“You are Buzz!”
He pointed at Keo’s nose once more. “You are colluding with the enemy!”
He threw a tantrum all by himself over there, but everyone around them was completely dazzled by the pheromones Eugene had just released in that single instant, completely failing to notice a single word he had said.
Sensing a clear shift in everyone’s attitude, Max’s expression grew increasingly distorted. His entire face turned flushed and dark as he pivoted back toward Eugene.
“I am going to take you to trial!”
Before Eugene could even speak, Keo pulled him back and delivered a direct punch straight to the male’s face.
Max never expected any female to dare lay a hand on him, letting out a blood-curdling shriek. His eyes widened in shock as he spat out a tooth. “You dare to hit…”
Before he could finish, Keo followed up with a swift kick right to his face, nearly sending him flying.
Eugene stared in utter shock.
Finally, someone nearby could no longer stand by and watch. “Lord Keo, you cannot treat a male like this!”
Keo’s expression was filled with extreme disdain. “I hit him, so what?”
The soldiers accompanying Keo uniformly raised their weapons in unison. The surrounding area instantly fell dead silent, and no one dared to utter another word.
Only the individuals who had originally followed the duke hurriedly hoisted the unconscious man up from the ground and fled in a scramble. The duke’s nasal bone was likely broken, his face covered in blood as he completely lost all his dignity.
Without giving him another glance, Keo pulled the cap back over Eugene’s head with enough force that Eugene lowered his head, nearly crashing right into his chest.
“Who told you to walk forward?” Keo reached out with a headache, grabbing Eugene’s wrist and giving it a tug. “Let’s go.”
As the group left the competition venue, intending to return directly to the starship, they were intercepted at the flight deck.
“Admiral, your starship has not yet received clearance to launch.”
“I am granting clearance right now. Grant passage immediately.”
The soldier was visibly too nervous to lift his head in Keo’s presence, yet despite this, he still refused to yield, his expression deeply conflicted.
“Who dares to raise objections?”
Lowering his head, the soldier muttered something inaudible.
Pausing for a moment, Keo took the comms device from his hand.
Sitting in the back row, Eugene only caught Keo speaking in a low voice. “Female father.”
Eugene paused for a second, lifting his head to look toward Keo.
“Yes, I hit him. So what? If they have the ability, let them come find me.” Keo’s voice carried a suppressed fury as he spoke, striding away from the cabin and slamming the door shut behind him.
“Ha. Has the King ever cared about you in the slightest?”
Once the door was closed, Eugene could only vaguely deduce that Keo was likely arguing with his female father, and their relationship was far from close.
Yet judging by Keo’s tolerance toward Joe and his final decision to rush back to visit his female father despite active combat duties, Eugene knew that family remained Keo’s only weakness.
Unfortunately, this very weakness would become the blade that ultimately led to his demise.
By now, evening had fallen, and they ultimately failed to return to the starship overnight, heading back to headquarters instead.
Presumably because the fallout from publicly beating a male was exceptionally poor, Keo headed elsewhere to handle matters.
It was Ross who led Eugene into a spacious lounge, intending to let him finish a meal while awaiting the admiral’s arrangements.
Eugene finally removed his cap and mask, sitting down beside the dining table to wait.
A circle of young females quickly gathered outside.
Not daring to step inside to disturb him, they simply peeked through the door gap, watching Eugene sit by the window and tilt his head to gaze outside.
“Move aside quickly, it’s my turn.”
The female pushed away from the optimal viewing spot, covered his face, and saw that his cheeks were already flushed red.
“He’s actually even more handsome than in the video.”
“I watched that video so many times, I still can’t believe it’s real.”
“Are all the males of the Buzz tribe like this? I heard they encourage monogamy over there.”
The females all looked thoroughly astonished. “Is that really true? Then they aren’t completely without redeeming qualities.”
“What are you all blocking this doorway for?”
A chilling voice interrupted their whispers. The newcomer turned out to be the female who had just sparred with Keo in the ring.
He sported a head of black curls. Though his features were ruggedly handsome, his slanted eyes carried an alluring charm, accented by a mole at the corner of his eye and an earring.
“Lord Lu.”
Too embarrassed to admit they had rushed over specifically to catch a glimpse of the male, the young females shifted the blame onto Ross.
“Ross said just now that this male lord is very gentle, says thank you, and even apologizes. He also said he likes the admiral very much and will constantly stick to him.”
As they spoke, they grew increasingly excited, drifting far off topic. “Ah, no wonder he protected him in public back then.”
“I heard that not only during the standoff with the duke, but when the ceiling collapsed earlier, he actually ran straight toward the admiral.”
Watching the young females teeter on the edge of squealing with excitement, Lu’s expression grew increasingly unsightly, and he abruptly cut them off.
“Where is Ross?”
“He said this male lord cannot consume nutrient fluid, so he went to find a chef for him.”
“Step aside.” Brushing past them without another word, Lu took the lead and strode into the lounge.
“What’s wrong with him? So much anger.” The young female muttered discontentedly.
“Isn’t it because he got beaten without a single counterattack by Lord Keo in the ring, and then got rejected by Lord Max, who would only take him as a secondary spouse?”
Lu could vaguely overhear the chatter behind him, gritting his teeth as his expression turned humiliatingly bitter and his eye rims flushed red.
Indeed. He had publicly pursued Lord Max for so long, spending immense amounts of money and sacrificing his opportunities with other males, only to receive nothing but humiliation in return!
Now that his heat cycle was approaching rapidly, Max was taking advantage of his vulnerability, offering to take him only as a secondary spouse.
As someone from a noble background, the thought of having to live on his knees at home made Lu utterly unable to swallow this grievance.
Yet where else could he find a male superior to Max? Just as Lu had reached the end of his rope, Eugene had suddenly appeared.
Lu had been right beside them during the confrontation with Max.
He had clearly witnessed that pair of dazzling golden eyes and caught a trace of Eugene’s pheromone scent.
That was precisely what he needed!
His rapidly approaching heat cycle left him no room to hesitate for long, prompting him to take immediate action and come straight here.
Eugene was gazing out the window at the moment, mentally organizing the plot in his mind, when he noticed someone walking in carrying a tray with drinks.
Just as Eugene reached out to take a drink, Lu stumbled as he approached, sending the drinks on the tray spilling everywhere.
Startled, Eugene stood up, but the hem of his clothes and trousers still got soaked.
Before he could speak, the other dropped straight to his knees with a thud.
“I am sorry, my lord! This is all my fault, please punish me!”
Eugene: “What?”
“It’s fine.”
Lu’s lowered head paused for a fraction of a second before slowly rising, finally affording him a clear view of Eugene’s face and leaving his eyes momentarily dazed.
Not only did this male possess silver hair and pure golden eyes, but he also carried such an ethereal, transcendent visage.
At that moment, sunlight illuminated his back-lit strands of hair, coating them in a glowing golden rim that made him look almost luminous.
Furthermore, because the hem of his white shirt was soaked, it clung tightly to his abdominal muscles, appearing almost translucent.
Lu immediately rose to his feet, quickly lowering his head once more. “I am truly sorry. I will go find a change of clothes for you.”
Upon closer inspection, his ears were burning red, and his breathing had grown somewhat heavy, though Eugene failed to notice.
“It is not very convenient to change clothes in here, however. Let me take you to the side alcove.”
With that, he unlocked a door on the side of the lounge.
Eugene originally assumed the mentioned alcove was just behind that door, but upon stepping through it, he found it led to an entirely separate corridor.
The corridor was completely deserted. Not only did Lu lead him deeper inside, but he also attempted to round another corner further in.
Growing suspicious, Eugene halted his steps.
“What is wrong with you?”
Lu turned back around, his face plastered with smiles the moment his gaze landed on Eugene’s face.
His expression when smiling carried a completely different vibe from his deadpan look. His slanted eyes narrowed slightly, his head tilted sideways as the curls on his forehead brushed down, and even the mole at the corner of his eye took on a seductive allure.
“Is my lord angry? Your clothes are all soaked, you must be very uncomfortable.”
Lowering his head, he advanced toward Eugene once again. “This truly is my fault. Allow me to help you change right now, is that alright?”
As he spoke, Lu dropped straight to his knees, pressing almost flush against Eugene’s body as he reached out to undo his clothing, his fingertips brushing across his waistline.
Eugene hastily shoved him away. “I am returning.”
Lu’s expression instantly shifted, and he reached out to wrap his arms tightly around Eugene’s legs. “Why? Is there something I did poorly?”
Struggling hard to pull his leg free, Eugene found to his shock that he couldn’t overpower him. Sweat broke out across his forehead. “Let go first!”
Lu remained silent. At this close proximity, he could already clearly perceive the alluring scent of Eugene’s pheromones.
Lu almost wanted to cry. This scent was simply too magnificent, superior, pure, and crisp beyond anything he had ever experienced, utterly intoxicating.
Such appearance, such surging aura, coupled with a timing so perfect it felt like destiny itself.
The moment he splashed water on Eugene earlier, Lu had known he made the right choice.
Now, his pupils slightly dilated, his cheeks flushed red, he clutched Eugene’s thighs tightly with both hands and pressed his face against them, murmuring uncontrollably and in a low voice.
“My lord…”
Goosebumps broke out all over Eugene’s skin. “I am not your lord, let go of me.”
Yet Lu completely ignored him.
This could not go on.
“Where is Keo?”
Mentioning Keo was originally intended merely as a warning to make Lu let go. To his surprise, however, it only drove the other’s expression into deeper frenzy.
“So you really do like Keo, is that why you treat him so well?”
Lu’s expression twisted with jealousy. “Impossible, I don’t believe it. What has he ever done for you? Keo is notoriously ill-tempered. Why can he have you, but I cannot?”
Driven to his wits’ end and growing genuinely angry, Eugene still found himself unable to pry the arms away.
Sensing rejection, Lu’s expression shifted once more. “Could it be that Keo really did coerce you just like the rumors say? Is that why you are taking responsibility?”
Eugene was stunned. “What?”
“I beg of you, please consider me as well.”
With that, Lu suddenly bounced to his feet and sprayed something directly toward Eugene’s face.
A cloyingly sweet fragrance rushed over him. Unable to dodge in time, Eugene covered his face and stumbled backward, immediately feeling his head spin as the surroundings seemed to violently blur and rotate.
When Ross returned, he panicked to discover that Eugene was nowhere to be found.
He hurried back into the corridor to question the others, but the door had been tightly sealed ever since Lu entered. None of the young females had witnessed where Eugene went.
“Lu? Did Lu take him away?”
Cursing under his breath, Ross turned ashen-faced. Hesitating for a single second, he ultimately reached out to contact the admiral.