The banquet had ended. Night breezes drifted softly, stars blanketed the sky, and moonlight spilled quietly over the landscape. In the castle’s garden, the Flame Lotus bloomed in full glory, red and gold interlaced like a burning ocean, the air carrying both floral fragrance and the coolness of night dew. Along the flowered paths, two young men walked side by side, sometimes exchanging smiles, sometimes speaking in low tones, their atmosphere light and easy.
One wore a pristine white suit, tailored perfectly, his long, amber hair glinting softly in the moonlight as his tall, slender figure swayed with each step. The other was clad in a crimson suit, elegant yet composed—it was Loess and Ace.
Reaching the center of the garden, Loess’s gaze was drawn to the sea of Flame Lotus flowers. He paused, curiosity and admiration coloring his tone. “Why is the Mel family’s emblem a Flame Lotus?”
Ace followed his line of sight and shrugged lazily. “I heard the first head of the family brought this species from Venso in honor of Emperor Caesar’s support. Those flowers bloom at the edge of molten lava; they’re supposed to symbolize an unquenchable faith.”
He paused, then smiled casually. “But honestly? I think the flower’s more about showing off power than faith.”
Loess looked at him, eyes softening. “Perhaps. Still… I think every one of these flowers knows that today’s glory rightfully belongs to you.”
Ace blinked, then grinned.
Loess’s voice remained calm, yet carried a quiet pride. “Congratulations, Ace, on becoming the head of the Mel family.”
Ace lowered his gaze, cheeks faintly pink, shyly replying, “Compared to you, this is nothing… I know you’ve been expanding the Umbral Net recently, making it more stable. The other day, didn’t you even help Lord Guo set a trap? What happened with that?”
Loess hesitated briefly, scanning the Flame Lotus around them. His tone carried amusement and an air of mystery. “Lord Guo had me deploy a puppet to that barren star in the east… but unexpectedly, it transformed into the form of Blue Dai upon landing.”
Ace’s eyes widened. “You mean… the puppet turned into Blue Dai’s form? What kind of black technology is that?”
Loess shook his head, a trace of cold light flickering in his gaze. “In short, Lord Guo could control it remotely, using it to set a trap that drew in forces attempting to capture ‘Blue Dai.’ We observed from the shadows… those people were blank, emotionless, fearless of death or pain, as if their souls had been drained from their bodies. The sight… was more horrifying than death itself.”
“What’s even stranger is the starship models they were using—I’ve never seen them before,” Loess continued, his expression growing heavier. “Additionally, Lord Guo had me secretly investigate that banned substance capable of destroying a male’s psychic sea. Coupled with today’s assassination attempt, it’s clear these hidden forces never wanted a male to truly rise.”
“About those assassins today…” Loess furrowed his brow, concern lingering, turning to Ace. “Did you trace them? Who sent them?”
Ace’s expression darkened as he shook his head. “No. They were top-tier killers, carrying potent toxins hidden in their teeth, and the moment gravity suppressed them, they poisoned themselves. No marks, no fingerprints, even their irises wiped clean. They left not a trace. The forces behind them are far deeper than we imagined.”
“Yet you still went all out today…”
Ace tilted his chin slightly, red eyes glowing like fire in the moonlight, a mischievous smile touching his lips. “I know the risks, but I had to stand at the top of the noble hierarchy. That’s why I deliberately spread word of the Qing Yuan cuisine, lured every noble to witness my coronation in person. It’s the fastest way to boost prestige and restore the Mel family.”
Loess stopped, admiration flickering in his eyes. Ace lightly brushed under his nose, playful yet confident. “See? After following you and Lord Guo all this time, I’m starting to get strategy too, huh?”
Loess regarded him silently for a moment, then asked earnestly and slowly, “Ace… why must you stand at the top of the noble hierarchy?”
The playful curve on Ace’s lips still lingered, yet on that youthful face emerged a mature, sharp edge. “I don’t want to see Lord Guo always shielding us from the storms, nor do I want you relying solely on secrets and intelligence, struggling to survive in the shadows.”
He stopped, turning to Loess, red eyes blazing with pure, radiant light. “So, Loess… don’t underestimate me. I don’t want just prestige—I want the entire insect race to hear my voice. Only then can I protect Guo, Milton, and those sub-females…”
He paused, gaze softening, voice low and resolute. “And you.”
A night breeze rustled. A single crimson Flame Lotus petal drifted lightly onto Loess’s shoulder. Ace reached out, brushing it away gently, a motion as natural as fulfilling a solemn vow.
Loess’s heart leapt, his breath seeming to slow, the world narrowing to Ace’s smile. For the first time, he truly realized that the once teasing, tsundere boy had grown into a young man capable of shielding him under his wings.
“Loess… don’t worry. I’ve got this,” Ace whispered.
Moonlight cast their shadows in intertwined shapes, Flame Lotus flickering in the night. Loess stood frozen, feeling an unprecedented sense of security, warm as sunlight, enveloping him, unwilling to fade.
Elsewhere, in a castle room, Guo, dressed in a black silk robe, stood alone before a floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze fixed on the bright moon, outlining his sharp, aloof features.
On the bed, Milton slept soundly, breaths even and calm. In the scattered sheets, the faint red marks on his skin hinted at their recent intimacy.
Deep within his consciousness, the little heavenly spirit mumbled, “Guo, the way you used illusion and puppetry to make that doll become Blue Dai, drawing out those enemies… were they controlled by demonic energy?”
Guo did not answer. His gaze remained on the miniature doll pinched between his fingers, the cold touch transferring through his fingertips into his core. His eyes were deep as a pool, as if piercing through layers of the galaxy, tracing back to the instant of blazing fire on the barren star.
At the Black Market palace, Caesar sat high upon his throne, long hair like dark flames spilling down, golden-red eyes dangerous and composed in the dim hall.
An interstellar pirate knelt before him, voice tense. “Your Highness, as you predicted, Blue Dai appeared on that eastern barren star. We observed from afar, following orders, avoiding direct engagement. We saw him fight the black-clad female troops.”
The pirate swallowed, fear barely contained. “Those troops… moved unnaturally stiff, like puppets drained of life. The most terrifying part… after Blue Dai killed them, those already dead tried to crawl upright…”
Caesar’s fingers froze mid-grip on the throne armrest. His voice deep and imposing: “Dead… and they can rise?”
“Yes, Your Highness! I swear I speak the truth,” the pirate said, pale-faced. “Then, Blue Dai waved his hand, flames descended from the sky, incinerating all remains. Then… he vanished into thin air. We pursued the ships, but once they entered the edge of the star system, they were swallowed alive by the stars—vanishing without a trace.”
Silence fell. Caesar remained quiet for a long moment, eyes burning like molten embers, hands tapping rhythmically on the throne armrests, each strike heavy on the pirate’s heart.
The strange happenings on the barren star, the puppets rising from the dead, Blue Dai’s terrifying power… all rapidly coalesced in Caesar’s mind. The deathly quiet was more horrifying than any roar—a brief calm before the storm, heralding a crisis capable of overturning the entire galaxy, quietly approaching through the shadows.