Transmigrated into the Zerg Race: Didn't We Agree to Call Off the Engagement? - Chapter 23

Can I trust you?

Victor woke up.

He had to wake up; otherwise, he would never have woken up again.

“Is this how Your Excellency treats a partner?”

Sirius released his grip, pulled Victor up, and tilted his head to look at him. “Yes. Do you want to find a different partner, then?”

Victor remained silent, looking at Sirius with resignation.

He could not say a single word of critique. He had not even said anything significant, just a casual question, and Sirius had already jumped to the extreme conclusion that he was unwilling to cooperate.

“How could I? There isn’t another insect out there as delicious as Your Excellency.”

Following Victor’s gaze, Sirius looked at his own shoulder. There was a greenish tooth mark there that had already scabbed over when he woke up this morning. On both sides of his neck, there were dense clusters of bite marks and hickeys. They were not deep or painful, but they looked quite alarming.

Because Sirius intended to use these to claim credit, he had not planned on letting them fade. Even now, many hickeys were visible above his shirt collar.

But compared to Sirius, Victor was likely in worse shape.

Sirius stepped forward, sat on the edge of the bed, and placed his hand on Victor’s chest. After his hand wandered for a moment, it stopped near the pectoral muscle, and he rubbed it hard. “You did not hold back either, Commander.”

The wound began to bleed again.

Vengeance is a fine virtue. Since Victor bit Sirius first, how could Sirius not retaliate?

Consequently, Victor’s injuries were more severe. In his state of excitement at the time, Victor had not felt the pain. He had even proactively offered himself up to be bitten, and Sirius had not been gentle.

The male insect looked down at him condescendingly, playfully rubbing his fingers in front of him to spread the blood, even smearing some onto Victor’s chin. Victor began to tense up again, staring fixedly at those hands, his thoughts unreadable.

Sirius waved his hand in front of Victor’s eyes, and Victor suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Sirius’s collar and beginning to kiss him.

His lips were that red, and the corners of his mouth were torn, yet he insisted on kissing?

Sirius pushed him away, wiping the corner of his mouth with disgust. “Filthy. Do the females of the Sixth Fleet not know they should wash up in the morning?”

“Your Excellency tempted me first. I could not resist. Besides, is this not part of the cooperation?”

Victor spoke with total confidence.

“Are you not afraid I will use you to control the military department and then further suppress the females?”

“Even if Your Excellency wants to do that, would you not still have to use me? As long as I remain useful forever, what do I have to fear?”

Victor supported his waist and leaned in a few inches closer. “Your Excellency, you have had too little exposure to these matters. That fiancé of yours, that female insect, does not seem to have told you.”

“In truth, it does not matter to us Captains who controls the military department. They share glory and loss together. They care about the bond of comradeship, but there are plenty of insects who do not care about such things.”

“As long as you will not abandon me, I am naturally willing to work for you. Why not?”

Victor’s hand slipped inside Sirius’s collar, his rough fingertips wandering gently, tapping lightly here and there with suggestive provocation. Sirius grabbed his hand and pulled it out.

“I am glad you still have this much energy. This means I can be more excessive in the future. But I must interrupt you; surely you remember where we are?”

This was one of the Council Speaker’s residences. Although Sirius had checked and found no surveillance cameras, and no insects to disturb them other than robot insects, the Council Speaker was still here.

Sirius clearly did not intend to stay much longer.

The two insects went out together. The Council Speaker was waiting in the first-floor hall, where remnants of the uncleared banquet still lingered. When he saw the two emerge, the Speaker exchanged a look with Sirius and smiled with satisfaction.

The Speaker was very pleased. Judging by their state, the two had clearly spent a wonderful night together. Half of his plan had evidently succeeded.

By winning over a Captain, he could directly support Victor’s confidants to move into high-level positions and suppress other fleets. For example, by delaying supplies or finding flaws to nitpick, he could slowly erode the military department.

On the other hand, Sirius was also satisfied because the Council Speaker had truly begun to take action.

The Speaker was subtly introducing Sirius to other males with voting power and secretly canvassing votes for him.

Victor, however, was not having an easy time.

“Sirius, is this the cooperation you spoke of? Discarding us completely and making me the target of every fleet?”

Victor had stormed into Sirius’s office and dumped a collection of various badges onto Sirius’s desk.

“Why say that? How could I ever discard you?” As Sirius spoke, he closed the door Victor had left open. When he turned back, his expression had shifted.

But Victor did not notice. He picked up the badges he had thrown on the desk.

“Look at these. Here is contact information from other fleets. When our three fleets were transferred to guard the Central Star System, all of them had females who could not be moved for personal reasons. The other two fleets were blocked and delayed, but mine proceeded normally.”

“Not only that, but the budget for the new year has been cut for everyone else, yet mine was increased by 30%. Now the other fleets are bypassing the military department and questioning me directly through these badges. Do you know what this represents?”

Victor panted heavily, forcing himself to calm down. “It means I am being isolated. They suspect I am a traitor. How does this help your plan? To control the military department, should you not be winning over other military insects and hollowing out the department’s power?”

“What is this supposed to be? Me, a single insect, fighting the other ten fleets? Do not forget, I have not even fully gained control over my own fleet.”

“And so?”

Sirius stood by the door, looking at Victor coldly. “So, you are afraid?”

“Afraid of being isolated, afraid of losing the trust of your colleagues.” Sirius slowly approached Victor, his fingertips gently stroking Victor’s hand, which was clenched tightly on the desk. He looked as if he were pining for him, but his words were not so tender.

“Or are you afraid that an insect will take the opportunity to replace you? For example, that former Vice Captain who was once selected? I heard his male master has been busy on his behalf lately. Do you think my status cannot compare to his, or do you think you are useless and will become a discarded pawn?”

And here he was earlier, so confidently claiming he could guarantee he would always be of value.

Victor trembled at his touch, swallowed uncomfortably, and avoided Sirius’s gaze.

Sirius, assuming he had hit the mark, gave a low laugh. His expression was mocking, but his tone remained flat. “Look at me, Victor.”

Victor did not move. Sirius’s expression chilled as he reached out and forcefully turned Victor’s face back. “Is it not obvious? The Council Speaker could never trust you. So, if he wants to win you over, he must praise you to kill you, make you abandoned by all so that you can only stand with the Council. Can you really not figure that out?”

“Then what are you thinking?”

Victor’s pupils contracted slightly. He asked hoarsely, “I understand all that, but I want to know what you are thinking. Are you just going to let me become the Council’s dog, forced to depend only on him?”

If this continued, Victor would become a total traitor in the eyes of the military department and the other fleets. The moment the Speaker spoke, he would have to obey, or he would be completely isolated and helpless.

Sirius frowned, puzzled by his pessimism. “How can you say that? You and I are partners. We share glory and loss. How could I let you be a dog?”

“And what about Lex?”

Sirius froze.

The corners of Victor’s mouth quirked into a look of feigned indifference. “The Seventh Fleet is returning soon; they could jump back at any time. He is your fiancé, is he not? Are you two not so-called true love?”

Victor had not originally known about this. He was not one for gossip, but he had overheard it while coming to see Sirius.

He visited Sirius often, but since the male was responsible for taking over the duties of vacant council seats in addition to fleet matters, Victor had to wait for him outside his office.

It was then that he heard the conversation between other males and the Council Speaker. They were discussing Sirius regarding his fiancé. Should he choose the young and reliable Lex, or the hypocritical and greedy Victor?

Sirius had a young military fiancé, a legitimate Vice Captain chosen by the War Mainframe, without a single blemish. If he were Sirius, who would he choose?

“When he returns.” Will I become the sacrifice?

Victor did not finish the sentence. It was too pathetic, and he disliked showing weakness, so his attitude shifted instantly.

The military insect’s face darkened, and he gripped Sirius’s wrist tightly. “Will he be a dog like me? Or will I be the dog while he stands on my shoulders with you?”

The male insect’s expression changed instantly. He flipped his hand, pinning Victor’s wrist and pressing him face-down onto the office desk, holding the back of his neck in a death grip.

Victor, however, showed no sign of struggling.

“Victor, I believe the terms of our cooperation do not include each other’s private affairs. You have no right to question me.”

“Of course, of course! Private affairs, private affairs!” Victor laughed. It was eerie, giving the strange illusion that he was grieving.

Sirius released him. Victor did not get up immediately. He lay on the desk for a while before slowly lifting his head and turning to face Sirius.

“But as a partner, I think I am entitled to know what you plan to do, since I am the one being affected.”

“I do not plan to do anything,” Sirius said with total seriousness. “Why should we do anything? You were already isolated and helpless to begin with, were you not?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you did not have many friends to begin with. What does it matter if you have a few more enemies? As long as I am elected as a Councilor, what does it matter if they cannot stand you? Both the Council Speaker and I will protect you.”

“As for the Speaker, is that not our target anyway?”

“Are you sure I can trust you?”

Victor stopped questioning Sirius. His strange, bicolor eyes stared at him intently.

Sirius licked his dry lips. This was the second time he had the illusion. He actually felt that Victor looked very sad and fragile right now.

The threat he had intended to voice was swallowed back down. He nodded. “Of course. I will protect you.”

“Glory and loss together.”

But is there any credit to an insect’s promise?

Sirius did not know, but Victor believed him. He leaned in for another kiss. A sudden sting and the scent of bloody leaves stimulated the senses. Sirius bit back hard.

They held each other tight.

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