Noah: “…?”
He had actually wanted to ask if he could borrow the bathroom.
Halfway through his shower, the perfectly fine showerhead had suddenly broken. Since he had not managed to rinse off all the body wash, he had come to the nearest room, the one next door, to borrow the bathroom. Who would have guessed that the female insect’s reaction would be so intense? He had slammed the door in his face before he could even get a word out.
Was that really necessary?
Staring at the tightly closed door in front of him, Noah was not angry, but he realized, a bit belatedly, that something was off.
A faulty showerhead was a trivial matter. He could have notified a service insect to repair it, or he could have gone to a guest room further away and used the bathroom there. There was absolutely no need to knock on someone else’s door in the middle of the night for such a minor issue.
Was he, perhaps, relying on the other too much?
Noah frowned slightly.
This was not a good sign.
It was exactly at this moment that the door suddenly opened.
“What are you doing here?”
Noah spoke the plain truth: “The showerhead in my room’s bathroom is broken. I wanted to ask if you were done with your shower and if I could borrow yours.”
The words fell softly.
He did not know if it was an illusion, but he felt the female insect’s gaze was somewhat subtle and carried an indescribable sense of danger.
He instinctively took a step back and said cautiously: “If it is inconvenient for you, I can go use the bathroom in the guest room next door.”
Igris looked down at him.
It was early winter, and the temperature in the main residence was set to 23°C. It was not exactly cold, but it was enough to make a male insect who had run out wearing only a bathrobe catch a chill.
What was this test this time? Beauty? Or a pity play?
Looking at the male’s slightly pale cheeks, the Council Head sighed imperceptibly. He draped his own coat over the Saint and took the toiletries from the other’s hand, stepping back himself.
“Come in. I will notify the service insect to repair the bathroom in a moment. Do not run around in the middle of the night.”
Noah touched the collar of the coat on him.
For some reason, he felt as if this scene had happened before.
The decoration style of the Council Head’s room was very similar to that of his office. It also used a combination of physical and visual sensory simulation. The difference was that the office simulated a treehouse in a forest, while the bedroom made an insect feel as if they were in the deep sea. Fluorescent jellyfish would float leisurely overhead from time to time, leaving trails of glowing blue light.
Attracted by the beautiful jellyfish floating past, Noah could not help but take a few extra glances.
What an interesting room. He wanted to live here too.
“The bathroom is here. It works the same way as the one in your room. Take your time washing; I still have some work to process here, so I am not in a rush to use it.”
After a brief introduction to how to use the bathroom, the Council Head stepped out as if nothing had happened, leaving the space to the Saint who was eager to wash off the bubbles. His gaze was polite and restrained, never truly resting on the male from start to finish.
Noah did not notice this.
They were a legally married couple, after all. They had probably already done everything that should or should not be done. It was just a shower; there was nothing to avoid suspicion about.
Inside the bathroom.
The young male let out a breath, his mood pleasant, and continued his bath with peace of mind.
Behind the closed door.
The Council Head leaned against the sofa, once again marveling at his own wisdom in choosing a frosted door when decorating.
It was at this moment that he suddenly remembered something. Before his male master went in, had he taken any fresh clothes?
Igris: “…”
He wanted to sigh again. Was his male master a little too lacking in vigilance?
Most importantly, Igris frowned slightly.
He had sensed it faintly before, but now his inference was clear: whether it was the Saint before his amnesia or the young Saint after, both seemed very accustomed to using themselves as bargaining chips, plunging into the fray personally.
This was not a good habit. Or, more accurately, this was not a habit that a Saint of noble status, who had grown up coddled and protected by those around him, should have.
How did the elder Velloria teach him?
The Council Head felt a surge of frustration in his heart.
The Noah Velloria he knew had been the most dazzling existence among male insects of his age since he could remember. Once the other grew up and officially stepped into the arena of power, he became the most radiant star in the vast galaxy.
He was cold, but not indifferent; cunning, but tactful; ruthless in his methods, but not lacking in warmth in his actions.
If anyone else had such a treasure, could they just let him run wild without caring for his own safety?
Suppressing the irritation in his heart, Igris simply stood up to go get fresh clothes for the male.
“Knock, knock.”
He knocked on the door twice.
Inside the bathroom, the cheerful sound of water stopped, then vanished. After a brief pause, a voice came through, calm but tinged with wariness.
“Is something the matter?”
The Council Head was so annoyed he laughed. The insect was already in his bedroom, yet now he knew to be vigilant? Where was that vigilance before?
He felt a bit disgruntled.
If it had not been him standing here, but some other female insect? Would he still be so unaware, taking it for granted and jumping into a female’s arms?
Igris smiled. So he liked forcing things, did he? Not clarifying, not refusing, not taking responsibility?
That was fine. He could unilaterally declare himself responsible for the Saint.
He wanted to see how long the other could endure. When he really played the forceful game, he wanted to see if the other could handle it.
“I brought you some fresh clothes.” Concise and to the point.
The door opened.
The young Saint hid behind the frosted door, only poking his hesitant head out.
Half an hour ago, the Council Head would have averted his eyes properly, but now he glanced at the snowy fluff ball dithering in the doorway, raised an eyebrow, and simply looked up, staring at the other openly and as a matter of course.
He was quite good-looking. He should have looked more closely earlier.
The snowy fluff ball stopped talking. The fluff ball reached out a hand, grabbed the pajamas from the female’s hand, and with the speed of lightning, slammed the door shut with a loud clack.
Half an hour later, or perhaps longer.
Inside the bathroom, the male, who had been dilly-dallying for ages, lowered his head to confirm he was dressed neatly, without revealing anything that might encourage criminal thoughts, before silently opening the frosted door and attempting to sneak out.
Just as the main door was in sight, he was stopped.
“Stop right there.”
The fluff ball stopped moving.
The Council Head looked down, leisurely enjoying the sight of the lop-eared rabbit slightly bristling while pretending to be calm, and asked slowly: “Is it right to walk out without even saying a word after using my bathroom?”
Noah: “.”
Wasn’t it just a bathroom? It was not as if he had insisted on coming in. Stingy.
He walked over hesitantly, intending to say a polite word of greeting before making a clean exit. Just as he stood still in front of the female, he was caught off guard by the other, who pressed his shoulders and guided him to sit on the sofa.
The impact was strong enough that he nearly bumped his nose.
The fluff ball was now in a temper.
The young Saint had a cold expression, his face clearly showing his displeasure. His brows were knit in annoyance, and he was about to start scolding. But at that exact moment, the hand that had been pressing his shoulder moved to the top of his head and, through the dry towel, gently rubbed his hair.
The fluff ball stopped being angry.
Oh, so he was helping him dry his hair, Noah thought. Good thing he had not started scolding yet.
The dryer was very efficient, and in just over ten seconds, the male’s hair was restored to its original state.
Perhaps the effect of the dryer was too warm, or perhaps the other’s massage felt too good. By the time the Council Head had put the dryer away and was preparing to leave, the young Saint blinked, instinctively leaning his head into the other’s palm.
By the time Noah realized what he had done, it was too late.
Noah: “…!”
He looked up, slightly panicked, meeting the other’s eyes.
To his surprise, the Council Head said nothing. The hand that had been on his head, which had been rubbing his hair through the towel, suddenly combed through his slightly messy locks and gently ruffled them, just like soothing a little insect larva.
The next day.
When Igris came down from upstairs, the sound of the male was already gone from the dining table.
The Council Head was used to it; he just asked a casual question as he sat down.
“Where is the male master?”
The butler, who had served the Orwell family for many years, bowed slightly: “Today is the company’s annual supreme board meeting. Lord Noah left early after breakfast; he should be at the meeting by now.”
Supreme board meeting? It sounded quite important.
The Council Head nodded nonchalantly, saying nothing more.
Elseran, Company Headquarters.
In the conference room.
Noah rested his cheek on one hand, listlessly looking out the window, staring blankly at the white clouds drifting by.
What a boring meeting. What boring arguments. What boring idiots.
In the last ten years, how did that mature, rational, and powerful Lord Noah manage to sit motionless and chat happily in front of such a large group of fools?
“…In summary,”
The female speaking had been talking fluently for a long time, concluding: “I think that before the Saint is fully familiar with the market laws of the Star Spirit Empire, this aspect of the channel market should be handed over to other insects to manage. What do you all think?”
He laughed: “After all, the Empire is one of our most important markets; we cannot be careless. Lord Noah, you can understand this, right?”
So annoying. How did the Big Noah tolerate such an idiot jumping around in front of him?
Annoyed as he was, considering the usual social etiquette of High-Level insects and the conventional decorum and prestige of the privileged class, Noah suppressed his displeasure and was just about to open his mouth.
“Clack.”
The door to the conference room suddenly opened.
The directors frowned. Which insect dared to break into the company’s highest-level meeting without permission?
Facing a room full of gazes that could by no means be called friendly, the young Council Head wandered in slowly.
The black-haired female looked left and right, soon finding the figure of his male master in the crowd. He shoved one hand into his pocket, walked to the side of the Saint without haste, pulled up a chair at random to sit, tilted his head, and skewed his body, resting his head on the male’s knees as if no one else were there.
He closed his eyes to sleep.
…?
The female in charge of the meeting laughed in anger.
Before he could speak to question him, the female lying lazily on his male master’s knees suddenly opened his eyes, looking surprised: “What are you all looking at me for? Continue.”
Silence. An indescribable silence.
The female in charge of the meeting took a deep breath: “Mr. Orwell, I hope you can understand that even though you are a high-ranking Council Head, you cannot break into the company’s highest-level meeting without permission.”
“Theoretically, that is correct.”
Igris laughed, saying in a leisurely manner: “However, if I remember correctly, according to the laws of the Federation, under special circumstances, the Male Protection Act should override all other rules, should it not?”
It was true that such a regulation existed. But what did such a regulation have to do with their current meeting?
As if seeing the confusion in their hearts, the black-haired female raised a hand, speaking off the cuff and looking at ease: “It is like this: I am pregnant. Because the compatibility between me and my male master is too high, my male master—also known as your Lord Noah the Saint—is currently suffering from depressive reactions caused by high synchronization with me. To avoid irreversible damage to the Saint’s physical and mental health during this process, I have decided to accompany him 24 hours a day, soothing him with physical action.”
He asked with a smile: “Any problems?”
Yes. They understood every word, but putting it all together was strangely baffling.
Indeed. When a female insect is pregnant, if his compatibility with his male master is too high, his mental power is highly sensitive, and the couple has an excellent relationship, it is possible for the male to become restless and depressed due to excessive worry about his pregnant consort.
But, setting aside the fact that this Council Head was probably just running his mouth, even if it were true, what did this problem, which only happens between true-love couples, have to do with this pair known for their plastic-like marriage?
This guy really dared to say anything. Everyone looked at each other, speechless for a moment.
Mostly, because if the other party were a rule-abiding military female, they could reason with him; even if it were another corporate insect, everyone could sit down and talk about benefits; the academic insects were even easier—problems that could be solved with investment were never problems.
But Igris Orwell was none of these. This young, ruthless, and dark-hearted Council Head was clearly here to wreck the place.
Their gazes shifted quietly toward the Saint who had recently recovered from a serious illness. Or rather, he was here to openly protect his own.
No arguing, no threats.
The young leader of the Federation just lay lazily on the male’s legs, closed his eyes, and leisurely listened to them sing their opera.
Wasn’t this a power grab? Continue, then.