Chapter 55

Chapter 55

"How did you get here?"

Standing up straight, the previously excited male quickly regained his usual calm and composed demeanor in front of other insects.

Raising an eyebrow, even the Red-eyed female, who was accustomed to dealing with deceptive insects, couldn't help but make an exaggerated tsking sound.

Seeing her reaction, Philo simply said,

"I have things to do today, no time for small talk. Besides, this is the Alliance Museum—surveillance everywhere. You'd better—"

"Relax, I’ve already handled that."

Letting go, she jumped down from the transparent display case, landing as lightly as a feather from a height of seven or eight meters. She flashed a triumphant grin at Philo.

"Your security detail is incompetent. I followed you the whole way, and they didn’t notice a thing. If you’re going to bring them along, you might as well not bother."

...

Incompetent?

Frowning, Philo instinctively glanced in the direction his security detail had gone.

Though he disliked being followed by too many insects, after the incident where this very female had threatened him, he’d developed the habit of bringing a security detail whenever he went out.

Especially since the Tulas Family’s security detail were mostly retired or specially selected high-ranking female insects from civilian academies, with the team leader even being a retired B-rank Military Female officer.

And yet, this female in front of him called them incompetent?

Giving her a strange look—her face had changed again, only her eyes remaining somewhat familiar—Philo ignored her latter remark and got right to it.

"Why were you following me?"

"To play with you!"

The female answered without hesitation, her tone so matter-of-fact that Philo was temporarily speechless.

Raising his gaze to meet hers, Philo genuinely couldn’t tell who was the insect and who was the human here.

On Earth, her answer wouldn’t have been strange, but this wasn’t Earth.

How did a female insect—one who didn’t even show her real face—dare to say such a thing?

Last time, he hadn’t brought a security detail, but this time, even if she’d somehow sneaked in, all he had to do was shout, and his team would rush in immediately.

No matter how strong she was, she couldn’t possibly take down so many insects alone, right? If she really wasn’t afraid, why had she needed his help to hide from the security patrol last time?

Thinking this, Philo straightened up, ignoring the female whose logic seemed even more twisted than his own, and pointed outside.

"I have things to do today, not in the mood for games. Leave now."

Though he didn’t immediately call for his security detail, his tone made it clear he had no intention of entertaining her today.

Tilting her head, her red eyes fixed unwaveringly on his, the female said excitedly,

"No mood for fun?"

"Perfect timing, then."

"I’ll take you somewhere exciting—guaranteed to cheer you up!"

...

"I said, I have things to do. If you don’t leave, I’ll call for—"

"No use."

Before he could finish, the female, still brimming with eagerness, interrupted with a grin.

"They can’t hear you now."

"Come on. If you refuse, I’ll just knock you out and carry you."

As if her words were perfectly reasonable, she remained cheerful, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she met Philo’s wide-eyed stare.

Realizing reasoning with her was futile, Philo didn’t hesitate any longer and immediately yelled at the top of his lungs—but—

"..."

His security detail was stationed right outside the Unknown Creatures Pavilion of the Deepviala Star System. With their heightened senses, they should’ve easily heard him.

Yet, after several shouts got no response, Philo’s breath came faster as he glared at the female blocking his path, clearly unwilling to let him leave.

"Even if you take me now, they’ll notice something’s wrong soon enough. The capital will launch a planet-wide search for you. If you really just want to take me out for fun, I suggest you—mmph!"

"You talk too much."

Not waiting for him to finish, the female, who’d already stood there patiently long enough, decisively pulled out her high-tech gadget again when it became clear Philo wouldn’t cooperate.

A familiar jolt of electricity ran through his body. This time, it wasn’t as painful as before, but his head felt much heavier.

Before losing consciousness, as the female caught him with a gleeful expression, Philo suddenly regretted his earlier moment of weakness—not only failing to report her but even offering to help if her mental state ever deteriorated.

Like hell I'll help!

If this bastard dies, it’s her own damn fault!

Clenching his teeth, the male insect closed his eyes and blacked out entirely.

With Philo now unconscious, the previously motionless female happily hoisted him over her shoulder and bolted out.

Meanwhile, the Tulas Family’s security detail remained completely unaware, still stationed outside the pavilion.

But before long, centered around the Alliance Museum, countless female insects across the capital began being deployed—quiet but overwhelming.

Unaware of the escalating situation, Philo frowned. When he opened his eyes again, the scenery before him looked nothing like the towering skyscrapers of the capital’s central district.

This was...

"Whoo-hoo!"

"Look at me! Look at me!"

"Philo, tell me I'm awesome!!!"

A vast stretch of jagged cliffs, completely lacking modern buildings or advanced technology.

The steep, jagged peaks looked as if they’d been hacked by giant blades, so sheer that even birds might struggle to land. The summits bore only meager patches of green, and beyond that, Philo’s gaze met nothing but rock—and one shameless redhead flying circles around him.

With a cold expression, Philo sat up, feeling the wild wind that seemed capable of knocking him over at any moment. He exerted all his strength to suppress the trembling in his body.

Yes, he wasn’t afraid of heights.

Paragliding, drop towers, bungee jumping, flight wings… he had tried them all, even enjoyed them at one point.

But—

“You left me hanging off a cliff?!!!”

The moment he opened his eyes and realized half his leg was dangling over the precipice, Philo’s leg twitched uncontrollably just from glancing at the sheer drop below.

This wasn’t a simulation—falling meant actual death.

Dammit, he had finally found a glimmer of hope for returning home today. He didn’t want to die like this!

“Relax, I’ve got my eyes on you. Nothing bad will happen.”

Hearing the male’s curses, the female, who had been showing off her aerial tricks high above, finally landed on the cliff’s edge. With a grin, she offered a half-assed reassurance.

But her words—

“Like hell I’ll relax!”

“You idiot, look how far down that is!”

This time, Philo didn’t bother hiding his irritation. Truth be told, he rarely looked happy whenever he saw this female.

If this place were just a few meters high, he might’ve been able to reason with her properly.

But the cliff beneath him was nearly a thousand meters tall! The wind alone felt strong enough to blow him away. Bringing him here to “play”? This female was completely nuts!

“Screw this. I’m leaving.”

Shoving the female aside, the Silver-Haired Male tensed his arm muscles and pulled his leg back from the cliff’s edge without hesitation, then spun on his heel to leave.

But—

“Come on! I’m serious, this’ll be fun! Just try it—”

“Try it and end up dead? Either kill me now or let me go!”

“Not a chance. I didn’t sneak you out for nothing. Weren’t you fine when you experienced falling during that military academy exam? You weren’t scared then.”

“That was nothing like this! Compared to this place, that was barely a bump!”

“Same difference, trust me. Here, give me your hand—”

*Smack!*

The back of his hand struck the side of her face. In the midst of their struggle, Philo hadn’t expected her to suddenly loosen her grip. Caught off guard, his hand ended up hitting her cheek.

This…

Snatching his hand back, Philo frowned. As much as he hated her stubbornness, hitting her in the face… The Silver-Haired Male paused, standing silently for a rare moment.

As for the female who had been unexpectedly slapped—

Seeing the faint flicker of guilt in Philo’s eyes, her crimson eyes, bright as Silk Flowers, slowly dilated. Smirking, she grabbed the hand that had just struck her and pressed it against her cheek, continuing to laugh carelessly.

“Heh.”

“You hit me, so we’re even now. How about you slap me a few more times? I won’t resist. Then you’ll have to come play with me, right?”

……

*What the—?!*

Clenching his jaw, the male, whose hand had been seized again, felt the softness of her cheek against his palm. His violet pupils constricted sharply.

But this time, yanking free wasn’t happening.

Thrashing, swearing, even lashing out again, Philo’s expression finally froze completely when her fingers inadvertently brushed near his lips. His voice went flat.

“…Stop.”

“Fine.”

“Let go. I’ll play if you let go.”

He’d sooner leap off this towering cliff than endure another second of her touching and—

His expression frosty, the male’s face was colder than the mountain winds.

Yet, despite the clear reluctance in his voice and the lack of warmth in his eyes, the female let out a whoop the moment he agreed.

Though her appearance remained plain, her flame-bright eyes sparkled brilliantly.

Rubbing his wrist, Philo was certain her current face was a disguise.

*Pray I never see your real face, or else…*

He hadn’t figured out what he’d do yet. But before he could, the female, thrilled he’d given in, eagerly snapped her black-and-red wings open and hauled him against her.

“Hold tight—we’re going up!”

Like a leaf in a gale, they shot upward with the breeze. A yelp rang out as the two vanished into the clouds.

Philo had flown with a female before—Gore had once carried him briefly in a domain due to an accident.

But compared to that controlled flight, this was the genuine article.

Slow?

Steady?

Safe?

She couldn’t care less. In fact, she seemed determined to make it as wild as she could.

Shutting his eyes against the dizzying spins, Philo was grateful he was now a male. A human wouldn’t have survived this.

But—

Peering down at the male in his grip, who’d squeezed his eyes shut, the female grinned, her lips quirking.

“Listen.”

“No one else would ever dare give you a ride like this.”

"Are you seriously that scared, not even daring to open your eyes?"

Has the Insect Race developed any amusement devices for males to experience flight?

Yes, of course they have.

But just like the Floating Star swarm's territorial fields, all the entertainment provided for males can't be too thrilling, nothing as extreme as this.

Activities like bungee jumping or skydiving, which rely purely on freefall and speed, are probably the limit of excitement males can handle.

But the sensation of flying freely through the skies like a female insect does now... perhaps this is truly the only place, the only bug crazy enough to give him this experience.

His eyelashes fluttered slightly, the male insect seeming to want to look up but hesitating.

Glancing at Philo with a mischievous grin, the female insect called out.

"Come on, I'll show you something even better."

With that, she dove sharply. Philo, who had been hesitating, suddenly felt the rush of wind from the descent and instinctively opened his eyes to take in his surroundings.

"You—"

His curse was cut short. The male insect had barely uttered two words before the sight before him stole his breath away.

Timely, the female insect, who had been accelerating, gradually slowed down.

The two insects rode the mountain winds, quietly winding their way through the layered peaks.

It was hard to describe how Philo felt at that moment. Though he had seen similar mountain shapes on Earth, and though he had seen more beautiful greenery and flowers in the Torras estate gardens, this was different.

His hands could touch the cliffs, his feet could graze the treetops—this feeling of flying freely, not at the mercy of the wind...

"If I'd been born a female insect, strapping a sword to my feet would probably feel like sword surfing..."

The male insect's voice was soft, but the female insect's hearing was sharp.

Catching every word, she lowered her head and shot back, "What sword surfing? You're only experiencing this thrilling flight because you met me." She grinned, smug, at the male insect, whose expression was no longer as icy as before.

"So? I told you it'd feel amazing, didn't I?"

Philo glanced sideways at her but didn’t answer. Still, since things had come this far, moping was pointless—might as well enjoy it.

After all, one thing she’d said earlier wasn’t wrong.

No other bug would have the guts to take him flying like this.

"Fly higher, let’s check out over there."

"Hahaha... I knew you’d like it! Alright!"

Finally receiving approval, the female insect looked even happier than when she had been showing off her skills alone.

And when both insects embraced the fun, the joy naturally multiplied.

Carrying Philo as if she never tired, the female insect matched whatever speed he wanted and direction. They weaved through forests and over streams, then soared high to take in the cliffs below.

Unconsciously, the male insect’s initially composed expression gradually softened into a relaxed smile. Even when the female insect accelerated, his racing heartbeat let his psychic guard slip, letting a faint trace escape.

A wisp of psychic energy, so subtle most low-level female insects wouldn’t detect it, silently dispersed.

Her crimson eyes deepened briefly, turning blood-red. Her arm tightened around his waist, her muscles tensed unusually.

But no matter how thrilling cliffside flying was, it had to end eventually.

Patting her arm, Philo asked to land a second time, and she finally brought them back to the cliff’s peak.

He didn’t move or get up.

The male insect, exhausted from his first high-speed aerial adventure, face-planted the second they landed. No matter how much the grinning female insect poked him, he couldn't muster the energy to respond.

"Enough, stop poking me. I need a break."

Now that he'd gotten his thrill, the male insect—though thoroughly enjoying the latter half of the flight—seemed to instantly forget the female insect’s efforts once they stopped.

Crouching before him, the restless female insect kept prodding him with a stick and sighed.

"You’re acting way different today compared to last time."

Different?

Hearing this, Philo didn’t open his eyes, only replying reflexively.

"How so? You’re the one who’s different."

After all, he wasn’t using a disguise this time, while she was clearly wearing a fake face.

Baring her teeth in a low chuckle, the female insect said, "I’m not lying. Last time, you sat in that shop looking the part but seemed about to snap. Today, though you’re even fiercer than before—"

Her purple eyes met his red ones, her grin widening as she booped his forehead with the stick.

"—something good must’ve happened to you lately."

"Speaking of which, you had the weirdest look when you saw that broken car earlier. Your psyche was all—"

She didn’t get to finish. The silver-haired male pushed himself upright, his forehead creasing.

"You can sense my psychic energy?"

Up until now, aside from the banquet where alcohol and the Thunder Drum had exposed his psychic energy, only Gore had ever detected the faint traces when his emotions were unstable.

As for others, even Shang Ling, an A-class female, had never mentioned it. So how could she...?

"Sorta."

"I heard your system’s failing and you can’t control your psychic energy anymore. Didn’t believe it at first, but turns out it’s true. Tsk tsk, even in a situation like today, only a wisp escaped. Wild."

Poking his forehead again, she looked at him like some lab specimen.

Scowling, Philo swatted the stick away and changed the subject.

"We've had our fun—can you take me back now?"

Guess so.

Glancing at the discarded stick and seeing how late it was—any longer and patrols would come sniffing around—the female insect chuckled but didn’t put up a fight.

"Of course I can."

"However—"

However what?

Everything went black, and Philo knew what the 'however' was.

This asshole... Couldn't he at least use some kind of painless sedative?!

The Male Insect passed out again. The Female Insect reached out, pulling him closer, staring at his shut purple eyes. She couldn't resist the urge to touch them but withdrew her hand just before making contact.

Truth was,

He much preferred it when he was awake, glaring at him with those eyes.

The isolated cliffs with spotty reception soon saw the departure of the two insects who had come for an inexplicable thrill. Not long after, it was flooded by panicked officers in uniform.

At the Capital Star's Inspectorate, Li Qi was in charge of investigating and searching for His Highness Philo's mysterious disappearance from the Alliance Library.

Unfortunately, he always seemed to be one step too late.

When Philo opened his eyes again, he was already back at the Torras estate.

Apparently, he'd been discovered by an Attendant right at his own doorstep.

Such an outcome was a humiliating failure to both the Capital Star Inspectorate and the Torras guard team.

That night, Li Qi arrived with all the Inspectorate members to offer apologies.

Every Female Insect from the Torras guard team who had accompanied Philo that day were caned. Even though Philo pleaded for leniency, Zhousha wouldn't budge this time.

To avoid causing panic among Male Insects and to maintain social stability, with the consent of both Philo and Zhousha, the Inspectorate kept the incident quiet.

However—

That same night, when Philo received an out-of-the-blue call from Gore, he listened to the Female Insect's concerned questions and reassurances before suddenly asking,

"Gore."

"Since I'm an A-Class Male Insect, can other A-Class Female Insects also... occasionally sense my psychic presence like you do?"