Reborn: The Female Monarch Is My Life’s Greatest Love - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Attempting a Cover-up

Looking at Nathanael, Constant raised his hands to steady the other’s waist, then looked up into Nathanael’s eyes. “Actually, I wanted to give you a surprise…”

As he spoke, he pulled Nathanael’s right hand and pressed it against his abdomen, letting him feel the now-defined muscles beneath the fabric. “I thought… maybe this way I could be a bit closer to you.”

Nathanael knew in his heart that this was an intentional concealment, but he also knew that pressing for the truth now wasn’t the best approach. He was perfectly capable of finding out on his own.

When it came to potential conflicts with Constant, Nathanael usually chose to back down if he could—and Constant, counting on this very trait, had come up with the “surprise” excuse to explain his physical changes.

Having confirmed the information he wanted, Nathanael took a sip of red wine, leaned down, and pressed his lips against Constant’s to pass the liquid over. He knew that in this clearly weakened state, the other would not refuse any of his advances. Nathanael had never imagined he could be so bold and unrestrained with Constant.

Although Constant knew Nathanael didn’t believe him, he wasn’t worried about further interrogation. Based on Nathanael’s personality, if he had questions, he would seek the answers himself; he always had absolute confidence in his own control.

As a dizzying array of food was served, Nathanael returned to his seat. While his expression remained neutral, he had already sent a message to his other adjutant, Sace, while Constant was busy cutting his food.

As Nathanael’s adjutant and administrative assistant, Sace might not be exceptionally prominent in terms of combat, but when it came to information gathering and extraction, the Empire couldn’t find a second person with his skills.

Yet, even this technical genius was currently looking at an empty database with a troubled expression.

[Sace]: Major General, there is no information indicating that Mr. Constant has authorized the use of any daily equipment in public places over the past month.

Upon seeing Sace’s reply, Nathanael’s chewing slowed for a moment. When he looked up at Constant, the other met his eyes with a gentle smile.

[Nathanael]: Search again.

Nathanael narrowed his eyes slightly at Constant, and the dinner concluded amidst their mutual testing.

It was late at night when they returned home. Nathanael glanced at Constant, who was leaning against his shoulder with flushed ears, and caught Ward’s eye in the rearview mirror of the hover-shuttle.

He raised a hand to steady Constant, who had nearly slipped as the shuttle turned, and covered those half-closed eyes with his palm, signaling Ward to speak.

“The sub-female didn’t reveal his surname,” Ward said in a low voice. “But through image extraction, Sace analyzed that he belongs to the Haite family. They aren’t involved in the military or politics; they just own a small entertainment company.”

“Mm, understood.” Nathanael looked at Constant’s profile and let out a soft sigh. Fortunately, those hidden pieces haven’t reached you yet…

Upon arriving at the apartment, Nathanael helped Constant into the elevator. Meanwhile, Ward opened a video projection sent by Sace.

“Found something?” Ward flipped a lighter in his hand. Though he didn’t smoke, he felt a lighter was safer than Nathanael’s habit of lighting cigarettes with the explosions on the battlefield.

“It seems someone is intentionally hiding the Major General’s Master’s movements.” Sace frowned at the flashing red text on his screen. “As for the Major General…”

“Since they’ve reached out, they can’t blame our Major General for having a bit of a temper,” Ward said, snapping the lighter shut. The crisp metallic sound reflected Sace’s gold-rimmed glasses and crimson pupils in the projection.

Meanwhile, as Nathanael helped Constant out of the elevator and was about to whisper something in his ear, he heard the sound of an argument—or rather, a one-sided shouting match.

“I said I’m not going back!” “What have you ever cared about since we were kids? What right do you have to order me around!” “I’m not your brother, so shut up! I don’t want to hear any more nonsense from a Master who only knows wine and pleasure!”

Constant, who had been drowsy, snapped awake at the sound. Bai is right outside the elevator! And by the sound of it, they were about to run straight into him.

In that split second, the elevator doors opened.

At the critical moment, Constant suddenly tightened his arm around Nathanael’s shoulder. In an instant, he pinned Nathanael against the corner of the elevator and kissed him.

As the doors slid fully open, Bai saw a couple entangled in the corner. Out of politeness, he merely glanced over and averted his gaze.

Nathanael was surprised by the sudden move, but he didn’t push him away. Instead, he responded by wrapping his arms around Constant’s shoulders, moving with him out of the elevator.

As they left the elevator hall, Nathanael’s gaze swept over Bai. Though it was only for a moment, their eyes met briefly.

Once the elevator doors hissed shut, Constant’s whisper against his ear became even clearer.

“Nal, I want it.”

Though he knew this was just Constant’s little trick, Nathanael was more than happy to accept such an obvious display of affection. He lowered his eyes and kissed Constant’s lips, a smirk playing on his face.

“Let’s go back.” Nathanael’s voice was full of allure, causing a ripple in Constant’s heart. He had originally planned to fake a faint to avoid Nathanael’s questioning tonight, but it seemed he could only use this method to distract his Nal’s thoughts.

As the door closed, Nathanael glanced at the unit number across the hall: 1405.

Once the door was shut, Nathanael focused entirely on his Master.

With the help of the red wine, Nathanael’s senses seemed to surrender to Constant’s tenderness. From the door to the living room sofa, to the soft bed in the bedroom, and finally the steam-filled bathroom, the scent of figs filled every corner, bringing him a sense of comfort. This reassuring fragrance undoubtedly made him forget to ask about what happened at the elevator.

After all, there was still one more day of leave tomorrow. Tonight, they would let themselves indulge…

Looking up at Constant, who was currently kissing his palm, Nathanael gazed at him with hazy eyes. As Constant leaned in to kiss his Adam’s apple, Nathanael hooked his arms around his neck, humming the tune the other loved.

By the time Nathanael fell into a deep sleep from the mental soothing, Constant was so exhausted he could barely even roll over. He vowed he could never do this again… or he really might be worn to death.

When Constant woke up the next morning, he was greeted by a familiar voice in the living room. He bolted out of bed and ran to the living room, only to find Bai Nate—his good roommate from the boot camp—sitting right opposite his Female Spouse.

“You’re awake?” Nathanael looked up and took a sip of hot milk. “The temperature is just right, come and have some.”

“Allex, it really is you!” Bai broke into a wide smile upon seeing Constant. To be honest, when he ran into his neighbor this morning, the other’s aura was far too oppressive.

When he had prepared to ask about when “Allex” would visit his home, the neighbor had overheard, asked if he knew “Allex,” and explained that he was his partner.

Bai hadn’t believed such a coincidence at first, but after seeing Allex’s photo on the neighbor’s light-brain desktop, he slowly let his guard down. After all, Allex had mentioned having a Female partner, and the man was wearing a matching ring.

Of course, this was all Nathanael’s deliberate plan.

From the moment he woke up, he was prepared to meet the “good neighbor” his Master had so pointedly avoided in the elevator. While screening for hidden threats, he could also investigate Constant’s daily environment. When he saw the name “Ale Allex” on the other’s screen, he realized his Master hadn’t revealed his real name.

Thus, as the “Female Spouse,” Nathanael naturally didn’t reveal his real name either. From their conversation, he gathered that the other was a sub-female—at least one from a high-status family.

But before he could ask for more information, Constant had woken up.

“Ah, yeah…” Constant walked over to Nathanael and took a sip of the hot milk offered to him. “Am I interrupting you two?”

“You don’t have to worry at all.” Bai relaxed completely once Constant appeared, and the restraint he felt toward the other man vanished. “We were just talking about where we met.”

“Oh, that’s a good question.” Constant choked slightly. Almost caught!

“We met while morning jogging,” Constant said, shooting a look at Bai.

“But we were clearly—” Bai started to correct him, but after receiving the meaningful look, he instantly understood. “Yeah, while morning jogging.”

Hearing their answer, Nathanael narrowed his eyes slightly.