I Hate That Jerk of a Spouse - Chapter 14

The intense, brilliant light of the star focused through the rose-shaped stained glass onto the male standing in the center of the auditorium. His white gown with golden patterns shimmered in the light, but even the most brilliant gold could not compare to a ten-thousandth of the luster in the Prince’s golden eyes.

“I, Leslie Clark, hereby solemnly swear: I shall forever remain loyal to the Empire and strictly abide by the laws of the land.”

The Prince, favored by the light, performed his coming-of-age ceremony amidst thousands of blessings. As the last note of his oath faded, the Empress personally placed the ruby power ring onto his young son’s finger, bestowing upon him the authority of a Prince.

The two turned simultaneously to face the insect citizens present. Their long, silver-white hair, identical in hue, caught the golden radiance. Within their two pairs of golden eyes, one deep and one light, was reflected countless displays of devout loyalty and artificial smiles.

Golden eyes are the hallmark of the Clark royal family, passed down through generations, representing noble status and superior genes.

The current Empress was originally a discarded heir with genetic defects, yet he stood until the end in the final struggle for the throne. In the eyes of the old-school nobles who pursued superior genes, this Empress was clearly unqualified.

However, the other party had married into the Mattia family, known as the “Spear of the Empire.” No family was reckless enough to go head-to-head with the “Spear of Fire,” the Mattias; the only outcome of such an attempt would be turning into ashes.

Since even the Mattias had no intention of usurping the throne and continued to support the Clarks as the royal family, the lower-ranking families had even less of a say.

Even if they held grudges, they would never show them openly.

But now, looking at Leslie’s incredibly brilliant golden eyes and his impeccable, exquisite appearance, and considering the status and genetic superiority they represented, many old-school nobles secretly abandoned their schemes.

Those golden eyes, more dazzling than the radiance of the star itself, would make even the previous Emperor feel ashamed. The superior genes of the Clark family had not been broken in Egbert; they had been further optimized.

Insects admire strength and are governed by a strict hierarchy. When the superior possesses absolute power, the inferior submits both in body and heart.

They firmly believed that this newly matured Prince would lead the Empire to new heights.

The head of the Gray family applauded for Leslie’s investiture from within the crowd, a smile on his face, though it did not reach his eyes. His gaze, however, revealed a bone-deep hatred.

Leslie did not cast a glance at him, but his spreading mental threads allowed him to see everything.

The corners of the Prince’s soft, pink lips curled, and a smile blossomed like a flower, causing countless insects on the spot and behind the live-streaming screens to gasp.

The comment section went instantly wild.

Countless declarations of marriage requests, which had flooded the stream when Casper appeared, were wiped away, replaced by a surge of envy, jealousy, and hatred, as the crowd turned on the General.

As Leslie’s legal spouse, Casper was also required to swear his loyalty.

Egbert stepped back in time, leaving the center of the auditorium to the newly wed couple.

“I shall forever be loyal to you, guarding by your side, never departing, until the end of the universe.”

With every word spoken, the smile on Leslie’s face grew sweeter, the joy and happiness overflowing like thick, flowing honey.

“I permit it.”

Simultaneous with his words, the scepter he held rested against his shoulder. A light lean, yet it felt as if it had struck a heavy blow against his heart, the ripples spreading and blooming wildly.

Casper looked up and crashed into a sea of golden honey.

The moment he gained real power, Leslie applied for an investigation warrant from his mother. Conducting the law impartially and without a hint of personal grievance, he turned the Gray family upside down.

An entirely unexpected storm overturned the Gray family, leaving everyone stunned.

The head of the Gray family, who had attended the Prince’s coming-of-age ceremony that morning, was invited into the palace that afternoon and thrown into prison.

He did not even have time to make any arrangements before he was apprehended on the spot by the Prince’s personal guards.

“What are you doing? By what right do you arrest me? Even a Prince must abide by the laws of the state!”

The shackled Gray family head clamored wildly. He had managed the family business perfectly, ensuring not a single flaw was exposed. He did not believe Leslie could have any legitimate reason to arrest him.

The guards acting under orders looked at him with disdain, unwilling to utter a single word.

While the ugly spectacle of the Gray family head’s worm-like writhing and his attacks on the Prince became a trending topic across the network, the Imperial Ministry of Justice released a series of heinous crimes committed by the Gray family.

Each and every item was enough to make one’s eyes pop out in shock.

And this was only a small portion that the Ministry of Justice, in conjunction with various parties, deemed safe for public release.

The more alarming parts, which would cause public panic, were suppressed.

For instance, the document in the Emperor’s hand titled “Genetic Extraction and Modification Plan (1).”

The Gray family had been bold enough to steal the genes of the Clark royal family and attempt to edit them into their own family’s genetic sequence.

Even though the final experiment failed and the plan was aborted, it could not hide the crimes committed by this group of lunatics.

In particular, their gene-stealing behavior directly led to Egbert’s long-standing genetic defects. If he had not broken through his level to complete his incomplete genes, Egbert would have had less than thirty years to live.

Aiselle’s hand, holding the virtual screen, trembled uncontrollably. His jade eyes were filled with shattered specks of light.

How dare they!

The Gray family had set their sights on more than just the Clark royal family; the famous nobles of the capital planet were basically all on their hit list.

This included Aiselle’s family, the Mattias.

Thinking of his older brother’s young son, who also had pale hair and genetic sliding due to genetic defects, the misfortunes suffered by his kin further intensified Aiselle’s rage.

He did not ask where Leslie had obtained this information. His male had grown up, and it was perfectly normal for him to have his own little secrets. Moreover, he trusted Leslie’s character. His male had followed the law since he was a child, so he must have collected the information through legitimate channels.

Taking advantage of Leslie’s half-month honeymoon vacation, Aiselle made all the necessary arrangements, waiting only for Leslie to officially take power so he could swing the blade at the Gray family.

The official statement was that the Prince had accidentally discovered the Gray family’s illegal industrial chain during his honeymoon trip. By following the trail, he uncovered the Gray family’s numerous crimes. After collecting relevant evidence, he submitted it secretly and applied for an investigation warrant, all to avoid alerting the enemy, with the intention of eradicating this imperial tumor in one fell swoop.

For a time, Leslie’s reputation soared, and even Casper’s reputation was somewhat cleared.

Leslie seized the opportunity to guide public opinion, steering the earlier case of Casper severely injuring Ritter Gray toward the idea that there was more to the story.

In an instant, the Gray family, who had been targeted by all, could no longer gain a shred of public sympathy.

As the investigation progressed, more and more crimes of the Gray family were revealed.

The ancient evidence Leslie had collected by probing Ritter Gray’s mental domain was not convenient for direct disclosure, so he handed it to Ingvar to handle.

For a time, countless small families persecuted by the Gray family spoke up one after another, submitting evidence they had kept, adding a few more blades to the Gray family’s guillotine.

During these days, Leslie frequently traveled across star systems, personally sealing those overly insane illegal industries.

Casper, as both spouse and personal guard, naturally accompanied him.

Inside the dim, giant factory, the iridescent cherry-red potion in the glass containers carried an eerie, seductive quality. Casper frowned deeply, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable.

The insect-like claws gradually returned to their normal form. Casper used a cleaner to deal with the blood of the factory guards stained on his body. Once he confirmed there was no longer a hint of the smell of blood, Casper walked toward Leslie, following the pheromones.

In the laboratory, a group of research insects was busy copying data. These precious materials were the foundation for their future development of antidotes for the potion.

This type of potion factory was the most difficult to handle; they could not be blown up, nor could they be dumped, so they could only be sealed pending the development of drugs that could eliminate the effects of the potion.

Among the group of research insects busy running around, the silver-haired male sitting alone on a high stool was incredibly conspicuous under the incandescent light.

When Casper found him by following his scent, Leslie had just finished reading the introduction to the potion.

The golden eyes he raised no longer held the fleeting murderous aura, but were filled with warm and soft concern.

Leslie jumped off the high stool and threw himself into Casper’s arms, checking him over carefully from top to bottom.

“Are you hurt?”

The pure scent of mint, unmixed with any smell of blood, was fresh and clear. Leslie took a deep breath, and only then did he suppress the blood that surged into his throat.

Casper held his male master firmly, letting him touch and feel everywhere.

He took a quiet breath, his voice slightly hoarse: “No, Your Highness. Those insects are not enough to pose a threat to me.”

“Mua!”

Leslie smiled and planted a kiss on Casper’s frost-white cheek.

“Wonderful. A reward for you.”

His legs, which had not softened even after fighting dozens of female insects just now, could not help but tremble at this moment.

Looking at Casper’s reddened ears, Leslie knew when to stop and did not tease him any further.

He was held and sat down in an inconspicuous corner. Leslie lazily played with Casper’s fingers.

It was this hand that crushed Ritter Gray’s heart.

Feeling the warmth and moisture from his fingertips, Casper stiffened instantly, not daring to move.

The water trail spread from his fingertips all the way up, and the warm, soft touch rested on his palm.

Leslie buried his face in Casper’s rough palm, his breath spraying on the texture of his palm, the moisture gradually wetting the dried lines.

[Forced estrus; accompanied by strong hallucinogenic effects; not to be taken multiple times; nervous system; irreversible damage.]

Every word seemed to be branded into Leslie’s mental network, replaying over and over.

The rage surging in his heart screamed to tear that insect scum into ten thousand pieces, only to be soothed again and again by the increasingly rich mint scent.

[Damn them all.]

Leslie sniffed the mint scent, eyes closed tightly, chanting silently in his heart.

In the execution grounds, the members of the Gray family sentenced for their crimes either cursed or wailed, but it was all to no avail.

The charges were established, and no insect could receive a pardon outside the law.

Gradually, the only sound left in the field was one: the sound of painful wailing.

Leslie stood on the high platform with Casper, looking down at those criminal insects.

Bright red blood mingled with wails to play a requiem, comforting those wounded souls.

Casper suddenly raised his hand to cover Leslie’s eyes, pulling the Prince closer to his own chest.

Leslie blinked in confusion. Although his eyes were covered, it did not prevent him from seeing with his mental power! In fact, it was even clearer.

“The scene is a bit bloody, Your Highness. Do not look anymore. It will dirty your eyes.”

“Mm.”

Actually, he was already an adult insect; he was not a cub who had not experienced the winds and rains.

But this was rare concern proactively given by Casper.

“Oh.”

“Then you watch for me.”

Leslie obediently accepted this kindness, letting himself fall into the cool mint embrace.

“As you command, Your Highness.”

Casper stared unblinkingly as one criminal insect after another was executed according to the previous judgment, until it was Ritter Gray’s turn.

As the blood spilled, the wails gradually weakened, until there was no breath left.

Inevitably, Casper felt a sense of relief in his heart, incredibly satisfied.

When all the executions were over, Leslie pulled down Casper’s hand that was blocking his eyes. The light of the setting sun fell into his bright golden eyes, gorgeous to the extreme.

“I have avenged you!”

In the warm yellow halo, Casper saw himself in those eyes, and saw only himself.

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