His Majesty the Emperor sat serenely upon the throne that symbolized supreme power.
He was dressed in exceptionally magnificent court attire, his long silver hair falling gently upon his broad shoulders. His dark red eyes were filled with majesty, as if the entire world was under his control.
Bai Lian knelt on one knee, placing his right fist over his heart on the left side of his chest—a gesture of loyalty and devotion.
"Your Majesty."
Augustine's gaze went past Bai Lian to Su Yaoyao on the bed.
With a flick of his finger, an image of Su Yaoyao was magnified on the virtual screen.
She was lying on her side on the soft bed, curled up like a lazy little kitten.
A faint impression was pressed into her soft, pink cheek, and her lips were slightly pouted, making one wonder if they would taste sweet to the touch.
Augustine narrowed his eyes. 'A female this beautiful is a rare sight across the entire interstellar.'
"I received your confidential report. Is she the human female you discovered?" His voice carried the authority of a ruler.
Bai Lian stood ramrod straight and nodded respectfully. "Yes, Your Majesty. I have already ordered a media blackout. Nothing about her will be leaked."
Augustine raised an eyebrow, a hint of inquiry in his eyes. "Your report indicated that her spiritual power is zero?"
"To be precise, the machine used to test spiritual power malfunctioned at the time, so we couldn't get a conclusive result," Bai Lian explained, his voice tinged with caution.
Augustine's brow furrowed slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he gave a decisive order. "Bring her to the Imperial City as soon as possible to register her identity and retest her spiritual power level."
For a female, this was undoubtedly a crucial test that allowed for no mistakes.
Moreover, once a female's information is registered, she is protected by the Interstellar Female Protection Act.
Even if she has no spiritual power, the Star Shining Empire is obligated to protect every female and provide them with the highest standard of treatment.
"Yes. However, she has sustained some injuries. The human female is very fragile and lacks a Beastman's self-healing ability. I'm afraid she will need to recuperate at the base for a few days and cannot travel for now."
Bai Lian was very worried. 'What if the young female's fragile body can't handle the journey and her injuries worsen?'
Augustine's long fingers tapped on the armrest of his throne. 'Bai Lian has a point. Although I want to see the young human female sooner, I can't be too hasty.'
"You will take full responsibility for this matter. You must bring her to the Imperial City safely."
Augustine gave the concise command and then disconnected the communication.
The oppressive presence belonging to His Majesty vanished, and Bai Lian breathed a sigh of relief.
'Truth be told, he had his own selfish reasons; he didn't want to be separated from Su Yaoyao so soon.'
'After escorting Su Yaoyao to the Imperial City, he would ultimately have to return to the base.'
...
Su Yaoyao slept until broad daylight. Just as she was thinking of staying in bed a little longer, a knock sounded on the door.
Su Yaoyao smoothed out her messy bedhead. 'Is it Bai Lian?'
"Come in."
Reg's tall figure walked in, a ceramic bowl in one of his hands.
"Why is it you?"
Su Yaoyao blurted it out, then quickly covered her mouth. 'That sounded a bit rude.'
Reg raised an eyebrow and shut the door with force. "Disappointed it's not Bai Lian?"
Su Yaoyao gave an awkward laugh. Her intuition told her not to make Reg angry.
"No, no! I'm just surprised. I can't believe Deputy General Reg would come to see me personally."
Reg's lips curled into a smile. That was much more pleasant to hear.
"I always keep my word. I said yesterday that I would be in charge of your meals."
A bowl of steaming hot porridge was placed in front of Su Yaoyao.
Su Yaoyao took a sniff. It had a peculiar scent, a fusion of the ocean's breeze and floral fragrance. "It smells so unique!"
A smug look appeared on Reg's face. He had specially invited a master chef, and the ingredients used were all top-class.
"Of course. This porridge was slow-cooked for two hours. It's made with genetically optimized grains and Star Algae, which grows on the seabed and is extremely difficult to harvest."
"It's nutritious and delicious. Want to try it?" Reg tempted her.
Su Yaoyao's eyes lit up. She had never tasted alien plants before, and she was indeed hungry.
"Yes!"
Reg revealed a wicked smile. 'The little female really is naive.'
"Eat up."
Su Yaoyao took the porridge, picked up the spoon, and scooped up a spoonful, but she paused just as it reached her lips.
Reg asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
Su Yaoyao was a little embarrassed. "I... I haven't brushed my teeth yet."
Reg raised an eyebrow. 'So she's a fussy little female who values cleanliness. That's fine, though. In a moment...'
Reg smirked, snatched the porridge from her, and placed it on the nearby table.
He bent down, scooped Su Yaoyao out of the blankets, and hoisted her onto his shoulder, his arm supporting her bottom.
Su Yaoyao let out a cry of alarm, feeling the man's firm arms and his body heat, separated only by a single layer of his shirt.
They were so close that Su Yaoyao's entire face turned red.
'She wasn't wearing any underwear! It wasn't that she didn't want to, but that she didn't have any.'
Reg also noticed that the little female's body felt even softer against his today.
He carried her to the bathroom and set her down on the sink counter.
Bai Lian had already prepared toiletries for her.
But they were so advanced that she had no idea how to use them.
Moreover, she realized that the dirty clothes she had changed out of yesterday, including her underwear, were all gone. 'Did Bai Lian take them to be washed?'
The thought of a man handling her intimate apparel made Su Yaoyao's face burn for some reason.
"Why is your face suddenly so red?"
"?!"
Su Yaoyao snapped back to reality to find Reg's face right in front of hers. His wild yet refined features held a distinct sexual tension, and a few stray strands of his hair even brushed against her eyes.
Reg planted one hand on the mirror and the other on the counter next to her thigh, effectively trapping her within his domain.
His hot breath fanned across Su Yaoyao's face, making her heart instantly race.
'Bai Lian was a very proper, gentlemanly man, but the feeling Reg gave her was completely different—aggressive and invasive.'
"You're not thinking about Bai Lian, are you?"
Reg smirked, his amber eyes glinting with a frosty chill.
"I, I..."
Su Yaoyao was speechless. She had, in fact, just been thinking about Bai Lian.
Reg's pupils constricted, his smile vanishing. 'Looks like I guessed right.'
A wave of violent emotion surged through him. Reg instantly lowered his head and bit down on Su Yaoyao's fair neck.
"Ah! Reg, are you a dog or something?!"
Pain flared from Su Yaoyao's neck, but Reg showed no sign of letting go. Instead, he bit down even harder.
"It hurts..."
Tears welled in Su Yaoyao's eyes. She pushed against Reg's chest but couldn't budge him at all. She even tore a button from his shirt, but he remained unfazed.
Only when a small bead of blood appeared on the bite mark did Reg release her. Then, his hot tongue darted out, licking the drop of blood away and swallowing it.
Instantly, a resonance vibrated through his body and even his Spirit World. An indescribable pleasure washed over his entire soul.