Keo put on two layers of face masks, hesitated for a moment, and finally even pulled out a knife before opening the door to Eugene’s room again, his expression far more solemn than if he were heading into battle.
Perhaps because of the heat, Eugene had unconsciously unbuttoned his top, revealing a thin layer of eye-catching abdominal muscles.
His brow was furrowed, and his expression looked somewhat pained, but upon hearing someone enter, he still managed to offer a faint, gentle smile to the newcomer.
Keo stood in the doorway for a long time before finally gathering the courage to walk inside.
Sensing that a pleasant-smelling person had come to his side, Eugene reached out, wanting to embrace him.
The moment he was touched by Eugene, the other person froze, then slowly bent down and knelt.
Eugene wrapped his arms around his waist and back, pressed his face against the side of his cheek, nuzzled him affectionately, and then kissed him through the face mask.
The other’s body trembled slightly, seemingly accidentally dropping a small glass tube onto the floor.
Eugene paid no attention, single-mindedly wanting to press close to this person.
Keo, however, tightened his grip on the knife in his hand.
Suddenly catching the scent of blood, Eugene paused for a moment.
Glancing down at the blood on the floor, he reached out, wanting to touch the wound on Keo’s leg.
Keo’s breathing rose and fell, and only then was he finally able to pick up the syringe from the floor and plunge it into Eugene’s neck.
Eugene quickly drifted off to sleep.
When he woke up again, his mind was still quite groggy.
Eugene opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings, taking a good moment to react before realizing that he had returned aboard the starship and was lying in the medical bay.
Eugene’s brow furrowed tightly.
How had he gotten back? He had absolutely no recollection of it.
After racking his brain for a long time, he could only recall that he had been drugged by a female insect and then waited for Keo.
Trusting that Keo would not be affected by his condition, he had set his mind at ease, but unfortunately, all subsequent memories were a blur.
You are finally awake.
A voice suddenly rang out beside him. Eugene snapped his head back, only to discover that Joe was actually lying right next to him, propping himself up on one elbow as he looked at him and flashed a flirtatious wink.
Why so cold? You were not like this last night.
It nearly worked me to death detoxifying you. Should you not take responsibility?
Eugene did not believe a single word of it.
Eugene instinctively looked past Joe, but saw no one else.
Joe let out a cold chuckle. Who are you looking for? Keo?
Eugene withdrew his gaze, silently climbed out of bed, and ignored him.
Give up. Keo does not want you anymore, or else why would he have dumped you with me?
Joe lay back down on the bed on his own accord, looking at Eugene with leisurely amusement.
What, do you not believe me? If you do not believe it, go ask him yourself.
When the two of them eventually found Keo, he was in the middle of a video conference. The insectoid on the screen bore no insect markings, nor did they have the light hair of the Bazz clan.
Eugene frowned.
It was a Worm, a neutral faction within the insectoid society.
The plot must have progressed further.
They were heading toward the headquarters of the Worms to negotiate with the Bazz.
As a neutral faction, the Worms were indeed the most suitable location and mediators for negotiations.
Yet they were weaker than the other two factions and could not play a significant role when the final dispute broke out. In the original plot, they had also failed to prevent the outbreak of conflict.
Just as Eugene felt the situation was looking ominous, the video conference concluded.
Upon standing up, Keo clearly spotted him, paused for a fraction of a second, but immediately averted his gaze and completely ignored him.
Feeling somewhat puzzled, Eugene reached out to pull on Keo’s sleeve as he walked past him.
Keo?
To his surprise, not only did Keo instantly jerk his arm away, but he also stepped back as if he had been struck, pressing his back flat against the wall.
The avoidance movement was so drastic that once it happened, both of them froze.
Eugene?
Keo?
Keo’s ears turned red.
Putting on a stern face and forcibly pretending that nothing had just happened, he spoke directly to Joe.
Take him back and keep a close eye on him.
With that, Keo turned and walked away, leaving Eugene alone with his hand still frozen in the outstretched gesture.
Joe chuckled softly, leaning close to Eugene’s ear to murmur, See? What did I tell you? This is what you call avoidance out of sheer disgust.
Eugene had yet to fully process what was happening when the starship suddenly shook violently, and the corridor lights abruptly flickered dim with a snap.
Watch out!
An even fiercer impact struck, and the metal wall produced a massive indentation with a loud bang.
Nearly everyone was thrown off balance.
Eugene naturally lost his footing as well, but amidst the darkness, Keo whirled around instantly, grabbed him by the arms, and pulled him down to crawl against the floor.
Barely had they dropped prone when a sharp volley of gunfire swept horizontally across the corridor wall like a blade, leaving countless razor-tooth-like dent marks behind.
Even the magnetic shielding field popped up inside the room, proving that the outer hull had been breached.
Pinned down tightly, Eugene seemed to hear Keo’s heartbeat amidst the chaos, yet he also seemed to catch a faint trace of the scent of blood.
He instinctively wanted to check on Keo, only for Keo to forcefully press his head down and shield him in his arms.
When this wave of attacks finally subsided, Eugene instantly looked up, but Keo had already leaped to his feet.
Admiral! Everyone around immediately looked toward Keo, awaiting orders.
Report starship status, check on the wounded. Squadrons four and seven, prepare to sortie with me.
Why was our position exposed?
Keo had been speaking to those around him, but mid-sentence, he paused and abruptly fixed his gaze on Eugene. His golden pupils were fraught with a terrifying emotion.
Eugene’s heart sank heavily.
The exposure of their position proved that there was a traitor among them.
Yet it was not him.
Keo?
He wanted to say something, but the next wave of attacks quickly began, and the trembling and twisting of the corridor grew increasingly intense.
With a grim expression, Keo pulled Eugene up once more.
Keep an eye on him!
He shoved both Joe and Eugene into a high-security holding area, then turned and strode off alongside the other soldiers.
Clenching his fists, Eugene struck the safety door in front of him. He was almost certain that this raid had been deliberately orchestrated by Titan.
The question was who on earth had leaked their location.
You know, if someone dies in this raid…
Eugene’s body stiffened as he suddenly realized the answer, turning his head to look at Joe beside him.
With his arms crossed, Joe watched Keo retreating into the distance, then curved the corners of his lips, tilted his head, and smiled at Eugene.
How do you think Keo will treat you?
This is bad!
Meanwhile, receiving the battle reports, Titan’s expression looked far from pleasant.
Was that guy named Keo a fucking monster?
The sneak attack he had meticulously planned had been single-handedly turned around by that man, resulting in the loss of several mechas for nothing!
It was utterly absurd.
Such a person was simply a massive hazard.
If push came to shove, Titan’s previously furrowed brow suddenly relaxed as he gave a confident tug at the corner of his mouth. If push came to shove, he could just make this fellow named Keo fall in love with him; perhaps that would be even easier.
At that moment, their older brother, Hall, burst through the door.
Titan! What on earth have you done? We are about to hold peace talks with them, what is the meaning of this?
Hall wore an expression of rare seriousness, looking almost somewhat frightening.
Titan clenched his fists, feeling internal disgust at their interference, while putting on an anxious look on his face.
Big brother, you do not understand. They previously tortured Eugene until he was out of his mind; if we negotiate now, they will surely put forward many unreasonable demands.
That is why I wanted to rescue Eugene before the negotiations and then go to war with them!
Hall’s expression did not soften; instead, he shook his head with a heavy tone. You have no idea what war actually means, or how many people will die.
Amy, who had always favored Eugene even more, found it entirely unacceptable. If you attack like this, what happens if Eugene gets hurt?
Of course I do not wish to hurt Brother Eugene. But leaving him with the enemy worries me even more. Over the past few years, Brother Eugene has been protected by me and is completely naive, leading to this accident, and it is all my responsibility. I cannot have peace of mind for a single day until I rescue him.
Though Titan spoke thusly, a hint of coldness flashed in the depths of his eyes.
Going deep into enemy territory was something he had tricked Eugene into doing; if Eugene had truly turned into an idiot, well and good, but if not, bringing him back would spell massive trouble.
He could not let such a thing happen under any circumstances.
When Keo returned, he appeared to be injured.
Only half of his combat uniform was still on, and the left sleeve looked as though it had been scorched, turning pitch black.
Especially when he pulled the door open, a distinct scent of blood drifted through the corridor.
Some soldiers following behind were being helped in; they looked far worse off than Keo, with some appearing almost charred and letting out painful gasps.
Eugene’s heart sank. Hurriedly opening the safety door, he stepped toward Keo, wishing to inquire about his injuries. But Keo grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him directly against the wall.
Still stained with blood, Keo looked as dangerous as a wild beast baring its fangs. His breathing rose and fell, and his golden eyes locked onto him with a deathly stare.
Eugene could practically see the turbulent clash of emotions boiling within them.
Was it you?
Eugene wore an innocent expression. What? It really was not him.
Yet Eugene could not state this outright right now, or else Keo would realize he had been faking ignorance and suspect him all the more.
Oh my, what is all this about? It is my fault, I failed to keep an eye on him.
Joe walked over, reaching out as if to hug Eugene.
Do not be angry. From now on, I only allow him to stay in my arms under strict surveillance, how about that?
What on earth?
Eugene pushed him away in dissatisfaction. With a chuckle, Joe attempted to pick him up by force.
Just as Eugene was about to fly into a rage, Keo intercepted Joe’s arm first.
Although his attitude toward Eugene moments before had been hostile and dripping with murderous intent, seeing Joe press Eugene into his arms caused him to freeze in place once more. His muscles tightened, his brow furrowed deeply, and his expression grew even uglier than before.
Go tend to the wounded.
Joe kept one hand clutching Eugene and did not move.
Go tend to the wounded! That is an order.
Deepening his voice further, Keo finished speaking before violently yanking Eugene back and dragging him away.
Joe’s expression slowly darkened. Tsk.
Who would have thought.
Eugene wanted to ask how Keo’s injuries were the entire way back, but Keo gave him no such opportunity at all.
His grip on Eugene’s wrist was extremely tight, causing a mild ache that Eugene could do nothing to shake off.
The two returned to his office, and Eugene was shoved directly into a chair by Keo.
The force he used was so great that the chair slid backward until it slammed against the wall with a loud thud.
What did you do last night?
At that moment, Keo pressed one hand against Eugene’s chest while bracing the other against the wall behind him. Towering directly over Eugene, he pinned him down with his gaze fixed fiercely upon him.
Forced to lean backward, Eugene swallowed hard at his Adam’s apple. I was asleep, I did not do anything.
You expect me to believe you?
The two of them were actually standing extremely close at that moment, the tips of their noses almost touching.
Eugene could clearly see his pupils, his eyelashes, the sweat at his temples, and catch the faint scent of blood lingering on Keo, accompanied by a faint, elusive sweetness.
He stared straight into Keo’s eyes.
I did not do anything.
As Eugene spoke, his lips parted and closed.
Keo’s breathing fluctuated, his golden pupils losing focus for a split second.
For a moment, rather than an interrogation, it almost looked like they were about to kiss.
Realizing his lapse in focus a moment later, Keo pushed Eugene away, pressed a hand to his forehead, and muttered something under his breath.
It sounded like he was softly cursing himself.
He had known it all along. From the very first moment he laid eyes on this Noble, he knew he should have kept his distance.