He, The Scumbag, Has Turned Over A New Leaf. - Chapter 7

After settling the 300 million star coin compensation for the damaged mech, Ivan rushed without delay to the Harley Star Military Affairs Office, where Tovis was being temporarily detained.

Due to the sudden emergency, the office was brightly lit. An enemy military female had been captured and was currently being interrogated in a separate room from Tovis. Ivan entered the main lobby and asked a young military female officer sitting at a computer terminal, “When will my spouse be released?”

Ivan wore a look of sorrow, his tone filled with concern. “His mental state is poor, and I am very worried about him.”

The young officer, Xiao Fang, usually only handled routine reception duties. Never having seen a male Zerg as handsome as Ivan, she immediately set aside her work to comfort him. “Respected male lord, please rest assured. It is merely a routine interrogation of your spouse; he will be out shortly. It is truly his honor to have you so concerned for him.”

Hearing this, Ivan felt slightly relieved. To continue building favor, he sat in the lobby to wait so that Tovis would see him the moment he was released.

With the office staff deployed elsewhere, Xiao Fang was left alone with the handsome male Zerg. She felt incredibly nervous.

Time ticked by, but Tovis, who was expected to be released quickly, remained unseen. Ivan frowned, checked the time on his light-brain, and stood up. “Could I trouble you to ask about my spouse? How is he doing now?”

Facing the request from the male lord, Xiao Fang gladly agreed and walked toward the interrogation area in the back.

Though it was night, the hallway leading to the interrogation rooms was unlit. Xiao Fang, who was usually accustomed to this area, felt an inexplicable sense of dread. She only saw the guards stationed outside the two innermost rooms.

Xiao Fang approached and asked, “A male lord is waiting for his spouse outside. How much longer will the interrogation take?”

The two guards exchanged glances. One, a long-haired officer, asked, “A male?”

Xiao Fang nodded, adding with a touch of envy, “Yes, Marshal Tovis’s master. Even though Marshal Tovis has been dismissed from his post, his master treats him very well.”

The long-haired guard chuckled, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Since when do males care about females? As expected, Marshal Tovis is no simple character.” He patted Xiao Fang’s shoulder. “Go back. Both you and that male lord should leave early. The order from above is clear: Tovis is not coming back.”

Xiao Fang froze. “Why?”

She had heard about the situation at the auction house that evening. Marshal Tovis had acted heroically; logically, he should have been released after routine questioning. Why would he be detained?

The long-haired guard refused to speak further and demanded that Xiao Fang leave immediately.

Xiao Fang returned empty-handed. Facing Ivan’s expectant gaze, she felt apologetic. She lowered her head and said in a dejected tone, “I am very sorry, my lord. Marshal Tovis cannot be released for the time being. I have wasted your time.”

Ivan felt a surge of suspicion but kept his expression neutral. “Can you tell me the reason?”

Xiao Fang shook her head. “I am sorry, my lord. I do not know.”

Ivan sighed and offered a smile. “It is fine. I should not have put you in a difficult position. You do not need to be so formal. I am Ivan; you can just call me Ivan.”

“I, I couldn’t possibly!” Xiao Fang stammered, her youthful face flushing red.

Ivan smiled, his eyes curving at the corners, and handed her his contact information. “If there is any news about my spouse, please do let me know. Thank you for the warm water. Until next time.”

Xiao Fang accepted the card with both hands, excited. “Yes, of course.”

Ivan waved goodbye and exited the office building. The moment he stepped outside, the smile vanished from his face. He frowned and hailed a taxi to head home.

It was already past midnight when Ivan arrived at the villa. He turned on the living room lights to find little Arui asleep on the sofa, his head bobbing as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

The sudden light startled Arui, who scrambled off the sofa, blinking his sleepy eyes toward the door. He ran over, shouting, “Brother!”

He only realized the male Zerg before him wasn’t his brother upon reaching him. He clutched Ivan’s legs and peered behind him. The door was dark, and seeing nothing, Arui looked up at Ivan with wide, confused eyes. “Where is my brother?”

Ivan closed the door, picked up Arui, and headed toward his bedroom. “Why are you still awake?”

“Waiting for brother!” Arui, held by Ivan, was unhappy not to see his brother. He furrowed his small brows and insisted, “Where is brother?”

Ivan paused and sighed. “Your brother is on his way back. On the road, he encountered a very beautiful mech. He liked it so much that he wanted to try it out. He will be back in a few days. He was afraid you would be worried, so he sent me back to tell you. Otherwise, I would still be inside the mech too!”

Entering the bedroom, Ivan placed Arui on the bed with grey sheets and sighed. “I have sacrificed so much for you.”

“A mech?” Little Arui frowned. “Is it the kind of mech that can fly like on the screen?”

“Yes,” Ivan said, crouching down to take off Arui’s shoes. “So, while your brother is away, you must be a good boy and wait for him, okay?”

Arui thought for a moment, then clapped his hands. “Sigh, I have really sacrificed so much just so my brother can be with a pretty mech.”

“Pfft!” Ivan couldn’t help but laugh. He stood up, shaking his head. “Right, right, we have both sacrificed too much. Now, go to sleep.” He pulled the quilt over Arui’s small, plump stomach.

Arui nodded obediently. “Goodnight, big brother.”

“Goodnight.” Ivan waved and turned off the light.

Returning to the living room, the smile faded from his face. He sat on the sofa, recalling the night’s events. From attending the auction and buying the heirloom, to the sudden appearance of enemy mechs and Tovis being taken away, it was all too coincidental. Yet, Ivan could not piece together the motive.

As he pondered, footsteps approached.

Ivan turned to see Lotte in long-sleeved plaid pajamas standing at the corner. Seeing Ivan sitting alone, Lotte stepped forward and asked, “Young Master, what is wrong? Did your spouse not return with you?”

Seeing Lotte, the butler who had watched Ivan grow up and was like an uncle, Ivan opened up about the evening’s events. “Uncle Lotte, why would they detain Tovis?”

Lotte whispered a guiding thought. “Young Master, your spouse has just been dismissed from his position. He was already under investigation. If not for the system’s mandatory matching, he would likely still be in prison. This incident simply provided the perfect excuse to detain him.”

Ivan’s eyes sharpened. “So, it is not about the incident itself, but Tovis, the person they want to keep.”

“Well, yes and no,” Lotte said with a smile.

“Hm?” Ivan looked at Lotte, hoping for clarification.

Lotte explained, “It is true that your spouse is the ultimate target. But without this incident, given your spouse’s character, it would not have been easy for them to find an excuse to capture him.”

Ivan frowned, his mind clearing slightly. “So, from the very beginning, the heirloom belonging to Tovis’s female father was a trap!”

“Correct.” Lotte nodded approvingly.

Ivan furrowed his brows further. “But the mechs were from the Federation. That does not make sense.” The Empire and the Federation were long-time enemies; cooperation was impossible.

Lotte shook his head. “Young Master, there are two possibilities. One, the mechs were disguised by the Empire to frame the Federation. Two, there are traitors within the Empire colluding with the Federation.”

Ivan realized the truth and continued, “So, Ace’s invitation and his messages must have been provided by the mastermind. If we follow that lead, we will know who is behind this.”

Lotte nodded, but Ivan immediately contradicted himself. “No, why is there not a third possibility? This is all a plot by the Federation targeting Tovis, the Empire’s only S-class Marshal.” He looked at Lotte.

Lotte did not answer immediately; instead, he poured a glass of water for Ivan. After Ivan calmed down and took a sip, Lotte continued, “There is no third possibility.”

“Why?”

“Among the four noble families of Harley Star, there is not one Zerg who is incompetent.” Lotte stared straight at Ivan. “Young Master, do you truly believe that Ace is as lazy and unambitious as he appears?”

Lotte’s words struck Ivan like a bolt of lightning. His pupils constricted. “You mean Ace?”

Lotte smiled. “Yes.”

Ivan gripped his glass tightly, his heart turbulent. From the invitation and the leaked information to the chaos at the auction, if it was Ace, it all made sense.

Lotte stood up, stifled a yawn, and headed toward his room. “Young Master, get some rest. Your spouse still needs you.”

“Right.” Ivan set down the glass and walked toward the stairs, his heart heavy. Every step felt burdened, much like his state of mind.

At the final step of the staircase, Ivan suddenly stopped and looked back. Lotte was no longer there, but Ivan’s heart had sunk into an abyss.

“Among the four noble families of Harley Star, there is not one Zerg who is incompetent.”

Lotte’s smiling voice echoed in his ears, and Ivan felt a cold sweat soaking his back.