Chapter 212

Chapter 212

When Asuer fully regained consciousness, the once-clean cabin reeked of sex. He looked down at the weight pressing on him.

The seat had been reclined to its maximum angle. Xue Ji lay on top of him, completely naked, head resting on his shoulder, one arm draped over Asuer's other shoulder. His warm breath spread slowly and rhythmically across Asuer's neck.

The tight, warm sensation made Asuer involuntarily tilt his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing. His arms tightened around Xue Ji's waist. He stared at the ceiling for a while, then shifted, grabbed Xue Ji's waist, and lifted him up.

Xue Ji didn't wake. The cabin was a mess—their clothes scattered everywhere, with a few suspicious wet spots. Asuer looked around and managed to find one wearable garment, draping it over Xue Ji to cover the kiss marks on his back and between his thighs.

After doing this, Asuer leaned back in the seat, wrapping his arms around Xue Ji, trying to recall what had happened.

Fragments of memory flickered through his mind.

He had pinned Xue Ji beneath him, trapped between himself and the narrow seat... and then?

Asuer closed his eyes.

...He had bitten Xue Ji's nape and held on for a long time without letting go.

Asuer's heart trembled. He quickly opened his eyes and lifted Xue Ji's hair. Then he froze.

There wasn't a single patch of intact skin on that area. The spot where the vestigial gland was located was covered in bite marks. The blood had dried, but the wounds were still horrifying. Asuer's fingers trembled as he reached under the robe, feeling around. When he pulled his hand out, his fingertips were stained red and white.

For a moment, his mind went blank. Then he remembered how, over the course of those few hours, he had stubbornly and obsessively tried to mark Xue Ji, how he had fixated on him, searching frantically for a cavity that didn't exist.

That was Alpha instinct in a state of madness.

"Even setting everything else aside, Your Majesty, can you bear the pain of being unable to mark your lover?"

Serrick's words flashed through his mind.

Asuer hurriedly propped Xue Ji up and examined him closely. He noticed that Xue Ji's cheeks were unnaturally flushed, not to mention the state of his neck and chest.

Even in that cave, he hadn't been this rough.

Xue Ji's forehead burned incredibly hot.

Asuer began to tremble. He thought he could control it. He thought Xue Ji wouldn't let him go this far.

Xue Ji had plenty of ways to stop him. Why didn't he?

Why didn't he?

A deep, belated dread swept over Asuer.

He had nearly bitten through Xue Ji's neck. He had nearly fucked Xue Ji to death in this cabin.

There was a medical kit in the cabin. Asuer pulled it out, found wound medicine and bandages, but his hands were shaking so badly he could barely manage.

He slapped himself, forcing himself to calm down, uncapped the medicine, and poured it onto Xue Ji's nape. He wrapped gauze around Xue Ji's entire neck, then roughly dressed them both and carried Xue Ji toward the bedchamber.

Xue Ji was a light sleeper, but he didn't wake during the walk from the garden to the bedchamber. Asuer had no idea how he even made it back. He laid Xue Ji on the bed, sent a message to Devalen to summon a doctor, and then began tending to Xue Ji's wounds.

By the time Devalen had rushed over with the doctor, who diagnosed and treated Xue Ji and then left the palace, it was already late at night. Asuer sat down. The cold sweat had dried on his skin.

He reached out and grasped Xue Ji's hand under the blanket. After the fever injection, Xue Ji's temperature was gradually returning to normal. He slept deeply, sunk into the bedding.

"Your Majesty." Devalen had returned and called him from outside the door, his voice muffled.

Asuer wiped his face, went out, and left the door ajar.

Devalen wore a filtered mask and a suppressor collar. He kept his head down, not looking directly at Asuer. "The trial for Villard and the others is set for eight tomorrow morning. Will you attend?"

The judge was their man. Everything was prepared. The trial was just a formality, leading to the final verdict. But the Monarch had to be present to show authority.

Asuer glanced back at the door and nodded. "I'll go."

Devalen took his leave.

"Wait." Asuer called him back. "Prepare a muzzle with a fingerprint lock for me."

Devalen paused, instinctively looked toward the door, only seeing a small lump under the covers on the bed. He looked at the Monarch and, wise enough not to ask any questions, said, "Yes, sire."

The bedchamber fell silent again. Asuer returned to the bedside and sat down, but he was wide awake.

The flush on Xue Ji's face had faded, returning to its usual state. His complexion was already somewhat pale, and lying there unconscious made him look especially pitiful.

Pitiful.

Asuer silently repeated those words.

Xue Ji had always given the impression of being refined and rational, cold and calm. As if he could stay clear-headed at every moment, handle everything with ease, and have everything under control. Such a person didn't come across as pitiful. Even Asuer had never thought so.

He looked at Xue Ji and began to wonder why again.

Why, after all? Willing to let himself be bitten bloody and not push him away.

He was a Beta. There was no reason to choose an Alpha.

Asuer thought vaguely: Could Xue Ji really like him that much?

From the beginning, he hadn't wanted to dwell on this question. They had gotten together in a muddled way, in a situation where every move was impulsive. Yes, Xue Ji had expressed his desire for control over Asuer, but that might not have been out of affection—it could have been out of a need to conquer, a sense of challenge, or just for fun, or for some other reason.

Xue Ji had never said he liked him, or...

love.

So Asuer was unsettled, easily rattled by Serrick's words. He was always afraid that once the novelty wore off, Xue Ji would abandon him.

*

But now, could he still think that way?

Asuer sat through the entire night. It wasn't until Devalen sent him a reminder that he moved his numb legs, got up, and freshened up, changed into his formal attire, and headed to the military court.

The midday sunlight pierced through the gaps in the velvet curtains, falling straight onto the bed in the center of the bedchamber. A narrow strip of light fell across his eyelids. The man on the bed's lashes trembled. A few seconds later, he slowly opened his eyes, momentarily blinded by the glaring light.

Xue Ji squinted, raised an arm to cover his eyes. His mind was still unusually hazy. He lay there in that position for a few minutes before memory slowly returned.

Knocked out again. Pathetic.

He pushed himself up. A constricting sensation came from his neck. He reached up and touched the texture of gauze. He looked around and realized he was in the Monarch's bedchamber. By the bedside were his optical brain and glasses. The owner of the bedchamber was nowhere to be seen.

Xue Ji retrieved his glasses and optical brain and put them on. He checked the time—just past noon. The soreness in his lower back and between his thighs felt like he had done a hundred deep squats in a minute. Xue Ji adjusted for a moment, then threw off the covers and got out of bed.

Asuer's bedchamber was fully carpeted. He couldn't find his slippers anywhere, so he simply stepped onto the floor barefoot. The robe he wore was far too large and obviously not his. Xue Ji looked around but didn't see his own clothes, so he walked to the wardrobe and opened it to search for something he could wear.

After a long search, all he found were either formal uniforms or long robes. Just as he was about to give up, his fingers accidentally touched a hard object. Xue Ji paused and lifted the layers of garments. At the very bottom, a wooden photo frame lay face down.

Xue Ji picked it up, and an unexpected image came into view. It was a three-person photo. The background was clearly the palace garden, but at that time the garden hadn't been full of roses—just ordinary lawn. The man on the right had a decent but slightly paunchy figure, making him look somewhat puffy. His green eyes stared straight ahead. The woman on the left had healthy wheat-colored skin, high brow and deep-set eyes, and golden hair braided into a single plait hanging over her chest, with a few small blue flowers in her ear. The little boy in the middle had a face Xue Ji knew all too well—short golden hair neatly falling over his forehead, green eyes still watery with youth.

Clearly, this was a seemingly harmonious family photo—because apart from the man who was smiling, the other two in the picture were not. The man’s hand rested on the woman’s shoulder, but her head tilted slightly in the opposite direction, her body leaning away, her eyes coldly fixed on the camera. Her entire body language conveyed distance and dislike for the man beside her. The little boy with a taut face looked somewhat at a loss, his expression revealing a melancholy beyond his years.

Xue Ji’s fingertips brushed over the overly thin cheek of the boy in the middle, at an age when his cheeks should have been fuller. He looked down for a long time.

“…The execution date is set for seven days from now. All those implicated are currently detained in prison, and sentencing will proceed according to the severity of their crimes. The area where Villard stationed his troops was breached last night, but a small portion managed to escape. Serrick is leading a pursuit.”

“I understand. For the vacant position of Speaker, have Doniel and the others temporarily fill in according to the previous arrangements. The official appointment order will be issued as soon as possible.”

The faint sound of conversation drifted in from outside. Xue Ji stirred, inadvertently straining the wound on his back, and couldn’t help but let out a soft hiss.

The conversation outside stopped abruptly. A few seconds later, the Monarch’s voice sounded again: “Give that to me. You may leave first.”

Devalen murmured an acknowledgment, and soon there was silence.

The bedchamber door opened, and the Monarch stepped in, immediately spotting Xue Ji standing by the wardrobe, his heart tightening. He quickly walked over and steadied him by the waist. “Why aren’t you lying down?”

Xue Ji glanced back at the Monarch and raised the photo frame in his hand. “I wanted to change into some clothes.” The fleeting glimpse of the photo caught the Monarch’s attention; he looked down and was momentarily stunned into silence. “Instead, I found this. You were pretty cute as a kid. No other photos?”

Asuer raised a hand slightly, as if he momentarily wanted to take the frame from Xue Ji, but then, for some reason, he pulled his hand back. He looked away, his throat dry. “…No, just this one.”

Xue Ji leaned back, feeling the arm around his waist tighten, and then rested most of his weight on the Alpha behind him. He looked closely at the photo. “You take after your mother more.”

Asuer was quiet for a moment. “No one’s ever said that.”

Xue Ji tilted his head up to look at him, catching only the tense line of the Monarch’s lips. He put the photo back into the wardrobe and, with the Monarch half-supporting and half-guiding him, walked toward the bed. “Are the trials for Villard over?”

“Yes.” Asuer knew he didn’t like being carried, so he tightened his arm around him, trying to minimize the effort Xue Ji had to exert. “Sentenced to death, execution by firing squad in seven days.”

Xue Ji snorted. “That’s letting them off easy.” He turned and sat down, and Asuer quickly pulled a blanket over to cushion him. “Now there are many vacancies in both the Parliament and the Academy of Sciences, and the core top executives of several major conglomerates have been arrested.” He took a nutrient pack from the bedside table. “The doctor said you can only eat liquid foods for a few days. Drink this nutrient pack first to hold you over. I’ve already sent someone to buy your favorite foods and also hired a chef. You can have those once you’ve recovered.”

Xue Ji paused. “You called a doctor?”

“Only for your neck.” Asuer took his hand, unscrewed the nutrient pack, and pressed it into his palm, then touched the gauze on his neck. “Everything else I handled.”

Was this the issue? Having to call a doctor because of sex—how embarrassing.

Xue Ji was silent for a while. Asuer gazed at him, urging him to drink. Xue Ji let out a silent sigh, picked it up, and took hesitant sips, listening to Asuer murmur in his ear, “Should I have them move everything of yours in the palace here?”

Xue Ji nodded indifferently. Remembering what Asuer had said, he replied, “No need to hire a chef. There aren’t any good ones around anyway. I’ll just transfer a few household service robots from my place.”

Asuer agreed, and then fell silent. Xue Ji finished the entire nutrient pack slowly, but there was still no follow-up. He cast a puzzled glance at Asuer.

Without a word, Asuer pulled something out from behind him.

Xue Ji looked closely. It was a black-steel muzzle.

“?” He looked at Asuer.

Asuer touched the muzzle. “I… sometimes I can’t control myself. From now on, every time… put this on me. Only your fingerprint can unlock it.”

Xue Ji was reluctant. If he put that on, how could he kiss Asuer? And he didn’t quite understand—after a night’s sleep, why had Asuer’s thoughts suddenly turned to a muzzle?

Then he felt a gentle touch on the back of his neck, and saw a flicker of fear in Asuer’s eyes. It dawned on him. He was stunned for a moment, for the first time unsure what tone to use with the Monarch. After a while, he said, “My dear Majesty, you’re far too timid. Frightened just because of one intense round? The days ahead are long. What will you do?”

Something in those words struck Asuer. His eyes glimmered, emotions churning beneath the surface, but in the end, he still stared at Xue Ji with determination.

Xue Ji felt a headache coming on.

To be honest, when the pleasure peaked, who cared about a little pain?

He had just gotten a little wild once—how did that turn Asuer into a snail retreating into its shell?

Saying “I enjoyed it too” would be too blunt, and saying “It’s unnecessary” would dismiss his concern.

Just as he was struggling, Asuer asked again: “You don’t want me to use the muzzle?”

Without thinking, Xue Ji nodded.

“Then… are you still willing to go to bed with me?”

The question was a bit weird, but Xue Ji nodded anyway.

Obviously, he wasn’t a prude.

Asuer was still for a moment. “Do you really… like me?”

Xue Ji was startled. He looked at Asuer and met his green eyes—they held no trace of a joke, only a calm, almost burning sincerity.

“I really… like you very much.” The Monarch’s voice was rough. “I didn’t do this with you just to satisfy my desires. Not from the start. I want you to be my queen. No one else—just you.”

Xue Ji was stunned. He never imagined hearing those words from Asuer. Too raw, too honest—it caught him completely off guard.

He didn’t speak, and for a moment the Monarch’s eyes dimmed.

“You’ve never said it.” Asuer lowered his gaze. “If your feelings are the same as mine, just say it. Even a few words are enough. I want to hear them.”

His anxiety and lack of security were all laid bare in those final, almost pleading words.

Xue Ji looked at him, sighed after a long moment, and touched his face.

“I let you fuck me. What more proof do you need that I like you?”