whole family come early in the morning to apologize felt somewhat awkward to him.

As the saying goes, the guilty should bear their own punishment. In a modern civilized society, there was no reason to punish whole families for one person’s fault…

Noticing that Shang Ling was still bowing at a ninety-degree angle, Philo’s lips twitched just like Yi Jia Fa’s, and he instinctively reached out to help the bug up.

His slender, delicate fingers grasped the woman’s arm, clad only in a thin shirt that did nothing to block the warmth. The warmth of the male bug’s palm lingered briefly before the female bug straightened, her hands trembling slightly.

Raising his gaze to Philo’s smiling face, Shang Ling—who was usually so adept at social interactions—went quiet, uncharacteristically so, for a moment.

But no one noticed the inspector’s uncharacteristic pause. Seeing that Philo had already set the tone for the conversation, even Yi Jia Fa—who had wanted to take this opportunity to humiliate Du Dafei, whom he had long envied—could only purse his lips and curtly gestured for them to sit.

Expensive yet popular Stone Flower Juice, exquisite breakfast pastries—though Yi Jia Fa had initially intended to embarrass Du Dafei, now that they were seated, he still arranged for proper hospitality.

In truth, having already ranted over comms yesterday, Yi Jia Fa wasn’t particularly furious now. After all, the Qi Mengtu Family had already ceded half their stakes in all industries north of the Santa Fe galaxy—a concession so significant that even Yi Jia Fa was a little impressed.

Yet despite this, Du Dafei—seated on the sofa in the reception room with Shang Ling’s assistance—couldn’t help but gaze fondly at Philo.

Yi Jia Fa’s temper was infamous for never backing down when he held the moral high ground. Even with sufficient compensation, unless he blew off steam, he would never let things go so easily.

Had it not been for Philo today, Yi Jia Fa might not have been so quick to drop yesterday’s incident. Thinking this, Du Dafei glanced at his own female bug, who was also watching Philo, and smiled as he gave Norman’s hand a squeeze.

"By the way, to better express our apology, we’ve specially brought someone with us—Shang Ling."

Bowing slightly, the now-composed woman politely asked if they would mind him bringing in another bug whose hands were currently bound.

Intrigued by his seriousness, Yi Jia Fa nodded in agreement. However, Xinghua and Qianhua, seated beside him, exchanged glances, likely guessing the identity of the incoming bug.

And indeed, with the soft jingle of silver chains, most of those present—who had good memories—immediately recognized the newcomer.

Song Emperor, Siluan’s former female attendant, yesterday’s drum-beating bug in the Thunder Drum game, a supposed musical genius—but…

Now, the hands that had once produced such beautiful drumbeats were shackled with a heavy silver chain, faint bruises visible on the fingertips.

With steady, measured steps, the female bug followed Shang Ling into the reception room, her face blank—until—

"This female bug has already been released from her status as Siluan’s attendant. As a gesture of apology, Siluan is willing to offer her to His Highness Philo, hoping His Highness can forgive yesterday’s accidental slight."

An accident...

If that male's action was accidental, then is this female's action deliberate?

With a smile and nod, Yi Jia Fa, who only now finally let slip a trace of amusement, cast Shang Ling a satisfied look, clearly very pleased with this unplanned apology.

Siluan was despicable, no doubt, but this female had undoubtedly also helped humiliate Philo. Siluan was a male, and no matter how furious Yi Jia Fa was, he couldn’t truly do anything to him. Having a female to vent his anger on was undoubtedly the perfect alternative.

"Philo, in that case, take this female."

Not even glancing at the female kneeling on the carpet, the arrogant male smirked and chuckled lightly, urging his child to accept this perfectly suited gift.

No one batted an eye. In fact, even the bound female probably didn’t find it strange.

But then—

"Did he break the law?"

Dismissing Yi Jia Fa’s words and likewise not responding to Shang Ling’s still courteous apology, the male, who had maintained a courteous smile since the three from the Qi Mengtu family entered, had gone cold at some point. Raising his eyes, he coolly surveyed the room and asked the unexpected.

Silence.

An uneasy silence.

Standing before the kneeling female, Shang Ling met those sharp, cold purple pupils—far sharper than yesterday’s fury. His ever-present smile faded slightly, and as their gazes locked, the female gave his answer.

"Of course not."

He'd only drummed once, and the sound had been contained by the banquet hall’s excellent soundproofing. No public disturbance, no Psychic Outbreak—naturally, no law had been broken.

"But, Your Highness."

His long lashes like blades aimed at the male’s eyes, the female, who had been impeccably polite since their meeting, still spoke in a warm and steady voice. Yet the look in his eyes now was like a spider lurking in the shadows, waiting to ensnare its prey in a venomous web.

"He displeased you."

So, even if he was only following orders, even if it wasn’t his intention—you're upset. Don't you want someone to blame? No one would blame you. In fact, this female is kneeling before you willingly, begging for your forgiveness.

Don't all males enjoy breaking creatures that displease them this way? The first time makes it easy.

But unfortunately—

Not every marked prey chooses to walk the same path.

"If he didn’t break the law, Mr. Prosecutor, do you think it’s appropriate to bind him privately?"

Rising to his feet, Philo walked to the side of the kneeling female and looked up at the ever-smiling man before him, his expression darkening.

Indeed.

As the old saying goes—perfection is either fake or political.

"Sir."

"I'm fond of this drummer."

"So, please remove his chains for him."

……

Ignoring the intricately woven spiderweb, the prey standing before the trap bared its steel fangs at the black spider lurking in the shadows.

His fingertips trembled again—this time, more violently than before.

Clenching his palm, his thumb rubbed against the transparent diamond fastened to the black bracelet on his wrist. His gaze, sticky and damp, lingered on the face of the male before him.

Finally—

His arm no longer shaking, the female pressed a fist to his chest and bowed his head, resigned yet earnest.

"Your will be done, my prince."

Author's Note:

Attention, attention:

Additional warnings: Non-equal rights, important characters appear late, very chuunibyou, very Mary Sue, multiple one-sided attractions toward the protagonist, protagonist is slow to realize feelings, and other warnings will be added in announcements as needed.

[Rose][Rose][Rose]