By this point, female Zerg readers had already begun discussing it in the comments.
[Such a handsome and beautiful Male Zerg. Lick lick.]
[This is the first time I've seen a Male Zerg with this kind of style. Just from the text, I can imagine how charming His Excellency must be.]
[The title is “Instructor.” Is he really a Male Zerg from the military? The military recruits Male Zergs?]
[They do, but the requirements are extremely high. Most Male Zergs can't even meet the physical standards for enlistment. Even if they pass the fitness test, most fail to survive pre-service training. Male Zerg soldiers are incredibly rare.]
[So at minimum, this is a B-rank, maybe even an A-rank His Excellency. The exceptionally outstanding kind.]
[So... was that line in the synopsis serious? A devil instructor really trained such a rare Male Zerg half to death?]
[Claire is doomed. His psychic domain is already damaged and desperately needs psychic soothing from a Male Zerg. Then the one he gets matched with turns out to be a Male Zerg he has a history with. His Excellency definitely won't let him off.]
[He deserves it.]
[I feel like it's not that simple... Claire's reaction is very strange.]
...
【Having already been called out, Claire lost his chance to leave.
He could only walk over and greet the Male Zerg.
“Xi'an... Your Excellency.”
He used the honorific reserved for Male Zergs.
Back in the military, he had been Xi'an's superior officer. Naturally, he hadn't needed to address him that way.
But outside the military, things were different.
Claire's gaze lingered on the Male Zerg as he felt that he had changed considerably.
More mature.
More composed.
It had been a very long time since they had seen each other.
Ever since Claire departed on the expedition, they had never met again.
Before that, he had received Xi'an's application to join the expeditionary force.
He had rejected it.
The Federation would never allow a Male Zerg onto the battlefield, much less an expedition beyond Zerg territory.
This was their first meeting since his return from the expedition.
Perhaps he should say something.
Something like, “Long time no see.”
Or perhaps congratulate him on his promotion to Second Lieutenant.
Or tell him to put less ice in his drinks...
No, that wouldn't be appropriate.
Male Zergs were usually rebellious and self-centered. They would never appreciate that sort of parental lecturing.
But he could also smell alcohol.
It was an alcoholic drink.
Claire frowned slightly as he looked at the Male Zerg with concealed disapproval in his eyes.
Xi'an chuckled.
“Don't look at me like that, Instructor. It's just low-alcohol fruit wine. It won't do any harm to a Male Zerg's body.”
“I didn't mean that...”
Claire awkwardly shifted his gaze away, only to suddenly notice another drink sitting across the table.
Clearly prepared for someone else.
€€€€He was meeting someone.
Claire's breathing stalled for an instant.
Of course.
Bloomflower Hotel was famous as a dating destination for couples.
Anyone who came here naturally had company.
Perhaps because his psychic domain was already in such terrible condition, Claire suddenly felt dizzy. His vision doubled for a brief moment.
“Instructor, are you alright? You look awful.”
Xi'an reached out, wanting to support him, concern visible in his eyes.
“No, I'm fine.”
Claire stepped back and avoided the hand reaching toward him.
He knew exactly how terrible he looked right now.
Disheveled.
Bloodshot eyes.
A sickly complexion.
Like a female Zerg who was about to be sent to a Berserk Female Zerg Containment Facility.
He shouldn't stay here any longer.
Forcing himself to remain composed, Claire said,
“I didn't expect to meet Your Excellency here. Since you have an appointment, I won't disturb you.”
With a slight bow, he turned and left.
Xi'an: “???”
“Wait!”
Xi'an called after him.
He was so irritated by Claire's actions that he almost laughed. The calm, noble composure from earlier disappeared, revealing a sharp edge underneath.
“You've only just arrived and you're already leaving? That's not very appropriate, is it?”
“Abandoning a Male Zerg alone isn't the behavior of a well-mannered female Zerg... Or is this something you do often?”
“Oh right. There was a certain someone who dumped me alone on Ninth Planet and ran off on an expedition.”
By the end, the barbs in his words had become almost tangible.
Claire was forced to stop.
The Male Zerg's anger was unmistakable.
He couldn't leave.
Xi'an was still the same Xi'an.
Even if he appeared more mature and steady on the outside, his resentment toward Claire hadn't faded with time.
If anything, it had only grown stronger.
Silently, Claire returned.
If this could ease the Male Zerg's anger even a little...
“Sit. Let's talk.”
Xi'an stared at him, his tone still cold.
Claire hesitated slightly when his eyes landed on the blue drink.
But beneath the Male Zerg's unwavering gaze, he ultimately obeyed and sat down.
Seeing him take a seat, Xi'an's expression softened somewhat.
His mind gradually calmed.
An A-rank Male Zerg's exceptional psychic power and memory allowed him to recall every word and action Claire had displayed moments ago.
Including the subtle changes in his expression.
And he finally understood why Claire had suddenly tried to leave.
To protect a Male Zerg's privacy, the genetic matching information sent to female Zergs never included the Male Zerg's complete profile.
Before meeting, the female Zerg only knew the Male Zerg's age, rank, and whether he already had a Female Lord or attendants.
Claire probably hadn't even carefully looked at those few details.
He knew Xi'an had an appointment.
But he didn't know the one Xi'an was meeting was him.
“...”
Xi'an was speechless.
Even if he hadn't known beforehand, now that he had seen him sitting here, how could he still be this dense?
“Does psychic domain damage affect intelligence?”
Xi'an asked stiffly.
Claire treated it as an ordinary insult.
Lowering his eyes, he replied along with the Male Zerg's words,
“Perhaps it does.”
With that response, Xi'an suddenly found himself unable to mock him.
He really did look miserable.
Pale.
Exhausted.
Lifeless around the eyes.
Without meaning to, Xi'an imagined a pitiful female Zerg on the verge of dying from illness.
Pressing his lips together, he asked awkwardly,
“Why didn't you come find me?”
“What?”
Claire looked confused.
“Your psychic domain is damaged. Why didn't you come find me? I'm a Male Zerg. I could help you.”
Xi'an wanted an answer.
Facing the genuine confusion in the Male Zerg's eyes, Claire opened his mouth dryly but found himself unable to speak.
Psychic soothing was an extremely private matter.
A female Zerg could pay a large sum to hire a professional psychic soother. A straightforward transaction.
But asking a Male Zerg from his personal life for psychic soothing was different.
It was practically the same as inviting a Male Zerg to bed.
In fact, it was even more direct and intrusive.
How could he possibly harass a former subordinate like that?
Turning his head away awkwardly, Claire avoided the question and simply said,
“I'm getting married.”
As a female Zerg who was about to enter marriage, it would be even more inappropriate to seek psychic soothing from another Male Zerg.
That would be considered promiscuous and unfaithful.
Although Claire himself didn't care much about chastity.
He had only decided to get married today.
Whether it would actually happen was still uncertain.
But he couldn't drag Xi'an into scandal.
Not even the possibility of it.
When Claire mentioned marriage, Xi'an's eyes flickered.
Lowering his head, he bit his straw and took a sip of the sweet chilled fruit wine.
“Have you already decided?”
“About getting married?”
he asked quietly.
“Not yet. But it's only a matter of time.”
Now that the topic had been spoken aloud, Claire unexpectedly felt calmer.
Or perhaps he had simply given up.
He had to get married eventually.
If not to this Male Zerg, then to another.
His mental condition no longer allowed him to keep delaying.
There had even been a moment when Claire had considered ending everything.
The thing he truly wanted could never happen.
And the consequences of psychic collapse were too horrific.
Too ugly.
The female Zergs in the Military Region Prison were the perfect example.
Every female Zerg imprisoned there had suffered psychic collapse.
They had once fought desperately for the Federation.
Had earned glorious military achievements.
Yet after losing their sanity, they were locked away for life.
Spending the remainder of their existence inside prison cells.
Claire refused to end up like that.
He would rather end his own life than become a monster stripped of self-awareness.
Though he kept telling Xi'an that he planned to marry, he hadn't actually figured out how to enter a marriage with a complete stranger.
He wasn't even sure he could do it.
“And you?”
Maintaining the calm mask on his face, Claire asked,
“Did you come here because you're preparing to... get married as well?”
The final words were spoken so softly they sounded almost like a sigh.
Xi'an glanced at him.
His gaze flickered before he answered in a low voice.
“Yes.”
“I see... congratulations.”
Claire's voice had become hoarse.
All strength suddenly left him.
He should be congratulated.
He had found a female Zerg he liked.
Back in the Ninth Legion, every unmarried military female Zerg had admired Xi'an.
Yet he had never responded to any of them.
Some said His Excellency Xi'an simply had standards that were too high and looked down on the female Zergs of the Ninth Legion.
Others speculated that he already had someone he loved and was secretly dating them, which was why he refused to become involved with anyone else.
Looking at it now, this ending wasn't really surprising.
After a long silence, Xi'an suddenly asked,
“What do you expect from marriage and from a Male Zerg?”
Claire's mind was blank.
It took him a moment to process the question.
“I have no requirements.”
he answered quietly.
“How can you have no requirements?”
Xi'an became irritated by the answer.
“Surely you wouldn't marry just any Male Zerg?”
Claire looked at the red-haired Male Zerg, who had somehow become angry again.
A beautiful Male Zerg still looked beautiful when angry.
Like a strawberry.
A fruit imported from another star system.
Bright red.
Beautiful.
Sweet and juicy.
Male Zergs loved them.
The only problem was that they were far too delicate.
Very difficult to cultivate.
A harsh environment like Ninth Planet could never support them.
When Xi'an had first arrived in the Ninth Legion, he had been just like a delicate strawberry.
Claire still remembered seeing that beautiful Male Zerg frowning in the wind and sand from afar while he had been assigned to receive him.
At the time, he had assumed the Male Zerg wouldn't last half a day before voluntarily leaving the Ninth Legion.
Instead, Xi'an had proven unexpectedly stubborn and resilient.
Driven by sheer determination to oppose him at every turn, he had somehow survived pre-service training.
In the end, he had even been assigned directly under Claire's command.
That delicate strawberry had taken root on the harsh soil of Ninth Planet.
And eventually produced the sweetest and most beautiful fruit.
“Instructor? Are you even listening to me?”
Xi'an waved a hand in front of him, looking puzzled.
Claire snapped back to reality.
“Sorry. I drifted off again...”
Ever since his psychic domain was damaged, concentrating had become increasingly difficult.
His thoughts scattered more and more easily.
Without realizing it, he would constantly lose focus.
“What were you saying?”
Claire asked.
“...Surely you wouldn't marry just any Male Zerg?”
Xi'an repeated quietly.
Concern filled his gaze as he looked at Claire.
“You've seen my condition.”
Claire gave a silent, bitter smile.
“A female Zerg who can barely control his own consciousness anymore... what qualifications do I have to make demands?”
“As long as they can provide psychic soothing, that's enough.”
As long as they could provide psychic soothing.
It sounded less like he was looking for a husband and more like he was looking for a psychic treatment device.
There wasn't the slightest trace of emotion in it.
Xi'an wanted to mock him.
But seeing how exhausted Claire looked, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
“Then... let's get married.”
...】
Author's Note:
The dark brackets 【】 contain the novel-within-the-novel content.
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