I Hate That Jerk of a Spouse - Chapter 5

Will he stay if there is an insect egg? No sweet pheromones.

On the day of his wedding, the Prince rushed into Aysel’s field of vision, bathed in bright sunlight. Every strand of his hair seemed to dance with joy, and his golden eyes, filled with happiness, were more dazzling than the sun itself.

“Father! Casper has married me!”

Exhausted by official duties, the Emperor immediately dismissed his virtual screen and pulled his male son to sit on the sofa, taking the opportunity to slack off.

“Congratulations, my little one.”

This was truly a joyous occasion. Ever since his son returned from service with the First Legion two years ago, Aysel had not seen him look this happy.

Thinking of how dejected Leslie had been back then, and comparing it to the joy radiating from every feature of his face now, Aysel waved his hand and approved a half-month honeymoon leave for him.

“The Prince’s mansion is under construction. Once your vacation ends and you complete the adulthood ceremony and the investiture, you can move in.”

Suddenly receiving a generous two-week vacation, Leslie threw himself into his father’s arms, acting like a spoiled child.

“Father is the best.”

Aysel patted his son’s head, secretly calculating how to offload his extra work onto his Queen. His workload was already heavy enough; he certainly did not want to work overtime.

The moment Leslie returned to his sleeping quarters, he heard Val’s report.

“The head of the Gray family has withdrawn the lawsuit directly, but a wave of crusade against Admiral Casper has erupted on the StarNet. Her Majesty the Queen, bowing to public opinion, has temporarily suspended Admiral Casper from his duties.”

It was a suspension rather than a dismissal, which was enough to show the Queen’s attitude toward the matter.

Although they all believed that Litte Gray deserved his fate, the result was indeed that Casper had injured a male and caused him to lose his fertility. It was understandable that the public would launch a crusade over this result, but it would only be a passing storm.

Once the clamor died down, it would be possible for Casper to return to the military, though he would likely need to be demoted to appease the public.

Thinking of this outcome, Val could not help but feel a sense of regret.

It was not easy for a commoner to climb to the rank of Admiral. Once demoted, the difficulty of returning would be akin to reaching the heavens.

Leslie nodded, indicating he understood.

As early as the night the incident occurred, Leslie had discussed it with his father and mother, so he was not surprised. This was the best outcome they could fight for.

However, he was still extremely displeased.

The head of the Gray family refused to accept the verdict of self-defense and withdrew the lawsuit, which allowed him to push all the blame onto Casper alone. The public, seeing this, naturally assumed that the Gray family head was forced by imperial power to accept a private settlement.

This would cause tremendous damage to Casper’s reputation.

And the culprit who caused all this, Litte Gray, would still gain a wave of sympathy.

The mere thought made Leslie feel disgusted.

His bright, warm golden eyes turned cold, his round pupils contracting into dangerous vertical slits. Leslie chewed on that sinful name in his mind, wishing he could tear him apart and skin him alive.

In his previous life, Casper’s dull and broken eyes surfaced in his memory. Leslie still remembered the heartbreak of that moment.

[Litte Gray, I will never let you go.]

Casper did not sleep peacefully.

Even though the room lacked the sweet scent commonly used by noble males, opting instead for a fresh and gentle woody fragrance, it was still missing one thing: Leslie’s pheromones.

His spirit was extremely exhausted, yet he could not fall into a restful sleep.

Fragmented, obscure memories flashed through his mind, and his breathing gradually became rapid.

It was not until a fresh scent of wild roses appeared that the scenes in his mind instantly shattered and reorganized, turning into the rising sun casting its brilliance over a field of wild roses. Dewdrops, round and crystalline, shimmered under the morning light, and the entire wilderness was filled with vitality.

Under the soothing influence of the pheromones, Casper’s spirit gradually relaxed, and he sank into a peaceful darkness.

Leslie gently stroked the center of Casper’s eyebrows until his tightly furrowed brow smoothed out, his expression returning to peace and serenity.

Only then did he take out a special key to remove the suppressor from Casper’s body.

The re-energized strength began to repair his tired body. He believed that when Casper woke up, he would regain his vitality.

Having been busy for nearly two days, Leslie was also tired. He let out a lazy yawn, took a quick wash, changed into soft pajamas, and nestled into Casper’s arms, falling into a deep sleep as well.

The room was filled with peace and tranquility.

When Casper woke up, he felt a deep sense of unfamiliarity with his body.

It had been a long time since he had felt this full of strength.

The body destroyed by the medicine could not return to its original vigor even after the suppressor was removed, but his current healthy and strong body made him feel incredibly strange.

Just as he was adapting to this “brand new” body, the scent of wild roses in the air gradually became richer, the sweetness skyrocketing until it made the Zerg feel dry-mouthed and tongue-tied.

Casper raised his hand to gently touch the cheek of the Zerg in his arms. The soft skin beneath his palm was continuously heating up.

Leslie let out a soft murmur and slowly began to wake up, having been woken by the heat.

He subconsciously hugged the Zerg in front of him that could provide a cooling sensation, just like holding the only cup of iced mint in the scorching summer.

The “Precautions for Guides” he had read shortly before told Casper that Leslie’s physiological awakening had not ended.

Experience is the best teacher; Casper took action immediately.

The searing heat in his lower abdomen was wrapped in layers of coolness. Leslie grabbed Casper’s messy hair, his dazed gaze gradually focusing.

His other hand was grabbed and placed against his lips, licked inch by inch from the base of the fingers upward. It was so ticklish that Leslie curled his fingers subconsciously, only to be forced open by the lips and tongue again.

Leslie took short, shallow breaths, his chest filled with cool mint pheromones.

Amidst the numbing, pleasurable sensation, Leslie vaguely thought: [The feeling of having a guide… is truly very different.]

In his previous life, after Casper refused to be his physiological awakening guide, Leslie had chosen to tough it out.

When the pain became unbearable, he would take injections, which only prolonged the time of his suffering; it took half a month of pain to end.

Compared to the comfort he felt now, Leslie felt deep regret.

Why did I even ask! Wouldn’t it have been better to just tie Casper up? Even if I had to pester him, I could have worn him down until he agreed.

After the relief, Leslie felt lazy and relaxed, the comfort seeping into his very bones.

He nested obediently in Casper’s arms, letting him brush and wash him.

“Father gave me a half-month honeymoon vacation. Tomorrow, I’ll take you out to play.”

Casper focused on cleaning Leslie’s long, silver-white hair and responded in a low voice.

Thinking of what he had to say next, Leslie found it difficult to speak; he felt a tightness in his chest. He turned around to hug Casper’s neck, burying his head in the crook of his neck and rubbing against it lightly.

Casper used his fingers like a comb, smoothing out Leslie’s soft, long hair, the excellent texture felt through the skin of his fingers.

“What is wrong, Your Highness?”

Buried against him, Leslie’s voice was muffled and downcast. “Mother has temporarily suspended you.”

The public is the most unpredictable; it was unknown when Casper could return to the military, and it was better not to say it and let him suffer.

Even though he had avoided the disaster of imprisonment, that unprovoked calamity had still brought massive negative consequences to Casper.

And Leslie was powerless to change that.

He did not want to see such a dazzling Casper fall, nor did he want to see those bold eyes lose their luster.

As soon as Casper heard this, he knew what Leslie was sad about. He did not feel sad for this, and in fact, given his current state, he would not be able to hold a normal position in the military anyway.

“It is alright, Your Highness. It is just a suspension; it is already a very good result.”

To be able to move freely and jump around after severely injuring an A-rank male, he could consider himself unique.

This was already… very good.

Leslie did not want to continue this heavy topic, so he pulled himself out of Casper’s arms and splashed a handful of water onto Casper’s face.

Seeing Casper’s expressionless but clearly dumbfounded look, Leslie laughed “pfft.”

Casper showed a helpless expression. “Your Highness…”

When another handful of water was splashed over, Casper dodged it in time and struck back quickly.

Past experience told Casper that his male spouse had a very stubborn temperament; a small win was fine, but an overwhelming victory was definitely not.

He was afraid that Leslie would get so angry he would burst a blood vessel, and he could forget about having another chance.

The childish water fight broke the heavy atmosphere, knocking all the sadness and bitterness down to the bottom of the water.

After dinner, the royal physician arrived as scheduled to examine Leslie and Casper’s physical condition.

The royal physician carefully checked the scan report. The two Zerg opposite were extremely quiet; for a time, the entire hall was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Casper was not good at finding topics to talk about; without Leslie taking the initiative, he rarely spoke. As for Leslie, he was thinking about Casper’s strange behavior earlier.

When the royal physician was examining him, Casper had silently taken a step back to put distance between himself and the doctor.

Although he later took a step forward as if nothing had happened, Leslie could not ignore Casper’s panic at that moment.

Leslie frowned. He did not remember Casper having any germaphobia or physical contact disorders at this time; he had seen Casper with his arm around his adjutant’s shoulders.

Was it because he was suddenly seeing a strange Zerg that he was somewhat repulsed?

Strange.

The royal physician’s words pulled his thoughts back, and Leslie set the matter aside for the time being.

“The matching rate between Your Highness and the Admiral is very high. The physiological awakening is proceeding very smoothly, and currently, the mental power is still steadily rising.”

The royal physician’s eyes were filled with joy. Although it was hard to say explicitly, he felt that based on this growth rate, the Second Prince had a very good chance of breaking through to the SS rank.

“The Admiral can provide more pheromones regularly; it is helpful for the Prince’s growth and development.”

The royal physician took out a small manual and handed it to Casper, instructing him to study it.

After the examination, the royal physician left.

While Casper was washing up, Leslie received a private message from the physician:

[Your Highness, the state of Admiral Casper’s mental domain is not optimistic. Perhaps you could consider performing mental grooming for him.]

Mental grooming is usually performed by female Zerg voluntarily seeking a male; such a troublesome matter is usually not something males are willing to do.

During the examination, the royal physician had discovered that Casper’s mental domain was extremely chaotic, and maintaining such a state was life-threatening. Since Casper had become the Second Prince’s consort and was also burdened with a crime, it was basically impossible for him to seek another male for mental grooming.

Fortunately, the Second Prince’s attitude toward his consort was unusually gentle; based on such pampering, His Highness should be willing to groom Admiral Casper’s mental domain, right?

Leslie remained silent as he looked at the physician’s private message.

It was not that he had not tried to perform mental grooming for Casper, but whether it was before or after his rebirth, Casper had always been unwilling.

Performing mental grooming forcibly when a female Zerg is unwilling to open their mental domain is an extremely dangerous matter for both sides.

He had managed to marry Casper by taking advantage of the situation; the Admiral might not have any true feelings for him, and perhaps out of gratitude, he was willing to serve him. But when it involved something as private as a mental domain, the probability that he would agree was very low.

He had pursued him so hard for so long, and he had never seen Casper moved.

He would refuse; he would always refuse, without hesitation.

Males in the period of physiological awakening are particularly sensitive, in both body and mind.

When Casper came out, he saw Leslie’s melancholy face. The Prince, who was bright and dazzling during the day, now appeared surrounded by dark clouds even under the warm yellow light.

His trembling eyelashes cast a shivering shadow on his eyes, masking the slightly flickering tears.

Having just finished the manual the doctor gave him, Casper walked over and cupped Leslie’s face, his rough thumb wiping away the tears at the corners of his eyes.

“Are you uncomfortable again?”

Upon hearing this, Leslie could no longer hold back his tears.

He knew it! Casper was only treating him this well because he was still going through physiological awakening!

This jerk of a female Zerg, he had no heart!

Leslie, pouting in annoyance, pulled Casper’s neck down and bit him with an “Ah-woo.”

He acted fiercely, but held back his teeth, so it felt more like a suck than a bite.

Casper lay down compliantly, gently soothing his sensitive Highness.

Mint-scented pheromones were released in waves. When the brood pouch was opened, the pheromones exploded as if detonated.

Leslie was a bit dizzy from the impact; his only remaining thought was:

[If there were an insect egg, would Casper be willing to stay?]

Female Zerg are always willing to compromise for their young.

When Casper woke up, Leslie was rummaging through the travel guides he had made in the past.

Now that he had a half-month vacation, it was time to put his long-dormant travel plans into action.

Once his vacation ended, he did not know how his mother would squeeze him for work.

Casper’s changing breathing caught Leslie’s attention, and he casually rubbed Casper’s frost-blue short hair.

After a night of venting, Leslie had figured it out.

In any case, the Zerg is his now, and they have hundreds of years together ahead of them; he did not believe he could not melt this piece of ice.

Planting a kiss on Casper’s face with a “smack,” Leslie smiled with a super-good mood.

“Good morning!”

Casper, who had just woken up, was dazzled by the overly radiant smile and subconsciously replied, “Good morning…”

Looking at that smile, it felt as if sunlight had fallen into his heart, warm and fuzzy.

After washing up and eating, Leslie took Casper onto the pre-prepared aircraft. He was eager to give Casper an ultimately beautiful honeymoon trip.

But when setting the flight route, Leslie’s terminal suddenly received a letter from his Imperial brother.

Levia: [Bring Casper to the Second Legion.]

Levia: [I want to see him before 10:00 today.]

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