Chapter 226: Tianjia Prince × Mixed-Blood Military Female (11): He Fell in Love with the Prince; He Has Failed Both the Tianjia Emperor and the Prince

An Ruo sat alone, staring at the doll in distress.

Ulysses had already seen the doll wearing a tail and had taken him for some kind of pervert who liked putting tails on female Zergs.

There was no way he could explain himself now.

Even taking the doll's tail off wouldn't salvage anything.

Besides, it would leave an obvious opening behind.

An Ruo removed the wolf tail and stared for a while at the spot where the cotton stuffing inside was exposed. After hesitating again and again, he eventually put the tail back on.

The tail had already been in place for an entire night, yet there was still resistance when he tried to put it back this time. An Ruo had to use a little force before he managed to stuff the tail back in.

This cotton doll had been stuffed far too full. It wasn't easy to squeeze out any extra space.

The doll also seemed to have gotten a little damp again. It was quite obvious when his fingers brushed over it.

With the previous incident of the seams coming apart in the wash as a warning, An Ruo didn't dare wash it again. He could only carry the doll out into the garden to dry in the sun.

The sunlight was pleasant and the scenery delightful. He sat down on a comfortable lounge chair, positioned the doll properly on his lap, and let it lie there on its stomach with its little butt sticking up. The wolf tail felt very nice to the touch.

Only after kneading it for a while did An Ruo recline comfortably, open the holographic screen on his terminal, browse some book reviews and news about Ulysses, and prepare to write a new chapter.

......

[On the first day of the Autumn Festival, Prince Metis changed into formal court attire and boarded an aircraft. Accompanied by the Royal Guard, he would make a circuit around the central district of the Imperial Capital Star.

For the first time, Caleb accompanied him on the journey in his capacity as the Prince's husband.

A no-fly zone had been established over the Imperial Capital Star today. Apart from his ceremonial procession and the Royal Guard, there were no other aircraft in the air. Only crowds of citizens lined both sides of the route to welcome him.

The aircraft moved very slowly. Metis could clearly see every Tianjia face, as well as the curiosity, affection, and fondness in their eyes.

The citizens, in turn, could see the Prince seated inside the specially designed aircraft, and they responded with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Perhaps Tianjia males were naturally more approachable.

Compared with the female rulers or imperial princes who had attended the Autumn Festival in previous years, the citizens were clearly much more affectionate toward this rare male Prince.

Metis had watched recordings of previous Autumn Festivals. A female ruler inspired reverence and awe, leaving the entire gathering solemn and dignified, almost like a military parade.

This was an innate difference between males and females.

Metis had no intention of going against the current and trying to make himself as intimidating to the public as the female members of the Imperial Family. Not only would that be difficult, it would bring him no benefit. Making use of his own advantages and going with the flow was the most suitable approach.

He raised a hand and greeted the citizens lining the road, his smile gentle and warm.

That sent the crowd into an uproar, making the atmosphere even more fervent.

"Prince......"

"Your Highness!"

From their initial incomprehension over His Majesty the Emperor appointing his male elder brother as Prince, to their cheers for him now, they were gradually accepting him—accepting that their nation had a male Prince.

Metis also spotted some males among the Tianjia crowds. Most were accompanied by one or several females, who kept them safely protected in the middle.

For males, the Autumn Festival was also a rare grand occasion. Their Female Lords would bring them outside so they could experience the lively festive atmosphere.

For unmarried males, it was likewise a rare opportunity to go out and have fun, although they still needed to be accompanied by their female fathers or female siblings.

Metis greeted them one by one.

Tianjia still had a very long road ahead.

Caleb stood to one side, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowds, identifying and watching for the slightest abnormality among them.

The Prince's safety was his responsibility. He had to ensure that no harm came to the Prince.

While watching the roadside for disturbances, Caleb was also keeping an eye on the Prince at all times.

He had always known just how exceptional the Prince was, yet today the Prince seemed especially dazzling.

If not for His Majesty the Emperor's sudden decree of marriage, Caleb probably would have spent his entire life protecting the Prince merely as a guard, without even having the opportunity to ride in the same aircraft as him.

If the Prince hadn't pleaded for him back then, Caleb might not even have survived the new Emperor's purge.

All of those things together had shaped the life he had now.

Caleb held great respect for the Tianjia Emperor, but his feelings toward the Prince were far more complicated.

From the moment the Prince had saved him, Caleb had already dedicated both his loyalty and his life to the Prince.

Because of that, he could no longer offer His Majesty the Emperor his absolute loyalty.

In this respect, he had failed the Tianjia Emperor.

And on top of that, he had fallen in love with the Prince......

At the same time, he had also failed the Prince.

No matter what reason the Prince had for marrying him, Caleb could never give him a true Female Lord, nor could he place everything the Prince loved into his hands. He couldn't even bring himself to be honest about who he truly was.

He had failed the Prince.

All Caleb could do now was fulfill his responsibilities and protect the Prince properly.

After making a full circuit, the procession entered the agricultural and military weapons exhibition area, where several new-model mechs were also on display.

During previous Autumn Festivals, the Tianjia Emperor or the female imperial princes would usually pilot one of the mechs for a demonstration. The resulting spectacle was invariably magnificent.

This year, because the attending royal was a male Prince, that part of the program had been omitted.

But Metis wanted to give it a try.

"Your Highness?!"

Caleb was stunned when he heard what the Prince wanted to do and immediately wanted to dissuade him.

Metis did have some knowledge of mechs and had no intention of recklessly trying to pilot one alone. He said to Caleb:

"We'll go up together. You pilot it, and I'll be your copilot."

Most mass-produced mechs of this type had a copilot seat, although in practice a single Tianjia could operate one alone. The copilot was only there to assist; Caleb could handle everything himself.

But bringing the Prince aboard a mech always carried some possibility of an accident. It meant taking a certain amount of risk.

Caleb found it difficult to weigh the decision.

Yet when the Prince looked at him expectantly, he ultimately made up his mind. "All right."

The Tianjia responsible for the mech nearly broke out in a cold sweat when he heard that the Prince wanted a test ride. If anything happened, there was no way he could shoulder that responsibility.

He was absolutely confident that their mech was outstanding and that its safety standards were extremely high, but this was a male.

This was the Prince.

However, Lieutenant General Caleb, commander of the Imperial Capital Military Region, had agreed as well. If a superior officer had already approved it, there was no room for the others to object.

Lieutenant General Caleb was quasi-S-rank. Surely there wouldn't be a problem?

Even if the mech exploded, the Lieutenant General should still be able to protect the Prince without letting him suffer so much as a scratch.

Only after thinking of that did the person in charge finally relax and go make the arrangements.

Spherical robotic cameras floated through the air, recording the entire scene and broadcasting it live throughout the Empire.

Metis boarded the mech together with Caleb. He even changed into a protective combat suit, making him look strikingly dashing.

Metis sat in the suspended copilot seat while Caleb fastened the complicated combat-mech safety harness around him.

Experienced aerial mech pilots had no need for such restraints. They could maintain perfect balance and stability through their own bodies alone, and being strapped in would actually interfere with their performance.

But this was the Prince. Safety came before everything else, and Caleb didn't dare be careless.

Metis watched Caleb, who had leaned down extremely close while fastening his safety harness.

At such close range, Caleb's handsome appearance became even more apparent. His bangs falling over his forehead, his concentrated gaze—everything about him gave a male a sense of security. There was a quiet, steady beauty to his handsomeness.

Only after carefully checking everything and confirming that it was secure did Caleb raise his eyes to ask the Prince for further instructions.

The instant their gazes met, Caleb froze for a fraction of a second, almost scorched by the brightness in those eyes.

Perhaps they were simply too close. At this distance, even a single glance was enough to leave him momentarily dazed.

Caleb moved back a little, putting some distance between them as he readjusted his breathing and heart rate.

Metis regretted that he couldn't show Caleb any more affection in front of the cameras.

He smiled at him and said, "Let's begin."

"Yes."

Caleb accepted the order, moved to the pilot's seat, and placed his hands on the controls.

This was his first time piloting a mech in front of a male, especially with one sitting so close to him. Inevitably, he felt a little nervous.

Fortunately, he had piloted mechs countless times before. Muscle memory alone was enough to keep him from making mistakes, and even though this was a new model, many aspects of mech operation were universal.

Under Caleb's control, the mech activated like a slumbering mechanical behemoth awakening from its sleep.

And Caleb, who held such a mechanical behemoth effortlessly in the palm of his hand, looked particularly handsome.

Metis admired the mech's various spectacular aerial maneuvers and demonstrations, occasionally turning to look at Caleb beside him. It even gave him the idea of learning to pilot mechs himself.

Unfortunately, Tianjia had no neural-interface mechs suitable for males, and research in this area was practically nonexistent.

They could import and purchase such technology from other interstellar nations, but ultimately it wouldn't be quite the same.

Caleb didn't perform too many highly difficult maneuvers. His main priority was keeping the mech stable, and he completed the test-flight demonstration in a conventional, restrained manner.

Even so, the final result was still extremely impressive.

A mech demonstration by a quasi-S-rank Lieutenant General showcased absolutely flawless control. The finer the movement, the more clearly it demonstrated the depth of his technical skill.

And with the Prince there as well, the overall visual effect was especially striking.

The viewers watching the livestream were completely focused on the Prince and couldn't tear their eyes away. They barely had any attention left to spare for the mech itself. All they remembered was that the combination of a mech and a male looked incredibly cool and made military females' hearts race.

When Metis stepped down from the mech, he experienced a brief sensation of weightlessness.

Holding the hand Caleb extended toward him, he returned to the aircraft, where he finally had a chance to relax and rest.

If he wanted to pilot a mech, he would have to train his physique more.

Metis looked across at Caleb, who was pouring him tea and watching him with concern. Remembering the Zerg novel he had read before, he suddenly smiled and said:

"How about I join you for morning training from now on?"

Xi'an and Claire in the Zerg novel had their own shared training room.

There was certainly no way Metis and Caleb could use the same training modules. The difference between their physical capabilities was far too great. Even so, Metis wanted to find opportunities to spend more time with Caleb every day—for example, by having Caleb guide him through physical training.

Caleb hadn't expected the Prince to suggest such a thing. He paused in surprise, but still nodded and agreed.

He had never refused one of the Prince's requests. If the Prince wanted something, of course Caleb would give it to him.

But Caleb merely assumed this was a passing whim. Perhaps the Prince would forget about it in a couple of days. He didn't believe the Prince would actually stick with it.

Metis was serious.

He had long wanted to strengthen his physique and push beyond his current limits.

Previously, he had only just taken over an enormous mess and hadn't had the time to do it.

Now that the situation had largely stabilized and his secretarial team had relieved him of much of the tedious work, he finally had time to devote to other things.

Whether it was training his body, spending time with Caleb, or......

Making a push for S-rank.

Tianjia hadn't produced a male who broke through to S-rank in many years. No matter what, Metis intended to try.

The higher his rank, the greater his ability to protect himself, and the more things he would be capable of doing.

Perhaps because of his past experience of being trapped in that birdcage, with every aspect of his life controlled by others, Metis always carried a profound sense of insecurity.

Even after attaining the position of Prince and secretly wielding the highest authority in the nation, it still couldn't fill the unease and emptiness inside him. He always wanted to grasp more power in his own hands.

When it came to trump cards that could save his life, there was no such thing as having too many.

Just in case.

Caleb's presence gave him a certain sense of security, but it still wasn't enough.

Besides, Metis couldn't shake the feeling that Caleb was hiding some enormous secret.

A secret he was keeping from Metis—and from every other Tianjia.

What could it be?

Metis rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought.

......]