Chapter 52 Confession

Chapter 52: Confession

After the trial concluded, Ray quickly regained his freedom. After resting for two days, he returned to headquarters and resumed work as usual.

However, as the trial livestream was seen by more and more insects, not only did Samuel's reputation grow among the military males, but Ray also indirectly became a topic of discussion among the males during their leisure time.

Every insect believed Ray had a close relationship with that S-rank Your Excellency.

Unsurprisingly, he also became the object of envy and jealousy among the military males.

"Hey, isn't that Ray? I never noticed he managed to get close to an S-rank Your Excellency," one military male whispered quietly.

"Do you think Your Excellency will choose him as a concubine?" another insect gossiped.

"I wonder if getting on good terms with him could help us connect with Your Excellency," a military male chimed in, following the trend.

Just as Ray turned the corner, he overheard several military males whispering again. As he passed by them, he stopped and said coldly, "Which department are you from? Do you have nothing better to do?"

The soldiers immediately fell silent.

His expression blank, Ray walked through the office area, slammed the office door shut with a loud bang, cutting off the murmurs outside.

Inside the office, Idris had just opened a file when he heard Ray enter. He glanced up at the soldier whose face was dark with anger and casually asked, "What's wrong? Why do you look so upset?"

"Sir, is headquarters really that quiet lately? Why are there so many gossiping insects buzzing around? It's so annoying!"

"You can't control what others say. Instead of worrying about these idle rumors, why not help me tackle the work in front of us first?"

"But they're spreading rumors about me! I..."

Halfway through his complaint, Ray suddenly realized that the Major General had a very special relationship with Samuel. If the outside rumors reached the Major General's ears and affected his relationship with Your Excellency, I'd be to blame!

Thinking of this, Ray panicked. "Major General, the rumors outside are all nonsense! Don't you believe them!"

"They don't know the inside story, but you do. Whether it was saving me, Luoken, or Aosen, Your Excellency did it all because of you!"

"You mustn't misunderstand Your Excellency or hurt his feelings because of those idle rumors outside!"

Seeing Ray's frantic, almost jumping-up-and-down demeanor, Idris paused from his work to raise an eyebrow and ask, "Why do you seem more concerned than I am?"

"Your Excellency is my lifesaver!" Seeing that Idris still had the mood to tease him, Ray knew he hadn't taken it to heart and instantly felt relieved, reverting to his old self. "Ugh, if I caused any conflict or hurt your relationship with Your Excellency, I'd have to die to make up for it!"

"Stop the nonsense." Idris was growing impatient, already wanting to leave work and go home as soon as he arrived. He pointed to the pile of documents nearby. "If you have time, quickly take these files, handle them, and bring them back. I don't have time to waste on this today."

"How unusual! Major General, you, the overtime workaholic, aren't volunteering for overtime!" Ray hugged the files to his chest and couldn't resist being cheeky again. "Well, if I had Your Excellency waiting for me at home, I wouldn't feel like working overtime either."

Idris looked up and shot him a sharp glance. Ray immediately wisely shut his mouth, hugged the files, and scurried out the door in a flash.

Idris withdrew his gaze. After finishing the documents at hand, he couldn't help but check his Stellar Ring.

Since Samuel's identity was exposed, after showing his face, saying those words in the trial court, and the rapid spread of the livestream clips, Samuel was a huge topic online, and invitations had also increased significantly.

However, Samuel didn't like socializing much, so he mostly declined invitations citing poor health. But today was different. The inviter was Li'an, and Li'an had helped him before.

After inquiring about the location and number of attendees, Samuel thought it over and accepted the invitation. This suited Idris just fine.

Buzz.

A message arrived on the Stellar Ring.

"Mu: Brother, have you arrived at headquarters? Li'an has come to pick me up. 「Photo」"

Idris opened the photo. The male was wearing a beige V-neck shirt, leaning back in his seat, his head slightly raised. The reflection of the glass fell on his exquisite profile, making his smile appear soft and bright, like the cold moonlight suddenly gaining warmth.

Shifting his gaze, Idris's eyes landed on the ribbon around the male's neck and the purple butterfly brooch on his chest. The corner of his mouth unconsciously lifted.

"Idris: I'm here. Be safe, and contact me anytime if anything happens."

"Mu: Okay. Brother, if I finish early today, can I come to headquarters to wait for you so we can go home together?"

"Idris: No need to come pick me up. I'm not busy today. I'll come pick you up and take you home after you finish in the afternoon."

"Mu: Okay, I'll wait for you, brother!"

Li'an leaned back in his seat, sipping his drink, and glanced at the male who was grinning like an idiot. He knew the message must be from Idris.

But why did Samuel seem unchanged after his differentiation?

"It's really rare for you to still care so much about Major General Idris after your differentiation," Li'an remarked.

Samuel looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Whoa, don't be so defensive. I don't mean anything by it," Li'an waved his hand. "I just find it curious that you don't seem affected by the differentiation, and your relationship with Major General Idris is still as good as ever."

"What's so strange about that?" Samuel muttered, then asked, "Why? Aren't other male insects like this?"

"Those like me don't change much," Li'an swirled his glass. "But those like Your Excellency are different. I have a friend who also just differentiated. He's already broken up with his previous lover and can't even bear to hear that female insect's name now. He gets irritable just hearing it; his personality has changed."

Speaking of his friend, Li'an shuddered. "He's coming today too. If you're interested, you can chat with him later."

"You said there wouldn't be many insects today," Samuel said, already regretting his decision. He hated being in crowds.

"There aren't too many," Li'an replied. "They're all insects I'm familiar with. We usually gather to chat. Don't worry, I've arranged everything. Once you arrive, feel free to do as you please; you don't have to pay them any mind."

Samuel was somewhat skeptical, but thinking that Idris said he would pick him up, he felt this outing was worthwhile. His reluctance was quickly replaced by anticipation.

As they spoke, the hovercar had already reached its destination, gradually descending from high altitude. Once the car stabilized, Li'an led Samuel out and into a massive building.

Approaching the building's entrance, they found lush flowers and plants inside, with falling petals scattered about, as if they were in a garden. Samuel quietly observed his surroundings as they walked along the path for nearly ten minutes before finally reaching their destination.

Entering the elegant tea room, Samuel saw two well-dressed males already seated inside, gathered around a tea table conversing in low voices. Upon seeing Li'an enter with Samuel, the insects all stood up to greet them.

After simple greetings and introductions, the insects sat down again. Samuel habitually found a corner seat, with Li'an accompanying him nearby.

A few minutes later, a pink-haired male insect arrived late, carrying a box. As soon as he entered, he began exclaiming excitedly.

"Li'an, Kalan, Noan, come quickly and see what good thing I received!"

"What is it? You're so excited," Noan put down the game controller in his hand and approached the table.

"Look!" The pink-haired insect carefully placed the box on the table and opened it. Inside were several books. The covers featured ink-wash style character paintings. Though sketched with just a few strokes, they captured the characters' essence vividly.

Upon seeing the covers, the insects exclaimed in surprise, saying, "Lin An's paintings are so lifelike! It's exactly how I imagined Your Excellency Anatole!"

Not far away, Samuel was also drawn by the pink-haired insect's excited demeanor and couldn't help but lean over to look. As a result, he almost choked on his tea.

Li'an turned to ask him what was wrong. Samuel waved his hands repeatedly, saying it was nothing.

The pink-haired insect didn't notice the commotion in the corner. He carefully and lovingly took out the books, proudly showing them off. "I got Lin An's new book! And I have everything: daily life at the military academy, the Anatole family crest, personally drawn illustrations, character paintings of Anatole, daily life during estrus—I have it all!"

“Everyone can enjoy these freely today! How about that—I’m quite generous, right?” The pink-haired guy puffed out his chest; his invisible tail practically shot up into the sky.

“Seth, you’re the best! You even got your hands on *Rut Daily*—that’s incredibly rare! Must’ve cost a fortune!” Kalan clapped Seth on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs-up.

“Ah, it wasn’t too bad—didn’t take much effort, really—it was all…” Seth’s proud expression flickered for a moment. Recalling that woman who kept causing a scene, refusing to break up, feigning helplessness daily and pulling every trick to win him back, he fell silent.

Seeing Seth’s expression, Nolan and Kalan instantly knew who’d sent the gifts. They tactfully avoided asking, instead praising Seth for his connections—quickly lifting his spirits.

Samuel watched from the side as the others unrolled the paintings to admire them, then enthusiastically debated the rut-related passages in the books. He felt restless and uneasy.

“My god—this is possible? This position… actually works?” Nolan’s eyes widened.

“Lin An is amazing! The textual description is so vivid!”

“As for vividness, I prefer the one about the two male insects. It’s beautiful—truly worth savoring—but it hasn’t been published yet. If it were, I’d definitely buy several copies.”

“Speaking of which, I’m curious—what will Lin An write next, now that he’s exposed the male insect’s plight in the first two books?” Nolan asked.

“If he wants to resolve the male insect’s predicament, the next book might center on male insects breaking free from their cages.”

“Do you think the MPA would let him publish that? I doubt it. The Empire prefers male insects as beautiful ornaments—forever dependent on them. Otherwise, why have they kept the male insect’s differentiation hallucination secret all these years?” Seth retorted angrily. “Are the Emperor and nobles just afraid ordinary females will learn about the ‘good deeds’ they committed centuries ago? Is *that* why there are so few male insects—and why so many military males die during their mental frenzy periods?”

“Alright, alright—we’re here to have fun today. Let’s drop this topic!” Li’an, sensing the conversation veering off course, swiftly changed the subject.

It was then that Seth noticed Samuel. He strode over, looking curious—and slightly excited. “Are you the S-level Your Excellency from the livestream?”

“Your words in the trial court that day were *so* satisfying!” Seth exclaimed, eyes sparkling. “You have no idea—my family’s soldiers were utterly stunned after hearing you speak! To this day, they still can’t believe a male insect could be so tolerant!”

“I was merely stating the facts,” Samuel replied with a polite smile.

Hearing this, Seth shoved Li’an aside and, with startling familiarity, placed the book he held directly into Samuel’s hands. “Come on—let’s enjoy the good stuff together!”

Samuel glanced down—the book read *Rut Daily*. His own book—being read aloud in public? For a fleeting second, he was so mortified he could’ve dug a three-story villa with his toes.

“No—I don’t really enjoy reading,” Samuel gently pushed the book back, offering Seth a polite yet awkward smile.

Assuming Samuel was just being shy, Seth waved carelessly. “This story’s nothing like those flashy novels! I guarantee you’ll love it once you start reading!”

Samuel averted his gaze—*Li’an, quick—pull him away!*

Rarely seeing Samuel so flustered, Li’an barely suppressed a laugh as he dragged Seth away. The group spent a pleasant afternoon together.

Though Samuel didn’t participate much, with Li’an chatting amiably and Seth occasionally blurting outrageous remarks, the afternoon passed enjoyably enough.

The gathering lasted until four in the afternoon. Before it ended, Samuel had already sent a message to Idris in advance.

So when the clock struck four, a familiar figure appeared punctually at the tea room door.

“Your Excellency, it’s time to go home,” Idris stood at the doorway, his gaze fixed on Samuel—eyes warm with quiet amusement.

“Brother—you’re *so* punctual!” Samuel’s eyes lit up at the sound, and he jogged toward the door.

The others inside heard the commotion and turned. Spotting Idris, they nodded in greeting.

Idris returned the gesture with effortless grace—and, as Samuel rushed up, deftly smoothed his hair.

After bidding the others farewell, Idris took Samuel’s hand and walked him home, softly asking, “Did Your Excellency enjoy yourself today?”

“Yes—I did!”

Watching the two walk away, Kalan nudged Li’an. “Why does His Excellency Samuel call Idris ‘brother’? Are they related by blood?”

“Wasn’t His Excellency rescued by accident?” Nolan leaned in, intrigued.

“He *was* rescued by accident,” Li’an shook his head, lowering his voice. “As for calling him ‘brother’… maybe that’s just their thing.”

“Huh?” Seth blinked, momentarily confused—then remembered Samuel had only recently undergone his second differentiation. He groaned, exasperated: “Then why does he seem *so calm* around his beloved insect? Could my differentiation be different from His Excellency’s? Surely the hallucination isn’t treating us differently—*is it?!* If so, I’m staging a full-blown protest!”

Li’an patted Seth’s upright tuft of hair like a dog’s, saying, “Could it be that His Excellency simply likes Idris *enough* to overcome the barrier?”

“Oh, I get it—you’re implying *I* don’t like my prospective partner enough,” Seth snapped, hands on hips, ready to brawl.

Li’an smiled, grabbed Kalan—who’d been watching the spectacle—and ducked into a corner. Seth, unwilling to let him go, chased them around the tea room, creating pandemonium.

While chaos reigned in the tea room, Samuel was already on his way home.

About twenty minutes later, the hovercar pulled up to their doorstep. As Samuel reached for the door handle after the vehicle stopped, Idris beat him to it.

Idris opened the car door, helped Samuel step out—and, as if perfectly rehearsed, covered Samuel’s eyes with his hand.

“Your Excellency, I’ve prepared a surprise for you today. Can you wait until we’re indoors before opening your eyes?”

“A surprise?” Samuel sounded both surprised—and faintly expectant.

Idris had been sequestered in his study for days. Every time Samuel asked what he was doing, Idris evaded the question—and refused further inquiry.

Could it be… a gift?

“Yes,” Idris guided Samuel toward the front door.

The moment they stepped inside, a rich floral fragrance enveloped him. Samuel inhaled deeply—and couldn’t help but ask, “Brother—is it ready yet?”

“Just a little longer.”

Idris led Samuel into the living room. The sofa—once piled high with plush toys—was now buried beneath tightly packed bouquets of blue flowers. Blooms spilled across the entire first floor, leaving only narrow paths leading to the front door and the staircase.

The formerly tidy coffee table now overflowed with ornamental trinkets and starstones—each carefully selected by Idris after extensive online research and discreet consultations with Yisang about male insect preferences. At the center sat three exquisitely wrapped boxes—gifts specially prepared by Idris himself.

“I’m letting go now, Your Excellency. Open your eyes—slowly.”

The hand lifted. Samuel blinked—and slowly opened his eyes. A sea of flowers filled his vision, leaving him momentarily speechless. When he turned toward the table—and was nearly blinded by the dazzling array of ornaments and starstones—his mind went utterly blank.

“Brother… why so many flowers and ornaments…?”

“Does Your Excellency like them?” Idris—uncharacteristically nervous and flustered—didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he gently guided Samuel onto the sofa and slid the two larger, unopened boxes toward him.

“Your Excellency—open them and see.”

“Brother…” Samuel’s throat felt dry. Something in the air felt profoundly different.

Under Idris’s eager gaze, Samuel opened the first box. Inside lay a set of Four Treasures of the Study—exquisitely crafted from black jade.

Each item bore delicate outlines of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums—etched in what appeared to be gold powder—and engraved with poems Samuel himself had written long ago.

The second box held a jade pendant—nearly identical in shape to the broken one. Only upon close inspection did subtle differences in the patterns emerge—but its craftsmanship was equally refined, revealing the immense care and effort invested by its maker.

“Brother… this jade pendant…” Samuel’s voice trembled, just slightly.

“You seemed truly fond of that broken one,” Idris said, now composed and steady. “I couldn’t find anything similar in the Imperial Capital—so I sourced comparable materials and had this made.”

"Perhaps this one cannot replace the broken one, but it's worth it if Your Excellency feels a bit better just by looking at it."

Idris's voice flowed like a gentle spring, soothing the suppressed sorrow hidden in the corners of Samuel's heart.

Holding the jade pendant, Samuel mused, lost in thought: So this is what it feels like to be cared about?

He had never mentioned what the pendant meant to him, yet Idris had noticed and personally crafted another one for him.

Samuel didn't know how Idris, with no experience or knowledge of working with jade, had managed to create it.

But it couldn't have been easy.

Yet Idris never mentioned it, only saying it was worth it if he was happy.

Idris treated him even better than his own brother.

Samuel's eyes grew warm, and he felt a mix of panic and helplessness. He didn't know how he could ever deserve Idris's kindness.

"Idris, why are you so good to me?" Samuel clutched the pendant. He looked up, and in Idris's purple eyes, he saw his own confusion and uncertainty reflected.

"Because I like... no, to be precise, because I adore Your Excellency."

"Adore?" Samuel's eyes widened.

"Yes, adore." Idris's gaze was fervent, his tone devout and resolute. "I adore Your Excellency. I want to become your mate, to stand by your side, and to stay with you forever."

"Of course, Your Excellency can also possess me, use me, and command me forever. I will always submit only to you, loyal only to you."

As he spoke, Idris opened the third box, revealing a ring set with a pale purple starstone.

He took out the ring, stood up, and knelt on one knee before Samuel. In a gesture of fealty, he took Samuel's right hand and placed the ring on it.

"This is the ring passed down through generations of the Norman family. Originally, it should have been given to you by my father, but I was too impatient, so I brought it ahead of time, hoping it would grace your hand today."

After sliding the ring onto Samuel's thumb, Idris admired it for a moment, then pressed a reverent kiss upon it.

"Your Excellency, will you give me this chance?" Idris asked, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Could he give it?

Samuel didn't know.

His mind was now a tangled mess.

Samuel couldn't understand. He had always seen himself as a younger brother and had never acted inappropriately, so how could Idris adore him?

Thus, Samuel asked, full of confusion, "But, Idris, you're my brother."

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Author's Note: Star Calendar 4056, September X, Sunny turning to Rain, Day X

Bro...ther? ?