Following a collaborative consultation between the three Zerg, they ultimately settled on a design: Aseya would wear a pristine white ensemble, while Lu Li would don a soft, light blue suit.
As night fell and a blanket of shimmering stars adorned the sky, Lu Li and Aseya stepped side-by-side into the gala venue. Draped in their meticulously crafted matching couple’s attire, they instantly became the absolute focal point of the entire hall.
Aseya was dressed in a moonlight-white formal suit. Under the cascading chandeliers, the fabric cast a soft, ethereal luster that perfectly complemented his noble, icy demeanor.
The design of his suit was minimalist yet undeniably luxurious. Tied elegantly around his waist was a slender silver sash that directly mirrored the intricate embroidery on Lu Li’s light blue attire. It simultaneously accentuated his trim waistline while weaving a subtle, undeniable visual link to his partner.
Beside him, Lu Li wore a deep, pale blue custom suit featuring crisp tailoring and fluid lines that perfectly outlined his athletic yet youthful physique.
The suit featured exquisite silver-thread embroidery, tracing delicate patterns along the collar and cuffs that gleamed like the brightest constellations in a night sky.
His gaze was profound and tender, his eyes brimming with a warm fondness. With a composed, effortless smile playing upon his lips, he exuded the consummate grace of a true gentleman.
Standing together, the gentle pale blue and the pristine, cool white intertwined beautifully, creating a picture of breathtaking harmony.
While Lu Li and Aseya’s formalwear harmonized flawlessly through shared details, each suit retained its own distinctive flair a poetic reflection of their relationship: profoundly intertwined, yet completely whole in their independence.
Illuminated by the venue’s lights, they looked exceptionally well-matched.
“Is that General Aseya and his Male Lord?”
“Oh, my goodness, General Aseya’s Male Lord is incredibly handsome! And he looks so genuinely sweet-tempered.”
“I know, right? Word is he’s an A-rank noble male.”
“You’re kidding me! To be that striking, have such a gentle disposition, possess A-rank genetics, and dote on General Aseya to that extent? The General’s luck is simply out of this world.”
“I heard the General and his Male Lord share a perfect 100% compatibility rating. They are literally a match made in heaven.”
“I am honestly exhausted from being this envious.”
The moment Lu Li and Aseya made their grand entrance, they captured the rapt attention of every male and female Zerg in attendance.
However, watching Lu Li steal the spotlight with such effortless charm rubbed several high-society noble males entirely the wrong way.
A few immediately began voicing their disgruntled complaints in hushed, bitter tones.
“Look at him putting on a show. Cultivating a ‘deeply devoted’ persona… please. I refuse to believe an A-rank male will settle for a single Ci jun without eventually taking a flock of Ci shi.”
A neighboring male promptly chimed in, “Exactly, exactly!”
“So, what if he’s an A-rank male? I’m not lacking either.”
After entering the main hall, Aseya subtly hooked his fingers through Lu Li’s, leaning in close.
“Master, would you like something to eat? The pastries crafted here are actually quite exceptional.”
Hearing the word pastries, Lu Li’s inner domestic chef immediately perked up. “Are they? If you like pastries, Aseya, I can bake little cakes for you back home anytime.”
Touched by the declaration, Aseya squeezed Lu Li’s hand a little tighter.
“Master, you are too good to me.”
Lu Li offered a playfully smug smirk. “As long as you know.”
Noticing a few familiar military females whom he needed to greet for official networking, Aseya hesitated. Lu Li magnanimously gave him a reassuring pat, letting him go mix with his colleagues.
Left to his own devices, Lu Li intended to find a quiet alcove, grab a small plate of pastries, and contentedly wait for Aseya to finish his rounds.
Seeing Lu Li suddenly isolated, several aristocratic females began practically vibrating with anticipation. Finally, a particularly daring female summoned the courage to step forward.
“Noble Lord, are you selecting pastries? These specific flavors are quite exquisite; you might wish to sample them.”
Lu Li, entirely focused on scrutinizing the cake selection, had no desire to engage in superficial socialization, but his inherent manners prevailed. He offered a polite, distant, “Thank you.”
That single, soft expression of gratitude seemed to inject a surge of false confidence into the approaching female. Sensing that Lu Li possessed an extraordinarily rare, gentle temperament, the raw yearning in the female’s chest became impossible to suppress.
A sweet-tempered noble male was rarer than a gemstone in this empire.
He was determined to claim a piece of this male’s favor.
Consequently, this persistent female shadowed Lu Li all the way to the secluded corner where he had intended to hide.
Lu Li was beginning to feel a distinct prickle of annoyance. He instinctively lifted his eyes to sweep the room for Aseya, but his general had already vanished deeper into the crowd with his acquaintances.
Turning back, Lu Li delivered a firm, albeit polite, refusal. “You are very kind, but I already possess a Ci jun, and I am profoundly in love with him.”
The female, refusing to accept defeat so easily, pressed further.
“But, Noble Lord, will you truly not consider me? I command an immense portfolio of personal assets. I can bring you unimaginable wealth.”
“It is biologically unnatural for a noble male to restrict himself to a single female partner. I swear I will never sow discord or act out of jealousy against your Ci jun. I merely supplicant myself for the position of a humble Ci shi.”
At this moment, Norman was genuinely terrified. He desperately wanted to escape his family’s machinations; they were preparing to marry him off to a physically broken, sadistic noble male who delighted in using horrific instruments of torture to break the spirits of sub-spouses.
“I beg of you, please save me. I truly do not want to be married off to them.”
While Lu Li felt a pang of genuine human sympathy for the female’s plight, he could not and would not compromise his own principles to resolve it.
He had explicitly promised Aseya that he would only ever have one partner, and he meant it. He would never admit a Ci shi into their lives.
Looking directly at Norman, Lu Li delivered a brutal yet unwavering truth. “I will only ever have Aseya as my Ci jun. I will never take any other sub-spouses or attendants. I intend to provide Aseya with absolute emotional security.”
Lu Li’s clear, resonant declaration rippled through the immediate vicinity, striking the nearby guests like a physical shockwave.
Hearing the absolute finality in Lu Li’s tone, the last vestige of hope died in Norman’s chest. He was consumed by an overwhelming envy for General Aseya to have found a Male Lord as fiercely protective and loyal as Lu Li.
He despaired at the thought of returning to face the grim reality of his own bleak existence.
Fascinating.
Lu Li’s entire display had been captured perfectly by a pair of watchful eyes looking down from the grand mezzanine above.
The observer decided it was high time he personally evaluated his imperial cousin’s highly discussed Male Lord.
He wanted to see for himself whether this male was truly a paragon of devotion, or simply a master of elaborate political theater.
Cloaked in a striking interplay of shadow and ambient light stood a male possessing mesmerizing heterochromatic blue-purple eyes and a crown of radiant, golden hair.
Those distinct blue-purple eyes were an exact genetic match to Aseya’s the undeniable, definitive hallmark of the Heinard Imperial Bloodline.
His golden tresses gleamed brilliantly under the architectural lighting, cascading softly past his brow and shoulders, swaying gently with his deliberate movements.
His features were strikingly handsome, defined by sharp, aristocratic contours. A faint, cultured smile permanently graced his lips, exuding an aura of refined, scholarly elegance.
Cedric extended his long, flawlessly tailored legs, initiating a measured and profoundly graceful descent down the grand staircase.
With every step he took, an irresistible, commanding aura radiated outward from his form, conveying a silent, terrifying message: everything in this world existed entirely within his absolute dominion.
The previously raucous, bustling gala hall plummeted into a sudden, dead silence. Every single gaze in the room was instantly pulled toward the massive, slowly parting imperial double doors at the base of the grand staircase.
A heavy, oppressive pressure blanketed the atmosphere ahead of him, as if an invisible, titanic hand had gently yet firmly tightened around the throat of every Zerg present.
Then, flanked by two rows of imperial guards whose expressions were locked in profound, reverent awe, Cedric stepped majestically into the heart of the banquet hall.