He, The Scumbag, Has Turned Over A New Leaf. - Chapter 8

Because of what Lotte had told him, Ivan did not sleep well. As soon as dawn broke the next morning, he left the villa and headed for the Harley Star Military Affairs Office.

The morning on Harley Star was bathed in sunlight. The streets were clean and orderly, free of even a speck of dust. Ivan stepped into the office lobby just as the morning light hit the floor.

The first thing he saw was Xiao Fang, the officer who had been on duty the previous night. He walked over, offering a gentle smile to greet her.

Xiao Fang, a clerical officer, had not gone home the night before. Because Tovis was being detained there, the entire staff had worked through the night. She could have gone home to rest, but due to Ivan’s request, she had chosen to stay behind to keep a close watch on the Marshal’s situation.

Though she was exhausted, seeing the handsome male Zerg greet her with such a warm smile made all her efforts feel worthwhile.

“Respected male lord, good morning.” Xiao Fang stood up, excitedly returning his greeting. In the bright morning sunlight, Ivan looked like a god; Xiao Fang was momentarily dazzled.

Ivan stepped forward and gave a light cough to break her trance. “Hello. After a full night, is there any result yet?”

In truth, Ivan was not worried about Tovis’s life; the fact that they were detaining him rather than killing him meant he was still useful to them. What Ivan feared was that Tovis, kept in a dark, confined space, would suffer a decline in his mental state that could worsen his mental power instability, which would be fatal.

Xiao Fang came back to reality and apologized. “I am sorry, my lord.”

Ivan understood. After a moment of thought, he asked, “Then, could I see him?”

Xiao Fang hesitated for a moment before saying, “Please wait.” She lacked the authority to answer, so she went to consult her superior. A while later, she returned with a happy expression. “My lord, please follow me.”

Ivan felt a surge of relief and followed Xiao Fang to the detention area.

Passing through a long corridor, they arrived at a building with an oppressive design. There were independent small rooms made of alloy. The doors were fully sealed, featuring only a notebook-sized barred window near the top.

“Here it is.” Xiao Fang stopped in front of one of the interrogation rooms. After politely thanking her, Ivan stepped inside.

The room was pitch black. Relying on the sliver of light from the opening door, Ivan saw Tovis, who was handcuffed to a chair, sitting upright. He was wearing the same clothes from the night before and did not look disheveled. He was leaning back in the chair with his eyes closed, appearing to be asleep.

The door shut with a loud thud, and the last hint of light vanished.

However, as a B-class male Zerg with strong mental power, Ivan could see Tovis’s face clearly even in the absolute darkness. He walked over, sat in the chair opposite him, and spoke softly. “Are you alright?”

Tovis’s brows furrowed, and he opened his eyes. “Why are you here?”

Tovis had known it was Ivan the moment he walked in; the male’s pheromones were particularly intrusive. Even before they were married, Tovis had heard that Ivan used his status as a B-class male to act as he pleased. In the few days they had spent together since the wedding, Ivan had made no effort to restrain his scent, and Tovis had become all too familiar with it.

Tovis looked directly at Ivan, his gaze scrutinizing.

Seeing that Tovis did not look as though he had been tortured and that his mental state seemed relatively stable, Ivan felt a bit better. He smiled and said, “I came to save you.”

Tovis’s brows knit tighter. “It is not needed. Last night was a necessity. I have committed no crime; as long as I cooperate with the investigation, I will be out soon. This is not a place for you.”

Ivan was stunned by Tovis’s cold, harsh tone. “Oh? Are you done with the act?”

Ivan was genuinely surprised. He had known Tovis, a frontline Imperial Marshal, could not possibly be the subservient man he portrayed at home. He knew Tovis was acting, but what puzzled him was why Tovis would drop the facade now.

As Ivan looked at him with confusion, Tovis said slowly, “I do not know what you are talking about. Go home.”

Ivan rested his chin on his hand, staring at him unblinkingly. “Arui asked me yesterday why you didn’t come home.”

Tovis did not speak. His hands, cuffed to the chair, twitched. Ivan continued, “I told him you fell in love with a beautiful mech and wanted to try it out, so you would be back in a few days.”

Tovis said hoarsely, “Please, take care of Arui. I beg you.”

Ivan sighed, stood up, and walked over to Tovis to straighten his collar. “Rest easy. In a few days, come home and see how well I have taken care of him.”

With that, Ivan turned and walked toward the door. Tovis looked up, his expression complex as he stared at Ivan’s retreating figure until the room plunged back into darkness.

Outside, Xiao Fang had been waiting. When Ivan came out, she stepped forward. “My lord…”

Ivan smiled and walked with her toward the exit. “Thank you.”

“You are too kind, my lord.”

Unable to achieve anything else there, Ivan politely bid Xiao Fang farewell and left the office. Upon returning to the villa, he immediately instructed Lotte to send a formal request for an appointment.

On the second floor of the Harley Star Office, in the Section Chief’s office, Reid sat on his desk with his legs crossed, asking Cui Li Kingsby, Ace’s female father and one of the four great noble families of Harley Star, who was currently watching the surveillance feed.

Cui Li folded his hands, his eyes fixed on the screen, his gaze dark and unreadable. The monitor showed the room where Tovis was detained. Ivan had already left, and Tovis sat alone in the chair, just as he had been.

Cui Li pondered for a moment, then shut off the feed. “I cannot tell anything. But it does not matter; those above will not let him go, and I have no say in the matter.” Cui Li leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.

Reid chuckled, jumped off the desk, and walked to the window. “Oh, please. Who are you acting for? Just because they say that, you think you have to listen?”

Cui Li lay back in his chair, feigning ignorance. Reid did not mind, simply looking out the window and laughing to himself.

After sending the appointment request, Ivan went to wake Arui. Since Tovis was away, Arui had started sleeping in. It took a long time for Ivan to drag the soft, golden little ball of fluff out from under the covers. After brushing his teeth, washing his face, and eating breakfast, Ivan took the child out.

The two spent the entire day playing in the planet’s center, returning to the villa laden with bags only when night fell.

“Hahaha! This is yours, this is mine, this is for Brother, and this is for Grandpa Lotte!”

Arui had played wildly all day and was now sitting on a small stool with a flushed face, distributing the snacks and toys they had bought.

Ivan sat at the dining table, smiling as Lotte prepared dinner. When the final dish was served, Ivan said, “Alright, Arui, come eat.”

“Okay!” Arui obediently put down his things, ran to the table, and scrambled into his chair. Before Arui could grab his chopsticks, Lotte stopped him. “Wait a moment.” He took a hot towel and carefully wiped Arui’s small hands until he was satisfied.

With permission granted, Arui began to eat. But as he ate, his mood grew heavy. He looked up at Ivan and asked, “When will Brother come back?”

Ivan paused, then smiled. “Soon.”

“Hmm, is a mech really that much fun?” Arui muttered to himself, then snorted. “Brother is so annoying. He forgot all about Arui just because of a mech.”

Watching Arui’s every move, Ivan found it amusing, though thoughts of Tovis made it hard to be truly relaxed. After dinner, Lotte took Arui to wash up, and Ivan went to the study to review the documents Lotte had found for him, staying up late into the night.

The next morning, Ivan rose early and went for his usual run in the garden. After meeting his exercise quota, he returned to his room to wash up. Arui, who had been scolded for oversleeping the day before, woke up early and ate breakfast with Ivan.

“Big Brother, where are we going to play today?” Arui asked, eyes sparkling as he sipped his milk.

Ivan had been about to praise Arui for waking up early, but realizing the boy’s motive, he couldn’t help but laugh. “I have things to do today. How about you let Grandpa Lotte take you out to play?”

“Okay!” Arui didn’t care who took him as long as he could go out.

Ivan laughed. “Little ungrateful thing.”

“Ungrateful? Who is Ungrateful?” Arui tilted his head, his large eyes filled with confusion.

Ivan chuckled. “No one! I’m heading out.” He stood up, walked over to Arui, and bent down. Arui grinned and leaned in, planting a kiss on Ivan’s cheek.

“Such a good boy.” Having received a milky kiss, Ivan ruffled Arui’s soft golden hair and left, feeling satisfied.

Although the Pushiu family had cars, Ivan was not used to driving the interstellar vehicles, so he hailed a taxi again. The interstellar transport was fast and convenient; ten minutes later, Ivan stood outside the Kingsby family villa.

Of course, this was not the residence where Ace lived. While Ace had played a role in the day’s events, he was not the one with the authority. This was the residence of Ace’s female father, Cui Li Kingsby.

He politely rang the doorbell and spoke to the robot butler. “Hello, I am Ivan Pushiu. I sent an appointment request yesterday, and I am here to visit Commander Cui Li.”