Chapter 59 Accepting Confession

Chapter 59: Accepting the Confession

But before that, there were some things he absolutely had to clarify.

"Primary Consort?" Idris turned his face away, avoiding Samuel's kiss, and pushed him away. Touching the scab on his face, he said mockingly, "My face is full of scars and no longer resembles the insectoid in the portrait. What does Your Excellency still want me as a primary consort for? To gaze at the other half and think of another?"

"Your Excellency is truly devoted to that insectoid." Idris let out a cold laugh, his tone tinged with self-mockery. "There's one thing I've always wanted to ask. Since Your Excellency likes that insectoid so much, why not go find him instead of clinging to my side?"

"Or perhaps, Your peculiar habit is to look at a substitute while thinking of the original?"

"I don't." Samuel sat back down on the edge of the bed, hanging his head, his hands twisting together uneasily, his expression aggrieved. He had finally mustered the courage to be assertive once, but with Idris's push, that resolve immediately dissipated. "Idris, I told you I don't see you as a substitute. Why won't you believe me?"

Idris scoffed. "Your Excellency, you offer no explanation, merely insisting repeatedly that I'm not a substitute. But were those portraits forced upon you by another insectoid?"

Since he had already asked, Idris decided to lay everything out on the table. Having worried for days without seeing Samuel had already been his limit. He didn't want any more conflicts with Samuel over this matter.

"What Your Excellency does and what you say are completely contradictory. How can you expect me to believe you? How am I supposed to believe you?"

"But that insectoid isn't just anyone else; he was my elder brother." Thinking of his brother and those past memories he'd rather not recall, Samuel's eyes quickly reddened. "You told me to go find him. But Idris, I can't find my brother anymore."

Can't find him? Could it be that insectoid has already passed away?

Idris's heart trembled. He realized he might have asked an inappropriate question at an inopportune time.

But what's done cannot be undone. He could only brace himself and press on, determined to get the answers he wanted.

"Why can't you find him anymore?" Idris asked tentatively.

"He passed away. He died two years ago." Like a child finding a pillar of support, Samuel, tears in his eyes, looked through his blurred vision at the female insectoid, his expression gradually softening, and poured out his grief. "Idris, there will never again be an insectoid who calls me Mingxi, buys me my favorite pastries and books, and promises to take me away when the apricot blossoms bloom."

All along, Samuel hadn't dared to face the fact of his brother's death. He was afraid that dwelling on it too much would rob him of even the courage to live on alone.

But now it was different. He wanted to live, he wanted to stay with Idris, he wanted to spend many, many tomorrows with him. And to move forward, he had to confront the past; he could no longer deceive himself.

"Idris, I don't have an elder brother anymore."

When he said this, Samuel's voice was very low, almost like a murmur to himself.

"So that's why you were so shocked when you first saw me?" Suppressing the urge to comfort the male insectoid, Idris thought of the longing look in Samuel's eyes when he saw him at the hospital and continued asking, "And the second time? Did Your Excellency also mistake me during our second meeting at the hospital?"

"Yes." Samuel nodded, explaining, "After being rescued from the dark alley, I lost the memories of the past two years. I forgot that my brother had already passed away, but subconsciously I refused to accept this fact. Coupled with your striking resemblance to my brother, I mistook you for him. That's also why I wanted to follow you."

"Then why did you call me 'gege'?" In this whole matter, aside from the issue of being a substitute, this was what Idris cared about most.

"Because... when I was little, I was very slow to speak, and was always bullied by other insectoids. My brother wanted me to start talking, so he told me, 'gege' means family. As long as I called him that, he would protect me forever." Samuel took a steadying breath, feeling a pang of sadness. "But at the time, I couldn't make a sound; I never uttered those words, 'gege'."

"After my brother passed away, I kept wondering if it was because I didn't say those two words back then that my brother left this world. So when I saw you, subconsciously I thought, maybe this was a chance given to me by fate."

"That's why, that morning, I tentatively asked you if I could call you gege. You weren't very willing at the time, but you still agreed. I was incredibly, incredibly happy then, feeling like I had caught hold of something important, and that I had caught hold of you." Samuel tentatively reached for Idris's hand. "But you seemed to dislike those two words, so I won't call you that anymore from now on."

So, Samuel's stubborn insistence on him being a gege, and constantly calling him that, was because of this?

Actually, he didn't particularly dislike the address 'gege'. Before, he had refused, thinking that Samuel was thinking of another insectoid when seeing him, and also wanting to test Samuel's feelings towards the insectoid in the portrait, which is why he deliberately said that the address could cause misunderstandings.

But just now, Samuel consistently referred to that insectoid as 'elder brother', so he roughly understood that the address 'gege' was uniquely his.

Then there was no need for the male insectoid to change it.

Of course, Idris also had his own selfish reasons. Every time Samuel called him gege, there was always an unconsciously rising lilt at the end, an unconscious, pleading tone, both obedient and adorable. He liked it very much.

"I don't dislike it, Your Excellency... no need to change it."

"But you said before—" it could easily make other insectoids misunderstand our relationship.

Before he could finish, Samuel suddenly stopped. He stared at Idris, blinking belatedly. Gege said he doesn't dislike it? Does that mean he's not angry anymore?

"Gege?" Samuel asked cautiously, testing the waters.

"Mmm." With the misunderstanding cleared up, Idris no longer kept a cold face. He gently returned Samuel's handhold, a trace of tender smile appearing in his eyes.

"Gege, gege, gege, gege!"

Calling out 'gege' several times in a row, Samuel's mood suddenly brightened. Carefully controlling his strength, he threw himself into Idris's arms, cautiously avoiding the wound, nuzzling and rubbing against the female insectoid's chest until his hair became tousled and messy, some strands sticking up, like a little dog with ruffled fur.

After more than half a month, finally holding the insectoid in his arms again, Idris couldn't help but let out a sigh of contentment.

He had finally caught him.

"Gege, I've finished explaining." Samuel finally settled down, his chin resting on Idris's chest, his head slightly raised. "Can you answer the question from earlier now?"

Idris lowered his head. The male insectoid was looking at him eagerly, his originally gloomy black eyes now sparkling like stars. Reaching up to gently smooth down Samuel's tousled hair, Idris asked jokingly, "Does Your Excellency not find the scar on my right cheek ugly? Aren't you afraid other insectoids will mock you for having a disfigured primary consort?"

Among insectoids, military females, due to their overly robust builds, have never been as favored by male insectoids as the more delicate and graceful sub-females. Thus, appearance and status become the most important stepping stones for a military female. If a military female's appearance is damaged, it essentially dooms him to never again attract a male insectoid's attention.

"I'm not afraid." Samuel pressed on Idris's shoulder, leaning up. His fingertips traced down the crisscrossing scar. When they reached the bottom, his fingers turned, cradling Idris's cheek. He tenderly placed a light kiss on it. "This isn't a scar; it's a badge of honor. I'm proud that my future primary consort is a hero who defends the Empire."

A badge of honor? A hero?

Idris's pupils widened slightly, his eyelashes trembling involuntarily. The male insectoid didn't find him ugly; instead, he was praising him?

"Your Excellency truly doesn't mind?" Idris found it somewhat hard to believe.

Even though when the star beast's claw had slashed across his face, he had already anticipated that this male insectoid might not mind as much as others. But actually hearing the male insectoid's answer, he still couldn't quite believe it, as if in a dream.

"I mind, but I also don't mind." Samuel traced the outline of the scab. "I don't mind because what I like is gege, you as an insectoid, not because of anything else. Whether gege has scars or not, I like you all the same. My feelings won't change just because gege has a scar; that wouldn't be true liking."

"And what about the 'minding' part?" Idris couldn't help but ask.

"I mind because gege minds." Samuel's expression dimmed. "Moreover, Ray said there's poison on the wound. When gege returns to the Imperial Capital Star to treat the injury, the scab will have to be removed for the wound to heal properly. Gege will definitely be in a lot of pain then."

"Gege, I don't like it when you get hurt." Samuel hugged Idris, saying, "Don't get hurt anymore from now on, okay?"

"Okay." Idris's heart melted into a puddle under Samuel's pleading voice. Smelling the unique pine scent on the male insectoid, he suddenly asked, "Your Excellency, may I kiss you?"

The topic shifted too quickly. Samuel didn't react immediately. By the time he processed the meaning, his waist was already encircled and his head steadied. The female insectoid's distinctive scent gradually drew near, enveloping him.

It had been a long time since the female insectoid had last taken the initiative to kiss him. Samuel had very little kissing experience; the few times he had, the other party had always been Idris.

But Samuel found it strange. It was the same insectoid, so why did the feeling of the kiss seem different?

The first time he was kissed, Idris's lips were soft and sweet, lingering by his lips, like a specially offered wisteria-flavored pastry. This time, being kissed, those lips were still very soft and sweet, but the delicious pastry kept darting about. He couldn't catch up, ended up breathless from the chase, and ultimately became the one being devoured.

Samuel felt this was unfair. Gege couldn't bully him just because he lacked experience and wasn't very strong.

With a hint of petty temper, Samuel, with a bit of mischief, gently bit Idris's lip. Idris was amused by this sudden little action. He leaned close to Samuel's ear and asked, "Why did Your Excellency bite me?"

Samuel widened his eyes, wearing an expression that said, 'How dare you play the victim!' "It's gege who went too far, not letting me catch my breath!"

Idris chuckled softly, tucking the stray strands of Samuel's hair behind his ear. His voice was gentle, carrying a hint of indulgence. "If I'm this bad, then what does Your Excellency want to do about it?"

What now?

Samuel stared at Idris's damp lips parting and closing, then suddenly reached out to hook his neck, biting down with a fierce yet cute intensity. Amid the nibbling, scattered words escaped through the heated breaths.

"Brother, don't move, and don't resist..."

Idris chuckled softly, supporting Samuel's back, his fingertips gently rubbing the blushing tips of the male's ears as he parted his lips to welcome him. He softened his force, guiding the male to explore with his tongue and kiss him.

Soft breaths and muffled whimpers filled the room.

Just as Samuel finally got his wish, savoring the sweet that had come to him willingly, the door was suddenly pounded with a loud "bang, bang, bang."

Startled, Idris deftly pulled back. He quickly straightened his collar, held Samuel against his shoulder, and raised his slightly flushed eyes toward the door. "Who is it?"

"Major General, Director Bran would like to come over later to discuss the follow-up arrangements for Mental Grooming. When would be a convenient time for the Director to visit?" Ray didn't open the door or enter the room, instead asking directly from outside.

"In half an hour," Idris replied.

Having received a definite time, Ray responded with an "okay" and left the doorway.

Samuel lay on Idris's shoulder, finally coming back to his senses and remembering the question he had pushed to the back of his mind.

"Brother, what's your answer?" Samuel twirled a strand of white hair by his hand. "Are you willing to be my consort?"

Idris brushed aside the stray strands of hair, lifted Samuel's fingertips, and kissed them gently.

"I do."

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Author's note: Enjoy the feast!

Stellar Calendar 4056, October X, Sunny, Weekday X

We met by chance, and it was just what I desired.

＊

Stellar Calendar 4056, October X, Very Sunny, Weekday X

Your Excellency, who obediently lets me kiss you, I like.

Your Excellency, who’s a little mischievous, I also like.

Your Excellency, who’s a bit temperamental, I still like.

I like him so much. [Blushing]