Qing sensed Olivia’s presence and shot a dissatisfied glance behind him. Having been discovered, Olivia strode into the room.
She bowed to the Mother, kissing the tips of his fingers. “Good day, noble Mother,” she said.
Kaka looked at Olivia cautiously, his small voice trembling slightly as he replied, “Good day…” He cast a helpless look toward Qing. Olivia realized then that the Mother hadn’t even remembered her name.
“Olivia,” she reminded him. She pulled a box from her person. “Mother, I saw a beautiful type of pearl among the Sea Race; I thought they would suit the hem of your robes perfectly.”
Qing took the box from Olivia’s hand and passed it to Kaka.
Kaka opened it to reveal a collection of deep-sea pearls, shimmering with a seven-colored luster under the sunlight. He clearly adored the pretty gems; a blush crept onto his cheeks as he smiled at Olivia. “Thank you, Olivia. I love them very much.”
Seeing his approval, Olivia breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn’t afford a reputation for neglecting the Mother.
“Your happiness is my honor,” Olivia said, bowing deeply.
Kaka looked up at her, frowning in confusion. He stepped down and leaned in close to Olivia, sniffing curiously. “You… on your body… why is there a strange scent? It’s so fragrant… it’s not the scent of your kind…”
Olivia and Qing instantly realized what Kaka was talking about.
“It might be a scent I picked up on Planet Poseidon,” Olivia lied smoothly. “You know how those sea beasts emit fragrances to lure their prey.”
Kaka seemed to believe her. “Oh, I see… I didn’t mean anything by it… it’s just quite pleasant…”
It seemed she had passed the test.
“The hour is late, Mother. I have matters to attend to; I shall take my leave,” Olivia said.
Kaka nodded. “Goodbye, Olivia.”
Olivia backed away respectfully before leaving the sleeping quarters. Once she was gone, Qing asked, “Do you not like Olivia?”
Kaka frowned. “Mmm… she looks very… very fierce. I don’t mean anything bad… I’m just a little scared of her…”
Qing dropped to one knee, looking up at Kaka. His cold eyes watched his Mother intently as he vowed, “Mother, please do not be afraid. I will always be by your side to protect you.”
Kaka patted Qing’s head. “I believe you.”
Luo Jia had only managed to gnaw through half of the Energy Star-Crystal Olivia gave him; the rest he tucked back into his backpack.
He pulled out the dagger he had unexpectedly received as a gift back on the trash planet. His belongings hadn’t been confiscated; these people respected him, which made Luo Jia feel much better.
“Is Lord Luo Jia inside?”
Recognizing the voice, Luo Jia quickly set down his bag and rushed out, shouting happily, “Astra?”
Astra observed Luo Jia’s condition—it looked good. “I heard your body was unwell, so I came to check on you.”
“I’m alright now,” Luo Jia said. “I don’t feel any discomfort anymore.” He remembered Olivia’s spider legs and couldn’t help but steal a glance behind Astra.
Noticing the repeated glances, Astra asked with confusion, “Why do you keep looking behind me?”
Luo Jia felt a bit embarrassed. “I remember you had a very beautiful scorpion tail… Sorry, am I being offensive?”
A hint of a smile touched Astra’s eyes, a silver light swirling within them. “No need to apologize. You… are not afraid of my Zerg traits?” To be honest, that tail was covered in barbs and felt ice-cold; it wasn’t exactly what most would call “beautiful.”
“Why would I be afraid?” Luo Jia asked. “Should I… be afraid?”
“I don’t know,” Astra replied. “But humans are usually terrified of us. You are truly special.”
A stormy realization hit Luo Jia’s heart. He realized that since his “resurrection,” he hadn’t felt a shred of fear toward the Sled Three Idiots or any of these Zerg. The dog-heads of the Sled Three were one thing, but the strange part was that he actually found the barbed, cold, blade-like spider legs and scorpion tails… beautiful.
“What are you thinking about?” Astra asked.
Snapped out of his thoughts, Luo Jia paused before saying, “I was wondering… why don’t you let your scorpion tail out? I remember you had it back on the trash planet.”
“Revealing Zerg traits increases our combat power,” Astra explained. “Now that we are home, they aren’t necessary.”
Luo Jia sensed a hidden unhappiness in Astra’s tone. Thinking for a moment, he took a piece of Star-Crystal from the tray and said, “Here, eat something. This is delicious.”
Astra looked into Luo Jia’s beautiful golden pupils and saw genuine concern for him. He felt a sudden pang of guilt. “…No need…”
Luo Jia pressed the crystal into his hand. “It’s a gift. Be happy.”
As if possessed, Astra tucked the Star-Crystal into his pocket.
Astra didn’t stay much longer. He had many duties to attend to; lingering in the Sanctuary was a luxury he couldn’t afford. Seeing him leave, Luo Jia felt a bit of a lonely tug in his chest.
“Don’t be sad,” Astra said. “Once you’ve adapted to the environment here, you can apply to go out with us.”
Luo Jia’s eyes brightened instantly. “Really?”
Astra nodded. “Yes.” He added in a joking tone, “After all, we aren’t exactly keeping you prisoner.