Chapter 3: Preposterous

When the anxious male voice from inside called out, "Quick, get the emergency medical kit," the steward's polished smile cracked, and his heart seized up.

The steward: "?"

Why would they need an emergency medical kit?

Could it be that His Excellency the male insect had been too rough and tortured the Admiral into serious injury?

The Admiral still had insect eggs in his belly.

A female insect's protectiveness toward insect eggs was practically hardwired into their factory settings. The steward, no spring chicken himself, turned into a sprint champion and dashed to the living room to find the medical kit.

Then, grabbing the kit in one hand, he bolted like the wind through the doors of the punishment room.

But to his surprise, Admiral Kaspar didn't look like he'd been carved up piece by piece with a knife, nor did he seem to need emergency treatment.

Though he was bound in chains and his clothes were in disarray, his face was flushed like peach blossoms and his breathing was short. When the steward entered, he even lifted his mist-filled eyes to look over.

Clearly, he had just been thoroughly nourished.

Just as the steward was wondering whether Admiral Kaspar had suffered some hidden internal injury, Lin Yan's impatient voice cut him off: "Why aren't you helping?"

Only then did the steward's gaze land on the noble male insect.

And his pupils contracted.

—His Excellency Lin Yan's wrist had actually been cut.

Even though the steward had undergone surgery to remove the pregnancy sac that received male insect pheromones so he could work on the male's estate, and wouldn't go mad from the pheromones, he could still imagine the thick wave of male pheromones hitting him in the face.

The steward crouched down, his hands trembling as he opened the emergency medical kit. An absurd guess rose in his mind:

Insect God above, could it be that the Admiral, unable to bear the humiliation, snatched the knife and cut His Excellency the male insect?

How could this be?

It was just a few cuts. With a female insect's recovery ability, even wearing a suppression collar, it wouldn't damage bones or tendons. How could the Admiral have such poor endurance?

For harming a male insect, the Admiral would probably spend the rest of his life in a correctional facility.

And the insect child he bore would never receive the male father's affection and would never be able to hold their head up for life.

The steward, usually warm-hearted and eager to help, didn't even dare speak up for Kaspar now, afraid of being implicated and losing his job. He kept his head down, searching for styptic powder and bandages, then said in a low voice, "Your Excellency, please raise your hand."

Remembering that in the original novel this steward had learned first aid, Lin Yan was very obedient and cooperated fully with this professional.

He raised his hand as if facing death, clenching his teeth with all his might.

He swore that no matter what method of drawing blood to treat the female insect came next, he wouldn't let the pain twist his expression or make him shriek and wail. That would be truly humiliating.

Who knew.

The steward gently, slowly lifted his wrist, and wrapped it with white bandages.

Wrapped it up.

Lin Yan: "?"

The male insect's beautiful cat-like eyes were full of confusion. He lowered his head and stared, looking left, looking right, looking up, looking down, looking from all directions.

After studying it for a long time, he realized it was just bandaging, not some special method from insect literature where male insect pheromones were drawn to treat female insects. He frowned hard: "Why are you bandaging me?"

The situation was this urgent, and the insect race was still pulling these male-supremacy, female-inferiority stunts!

They didn't understand flexibility at all!

Still slowly bandaging him, afraid of hurting him. By the time the steward finished, his life-saving insect eggs would probably be cold!

Then everyone would be chopped into mincemeat together! Finely diced by the villain!!!

Lin Yan was about to explode at the steward who couldn't read the room. He pushed the steward's hand away, grabbed the bandage himself, wrapped it haphazardly, bit it with his teeth, and tied a knot.

He spat out the bandage he'd bitten and showed his wrist to the steward. "My bandaging is done."

Then, under the steward's stunned gaze, Lin Yan pointed at Kaspar, who was bound in chains, and gave him a shove: "Now you check on him."

The steward didn't understand, but a male insect's command could not be disobeyed—that was the iron rule of the insect race.

The steward obediently began first aid on Kaspar, brought the medical kit over, and knelt before him. "Admiral, do you feel unwell anywhere?"

But honestly, male insect pheromones were the insect race's miracle medicine. Kaspar's physical condition was even more robust than when the steward had first entered the punishment room.

Strong enough to kill a hundred Lin Yans with one punch.

Kaspar shook his head and said truthfully: "No."

Lin Yan didn't believe it. In the original novel, Kaspar was very good at enduring pain, especially in the early stages when he was carrying insect eggs. To please the original owner, even when his wing sacs were removed, he forced himself to smile through it.

Lin Yan urged: "Don't ask him. He's stubborn. He won't say even if he's uncomfortable. Just examine him directly."

The steward obediently searched for a long time and only found some minor scrapes on Admiral Kaspar's knees from kneeling for long periods.

The steward stammered: "These injuries..."

"Where are the injuries? Where is he hurt? Is it serious?" Lin Yan asked urgently.

The steward: "...These injuries, if left untreated, would almost heal on their own."

Lin Yan: "Really?"

The steward said sincerely: "Really."

Honestly.

These little injuries wouldn't even be worth seeking treatment for on a female insect child.

They'd be scolded for being delicate.

After all, female insects were raised with hardship and adversity education from childhood. The goal was strong vitality and toughness.

Then, the steward's peripheral vision swept over the bandage on Lin Yan's wrist, still seeping blood.

Not to mention that these minor injuries had to take priority over His Excellency the male insect's treatment. That was too absurd. Who would believe it if you told them?

Lin Yan stared at the steward's sincere eyes, rubbed his chin and thought for a moment, then reached a conclusion: "I don't believe it."

The steward: "."