Chapter 20: It Was Intentional
They stayed quietly in the studio for a long time, so long that the orange sunlight gradually dimmed.
“Does the colonel have any other plans today?” He Yue asked.
Koeyle sat up and shook his head. He enjoyed resting his head on He Yue’s lap, letting him caress him as he pleased. He felt a sense of tranquility, from the inside out.
“Then go take a bath, put away the iron ball,” He Yue instructed, “and then go downstairs and make dinner.” “Yes.”
Koeyle agreed, standing up unsteadily. His knees ached intensely, numb and sore, and his back and buttocks also had an indescribable burning pain.
His gait was awkward, and after a few steps, he heard He Yue’s laughter behind him.
He turned around, expecting to see a contemptuous look.
But there wasn’t.
It wasn’t mockery, but a genuine, bright laugh.
Koeyle felt inexplicably happy, infected by the relaxed atmosphere, his whole body relaxing a bit.
After the studio door closed, He Yue stood up, adjusted the collar of his robe, and retied the belt tighter.
(Just this much can cause insectoidization?)
He felt a bit strange, even a little innocent. To be fair, he hadn’t done anything particularly dangerous or difficult. He hadn’t pierced Koeyle’s body, nor had he used anything dangerous like electricity, whips, or a rack.
[Detecting that the conquest target has been subjected to long-term backlash from the imprint and pheromone deprivation, his physical sensitivity may be… heightened?] He Yue chuckled, a look of anticipation in his eyes.
Heightened sensitivity…
The system’s prompt was formal and vague, but He Yue understood its underlying meaning.
(Slutty dog.)
What Koeyle possessed was that disgusting stubbornness and a body that easily succumbed to lust, contradicting his thoughts and intentions.
[Insectoidization is indeed dangerous. I will detect it and notify the host.] The system said dutifully.
(Then you might have to notify me frequently.)
[Huh?!]
He Yue rarely heard such a panicked tone in the system’s mechanical voice. He chuckled: (There’s a rule in “Castle” specifically for me, added by the person who created “Castle” with me, after I played too rough with the nth “fierce beast” and they couldn’t take it anymore.)
[What rule?]
(No mental cruelty.)
The system remained silent for a long time.
He Yue gave a wicked smile: (I’m very good at it.)
[…]
Mental pressure was a common tactic used by animal trainers, but if it reached the level of cruelty…
The system decided to add “Do not look for the host in ‘Castle'” to its work log.
He Yue walked to the dining table and sat down, watching Koeyle’s busy figure in the semi-open kitchen.
The colonel had changed into casual clothes, an apron tied around his waist, the knot at his back, his expression serious and focused.
The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, making He Yue slightly hungry.
Such normal meals were uncommon in the insect world. Nutrient solution could solve most hunger problems, and few insects would spend a long time preparing a complex meal, let alone endure the chores of washing dishes and pots.
But He Yue still retained the habits of human society, enjoying the process of filling his stomach with delicious food.
He was slightly surprised that this female insect, who had always lived in the insect world, also had the habit of cooking and eating.
Koeyle placed the last bowl of steaming hot soup on the table and stood awkwardly beside He Yue. He didn’t know if he was qualified to enjoy dinner with He Yue, nor did he know whether he should kneel or stand here.
“Sit.” He Yue pointed to a chair.
Koeyle heard the unexpected answer and pulled out a chair in disbelief.
Seeing his surprised look, He Yue said with a smile, “Indeed, under normal circumstances, I would have you kneel at my feet. But today is different. Sit, let’s eat together.” The moment Koeyle sat down, he immediately understood He Yue’s meaning.
A jolt of pain, like an electric shock, shot through him the moment he sat down, making him grimace and almost jump up from the chair. The pain even brought tears to his eyes, and he frowned deeply.
He realized that sitting was a thousand times more painful than kneeling. Even the slightest movement sent a sharp pain through him. He turned to look at He Yue with a resentful look, and as expected, saw a triumphant smirk on his face.
“Master did that on purpose.”
“Of course.”
He Yue rested his chin on one hand, his eyes appearing even brighter under the overhead light, making Koeyle see a fox-like cunning in them.
Thus, throughout the entire meal, Koeyle sat as if nailed to the chair, only his hands moving.
“While you were bathing just now, were you curious to look at the marks?” He Yue suddenly asked.
Koeyle’s hand paused as he picked up some food, his face flushing slightly: “I looked.”
“Are they beautiful?”
“…Beauti, beautiful.” His face flushed even more, it felt strange to evaluate such marks in such a way. He recalled the feeling of hot water flowing over the stinging wounds while he was showering, and out of curiosity, he had looked at his back, seeing the bright red marks.
He Yue chuckled softly and took a bite of food.
“I guessed as much. The colonel has a well-built physique, firm and round, feels good to the touch too,” he put down his chopsticks. “Next time, I’ll watch them being colored personally.”
Koeyle almost blurted out “Is there a next time?” but thankfully, his reason stopped him. He stood up and started clearing the table.
“I’ll give you a few days off, get some good rest.” He Yue waved his hand and turned to go upstairs.
[Host, for female insects, this kind of minor injury will probably fade away in a day.] The system, thinking He Yue still held the understanding of human healing speed, reminded him.
(I know.)
He Yue closed the studio door, nestled into the sofa, and turned on the projector he had recently bought.
He needed to create a push-and-pull dynamic, needed his prey to fully digest the emotions and memories, so that these memories would ferment and become even more profound. When the painful wounds healed and disappeared, the pain would be embellished and diminished, replaced by a possibly non-existent rosy filter…
And then, new flesh would grow over the healed wounds, making him itch unbearably.
He lay comfortably on the sofa, connected to the optical network, and searched for some highly-rated movies in this empire.
(He will come to me, in a day, or two.)
He Yue firmly controlled the conquest plan in his hands, completely at ease from beginning to end. He was very patient, both with the conquest game itself and with Koeyle.
He rubbed his slightly numb palm.
(I just need to wait.)
Wait for that body to recover from the pain, for his appetite to grow, for him to beg for even more intense pain, and thus, find pleasure in it.
