ICAWZ Chapter 201

In crowded places, there are never any real secrets, and the same applies to zergs. The news of dozens of police cars coming and going from the Marlon residence yesterday morning spread like wildfire, and within three days, it had circulated throughout the entire Yinchatait.

When Sanya’s incident happened, the other families were merely bystanders, watching from the sidelines. But as soon as the police uncovered four pairs of wings and an uncountable number of hidden artifacts in the Marlon residence, they immediately found themselves drawn into the center of the storm.

“Lord Marlon, it’s been three days. Do you still plan to say nothing?”

Because of Marlon’s special status, coupled with the heinous nature of this case, the interrogation was personally overseen by Chief Harrington:

“We’ve already compared the blood samples from the wings in the basement with those of Cassipea and his group. It’s been confirmed that all of them were taken from female zergs. However, apart from Sanya, the remaining four victims have completely vanished without a trace. We have reason to suspect they all died at Beowen’s hands… or perhaps yours.”

Beowen was nothing more than an idle, good-for-nothing aristocrat. When faced with trouble, he would always rely on his family to clean up his messes. If Marlon truly had no involvement in these events, Chief Harrington found it absolutely impossible to believe.

Marlon had been sitting in the interrogation room for three days, and it seemed as though he had aged more than a decade. His bloodshot eyes stared at Chief Harrington, but his words remained slippery, leaving no cracks to exploit:

“Chief Harrington, I truly have no idea what’s going on with those artifacts in the hidden chamber. Perhaps Beowen built it behind my back. I never expected him to secretly engage in such activities…”

Beowen was already dead, and compared to the deceased, it was naturally more important to protect the ones still alive.

Marlon wiped away a tear as he spoke:

“I have always abided by the law. How could I possibly harm their lives? It’s all my fault for failing to discipline Beowen properly, allowing him to commit so many wrongs.”

Chief Harrington calmly asked, “So, you’re saying you’ve never entered the lowest chamber of the hidden room and were completely unaware of the existence of those wings, correct?”

Marlon shamelessly replied, “Of course.”

Chief Harrington, hearing this, opened a file folder and pulled out a few fingerprint analysis reports.

“However, we’ve extracted your fingerprints from the boxes that stored those preserved wings. If you’ve never entered the hidden chamber and know nothing about the wings, then may I ask why your fingerprints are on them?”

Those boxes also bore the fingerprints of Sanya and You Que. However, the two of them had already confessed the full story to Chief Harrington in private. For the sake of protecting the reputation of Laimi and Laixing, the matter had been temporarily suppressed and not disclosed to the public.

Marlon’s eyelids twitched for a moment at the words, and his hands unconsciously tightened on his lap. After weighing the pros and cons in his mind, he changed his stance within seconds:

“Chief, after all, I am a father… Beowen committed so many wrongs, and it was only after his death that I discovered those things existed. Please forgive me for concealing the truth…”

Chief Harrington’s voice was icy, his dissatisfaction evident. “Your crimes go far beyond merely withholding information.”

“Lord Marlon, you’ve been stalling in the interrogation room all this time, hoping that your partner, Lieutenant General Frank, would find a way to get you out of this. But let me assure you, he’s in no position to protect even himself now.”

Marlon’s expression finally changed. He snapped his head up to glare at Chief Harrington, his face twisted into something almost feral. “What do you mean by that?!”

Chief Harrington smiled faintly, chipping away at Marlon’s composure step by step. “He’s under investigation for abuse of authority and conspiracy to commit murder. The Security Division took him in for questioning yesterday. Over a dozen of his colleagues signed a joint report against him, and the evidence is already ironclad.”

After finishing, Harrington cast a glance at Marlon. “You and Lieutenant General Frank may have tight lips, but the zergs under your care aren’t nearly as loyal. Especially your extended family members, housekeepers, and servants—after a few days of interrogation, they’ve spilled everything, whether they should have or not. Collecting the remaining evidence is just a matter of time.”

Marlon had been confined to the interrogation room, unaware that the southern districts were already in an uproar over the incident. Countless female zergs had signed petitions on the StarNet, demanding severe punishment for Marlon. Outside the police station, crowds of enraged citizens gathered, their emotions running high. Even now, the area had yet to be completely cleared.

After finishing his statement, Chief Harrington pulled out his chair and stood up, raising a hand to straighten his tie.

“I originally intended to give you an opportunity to confess and receive leniency,” he said calmly. “But since Lord Marlon is unwilling to cooperate, so be it. Please wait patiently for the investigation results.”

The Marlon family’s tight-lipped members were few, and the rest, before even facing torture, had confessed everything in detail. Following their accounts of the crimes, the police went to the burial site and unearthed at least seven or eight bodies, one of which was the long-missing young child of the Cassipea family.

It wasn’t long before the House of Nobles convened a full meeting. After all, Marlon hailed from a noble background, and the final judgment required internal deliberations within the council.

The chairman sat at the conference table, a furrow of concern on his brow, feeling that the situation was extremely tricky.

“Marlon’s family has irrefutable evidence against them—thirty-six counts of various crimes have already been substantiated. The female zergs are one thing, but Marlon is a male zerg. We can’t just sentence him to death, can we? What do you all think should be his punishment?”

Chairman Croney, who had been sitting quietly at the lower end of the table, finally opened his eyes upon hearing the discussion.

“This matter has already stirred up a great deal of chaos in the southern districts. If we don’t impose severe punishment, there’s no way to calm the public’s anger. The southern laws have clearly prohibited the removal of female zerg wings for years, yet these male zergs have completely disregarded the law. Using the Marlon family’s case as a warning to them isn’t such a bad idea. There has never been a case where a male zerg was sentenced to death in the south, but every rule has its first precedent.”

Chairman Croney had long-standing grudges against Marlon. At this moment, he was determined to take this opportunity to vent his frustrations. Whether male or female, all zergs were raised by their parents with care. Was Beowen the only one precious, while other zerg children were treated as mere stones?

His Sanya had his wings ripped off while still alive, and his bright future was completely ruined. There was no reason to let the Marlon family off lightly.

Another counselor spoke up, “Sentencing a male zerg to death is always a difficult choice—it could cause panic. Plus, such a serious matter would need to be reported to the Zerg Emperor for approval. I fear the Central City won’t agree. Perhaps we should discuss a compensation plan for the victim’s families; at least we can salvage something.”

“Compensation?” Chairman Croney sneered upon hearing this. “How exactly would you compensate? Bring their dead children back to life? Or reattach the wings that were ripped off?”

By now, everyone knew that Chairman Croney’s eldest son had taken a pureblooded noble as his partner. The counselor who had been reprimanded didn’t dare to respond harshly. Instead, he diplomatically suggested, “Sanya was stripped of his military rank because of this case. How about this? We submit a proposal to the military, recommending that Sanya be reinstated to his original position… or even promoted to a higher rank, perhaps a lieutenant general, and moved to a civilian role. The Intelligence Department has been lacking a leader, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have him take over there.”

Chairman Croney, not expecting such a suggestion, responded with a cold tone: “So what you’re saying is that Marlon shouldn’t face any punishment at all?”

The counselor responded, “Of course not. I just don’t support the death penalty. If we were to judge based on his crimes, stacking seven years on top of another seven, even if Marlon is exempt from physical punishment due to the male zerg protection laws, those thirty-six charges would still add up to a 252-year sentence… But as you know, male zergs often don’t live that long, and keeping him imprisoned for that long isn’t realistic. The Male Zerg Protection Association would certainly object.”

Chairman Croney, recognizing that sentencing Marlon to death wouldn’t be so simple, finally gave in and suggested a compromise: “Regardless, such a zerg can never remain in the southern region. I propose we seize all his family assets and exile him to a third-tier planet to serve his sentence. Even if his female consorts takes the blame for all his crimes, Marlon should at least be sentenced to fifty years.”

“The military stationed there, the suppressants are expensive and rare, and occasionally using him to reward the hardworking soldiers wouldn’t be a bad idea. It could even be seen as a contribution to the empire’s population growth.”

The others fell silent at these words, each thinking to themselves that such a punishment was almost worse than killing Marlon. His family had been rampant in the southern region for years, living in luxury. Seizing their family assets would be like confiscating everything, and exiling him to a third-tier planet would be akin to tearing up his roots entirely.

Although Marlon was older now, the soldiers stationed on the third-tier planets were the lowest of the low—vulgar and ruthless. They had no qualms about anything. How could someone like Marlon, with his past and status, possibly survive in such an environment?

But with Chairman Croney cloaking his actions under the guise of contributing to the empire’s population growth, who could refuse such a proposal?

The meeting dragged on for an entire day, with military officers and police representatives present. It wasn’t until evening, as the sky darkened, that Chairman Croney finally left the session, satisfied with the judgment and headed home.

Sanya had spent the past few days cooperating with the police investigation and gathering evidence. After the case was concluded, he was finally able to retrieve his wings. He returned from the police station, carrying a heavy silver box, and as he pushed open the door, he saw You Que sitting at the desk, writing something.

You Que heard the noise and glanced toward the door. Upon seeing that it was Sanya, he pushed his chair back and walked over. “You’re back. Did you get your wings back?”

You Que had been called away by Chief Harrington earlier that day, so he hadn’t accompanied Sanya to the police station.

Sanya placed the heavy box on the floor with a muffled thud. “Got them back. What are you writing?”

You Que led him over to the desk. “It’s nothing much, just an application to amend the law. The punishment for male zergs removing female zerg wings in the south was too lenient before. Chief Harrington wants to petition the Zerg Emperor to change the punishment to life imprisonment or exile. But he’s worried the Zerg Emperor won’t approve, so he wants to submit it under my name.”

On the desk lay a nearly completed application, the handwriting neat and precise. Sanya was about to reach out to pick it up when he suddenly noticed a thick golden book placed beside it. “What’s this?”

You Que didn’t respond right away. Instead, he adjusted his sitting posture, a faint smile in his eyes. “Why don’t you take a look for yourself?”

Sanya leaned against the desk and picked up the heavy golden book. On the cover was a long sword and a scepter holding up the sun, clearly the royal crest. He flipped it open in confusion and was stunned to find a letter of conferment, written in the Zerg Emperor’s own handwriting. “You’ve been elevated to Marquis by His Majesty?” he exclaimed in surprise.

You Que nodded. “I just received it today. I didn’t expect it to come so quickly.”

Sanya slowly closed the golden book, feeling a sense of happiness for You Que. His silver-gray hair fell across his face, and his nose looked even more defined in the shifting light. A subtle smile tugged at his lips as he said, “Well, I suppose I should congratulate you, Your Highness, the Marquis?”

You Que reached out and pulled Sanya into his arms, making the female zerg sit face-to-face on his lap. With a playful glint in his eyes, he asked, “How do you plan to congratulate me?”

Sanya shifted uncomfortably, thinking to himself, What else could there be to congratulate him with? He pointed to the silver box on the floor. “Did you see that? I just picked up my wings from the police station. How about I give them to you as a congratulatory gift?”

You Que remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Sanya muttered softly with a hint of mystery, “These are A-grade female zerg wings, the second pair of which is nearly impossible to find in the entire southern region.”

You Que thought to himself, Though there aren’t many A-grade female zergs in the South, there are certainly some. Why is it that only Sanya, this unlucky one, had his wings taken? A mix of pity and amusement crossed his face. “You went through so much to get them back, and now you’re just giving them to me?”

Sanya gave a nonchalant hum. “They’re yours now. Take good care of them, and don’t leave them lying around.”

Sanya looked at the male zerg in front of him with fondness, feeling more affection for him than even his own wings. He leaned in and kissed You Que deeply, then pulled out a folded letter of commission from his pocket. “Isn’t it a coincidence? Today, both of us got promotions.”

You Que took the letter from Sanya’s hand and, upon seeing the military department’s official seal, skimmed through the contents. His eyes immediately picked up on a few key phrases. “Lieutenant General? Intelligence Department? You’re going back to the military?”

You Que furrowed his brow. “Didn’t you say you didn’t want to go back?”

Sanya traced You Que’s brows and eyes with his fingertips, leaning in to plant a light, fleeting kiss on the side of his face. His words were soft, but the seriousness in his tone couldn’t be hidden. “You Que, a female monarch of a pureblooded noble mustn’t be a commoner…”

At least not a commoner with nothing to their name.

Sanya knew he could no longer return to the battlefield, but there were still many things he could do. Whether it was intelligence work or command, he would work hard to climb the ranks, tightening his grip on power to protect everything that mattered to him.

Sanya actually didn’t care whether he could return to the military, but with so many years left in his life, he had to consider his family, and consider You Que.

In the southern regions, it’s difficult to survive without power.

Upon hearing this, You Que silently tightened his arms, holding Sanya firmly against him. The female zerg let out a low, pained hum, but didn’t struggle. Instead, under the warm light, he lowered his head and began to slowly undo the buttons of the male zerg’s shirt, one by one, with his teeth. His wet tongue occasionally brushed against his skin, causing a fleeting sensation of wet itch.

Sanya, with reddened eyes at the corners, lifted his head from You Que’s embrace. His pupils, faintly tinged with blue under the light, were slightly unfocused. His breath was a little uneven, like a seductive temptress. His voice was hoarse and sensual: “My lord…”

His body slowly slid down, lazily resting on You Que’s knees, and he uttered the phrase that most female zergs would say in the room: “Please, enjoy…”

Upon hearing this, You Que’s throat tightened. With a sharp sound, he pulled the chair back and scooped Sanya into his arms. His long fingers traced the back of the female zerg, feeling his subtle tremors. His touch eventually moved to the hot, patterned area on the back of his neck, a knowing thought flashing through his mind.

You Que lowered his head and gently inhaled the scent from the female zerg’s neck, then suddenly asked, “Has your estrus period arrived?”

Sanya froze: “…”

He met You Que’s scrutinizing gaze, feeling as though he had been stripped bare and was standing in front of him, his body trembling with sensitivity.

Sanya reached out, wrapping his arms around You Que’s neck. His nails, like those of a feline, scratched across the broad back of the male zerg. Without thinking, he bit his lip. “What do you think?”

You Que didn’t need to guess.

Sanya’s pants were already wet.

He pulled the female zerg onto the table, scattering the mess of papers onto the floor. Sanya, in You Que’s embrace, felt his body grow limp. Soon, he lost his senses. In his dazed state, he felt something cool slip onto his ring finger. Struggling to open his eyes to see clearly, he realized it was a ring.

The ring was very special, completely transparent like crystal, yet it reflected different colors in the light. Around the center, there was a circle of black markings, unclear, resembling hair strands.

Sanya grasped the back of You Que’s head, his sharp fingertips slowly weaving through his hair. The dark strands were mysterious and smooth. He seemed to have an inkling of what was going on, suppressing the curve rising at the corners of his lips. Hesitantly, he asked, “W-Why suddenly give me a ring…”

You Que: “A wedding ring. Don’t you like it?”

His voice was calm, as if it had never been tainted by desire, creating a stark contrast with the current scene.

Sanya’s eyes brightened, and this unexpected joy made him appear a bit more innocent. “You want to marry me?”

You Que thought to himself, when did he ever say he wouldn’t marry? Hadn’t he always said he would? He took another ring from his jacket pocket, the same style, except inside was a strand of silver-gray hair, very similar to the female zerg’s hair.

You Que’s voice was deep: “Put it on for me.”

Sanya recognized the hair inside as his own and felt that this gift was even more surprising than a promotion. Panting, he carefully and reverently placed the ring on the male zerg’s finger, then, with his tongue, gently touched the beautiful, jade-like fingertip, softly murmuring three words: “I.. l-like it…’

The voice was broken, off-key, yet the ‘like’ was real. You Que even wondered if, in the next moment, Sanya would bite his hand until it bled, then lick it, bone and all.

You Que pulled his finger out, slowly wiping it across Sanya’s pale, flushed face. His voice carried a hint of coaxing: “Who do you like?”

Sanya weakly tilted his head back, tears welling at the corners of his eyes, dampening his lashes. He was reduced to a sobbing tone from the teasing: “You—”

Sanya tightly wrapped himself around the male zerg, bold and unrestrained, not at all reserved. He licked and kissed You Que’s earlobe, his heart full of joy as he hummed softly, “Like you… like You Que…”

Scattered under the table were piles of documents, with one stack of red wedding invitations standing out, especially striking. The male zerg had spent the entire day carefully filling in the dates and guest names.

When they got married, You Que was already a Marquis, and Sanya had probably returned to the military to become a Lieutenant General. The timing was neither too early nor too late; everything was just right.

You Que had said it before: he would marry him in a glorious way…

 

 

 

---

Support me on ko-fi for more additional updates~ ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ