Lu Yuan was unaware of why Duke Monck and Duke Durant had suddenly paid a visit. Upon hearing their words, he couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised. He exchanged a glance with Yusto, both seeing the confusion in each other’s eyes. Rising from the bed, he tidied up his disheveled clothes before addressing the communication device, “Let them in.”
Lu Yuan was quite curious about their purpose for coming. Surely, it couldn’t be to pick a fight with him?
The guards received the order and finally allowed the guests to enter. They nodded slightly towards Duke Monck and Duke Durant, saying, “Gentlemen, please come in. However, kindly do not delay too long. His Majesty has instructed that no disturbances should interrupt His Excellency Lu Yuan’s rest.”
Duke Monck’s expression darkened upon hearing the words. He thought to himself, ‘How the tables have turned. Even with my current status, I have to bow down to such an extent?’ Among the nobility, preserving one’s dignity was of utmost importance, and today he felt as if he had treated his own reputation like a dirty rag.
Duke Durant, on the other hand, was less concerned about such matters. He was known for being opportunistic, able to maintain his current status partly due to his family’s merits and partly because of his pragmatism. Upon hearing they were allowed to enter, he casually adjusted his collar, taking the lead to step into the sickroom.
Lu Yuan was still recuperating in the hospital, and even when unwell, he had to maintain an appearance befitting his condition. As Duke Durant entered, he saw a black-haired and black-eyed male zerg comfortably seated on the sickbed. Despite being ill, the male zerg possessed a striking handsomeness and a sharp aura, making him stand out among the zergs of the Salaranfa.
On a sofa nearby, a military female zerg sat with his head bowed, flipping through a magazine. Although his face was obscured by the magazine, Duke Durant immediately recognized his as the Seventh Prince Yusto. Surprised, his thoughts swirled for a moment.
Although the Zerg Emperor publicly ordered that no one disturb Lu Yuan during his rest, the fact that Yusto was allowed to attend to him was a clear indication of a well-thought-out plan. It was evident that the Zerg Emperor had intentions to draw this male zerg into the Gohedra family’s camp, taking advantage of the proximity for potential influence.
It made sense. Who wouldn’t want a male zerg with a blood purity of 100%? The news of such an individual would likely have noble suitors breaking down the doors. A king was a king; while the outside world was still speculating on the authenticity of the information, he had already made his move, showing a depth of cunning and strategy.
Duke Durant sighed inwardly, realizing that his decision to come and apologize today wasn’t entirely misguided. The male zerg in front of him would undoubtedly rise as a new elite in the imperial capital given some time. Even if they couldn’t be friends, it was imperative not to make an enemy out of him.
In just a few seconds, various thoughts flashed through Duke Durant’s mind. When he snapped back to reality, he had made a certain decision. Lowering his posture, he warmly extended a noble greeting to Lu Yuan, “Your Excellency Lu Yuan, I am the male father of Boya. Upon hearing of your injury and hospitalization, I came to pay my respects.”
Afterwards, he turned to Yusto, who was sitting nearby, and with a gracious smile, nodded in acknowledgment, “Seventh Prince, what a coincidence. It seems you’re here as well.”
For some reason, Yusto didn’t want to engage with this sly old fox. Upon hearing the words, he casually flipped a page of the magazine, not bothering to lift an eyelid. With a faux-friendly tone, he replied, “What a coincidence, Duke Durant.”
On the day when Boya forced the Eighth Prince Gaien to annul the engagement at the academy, although Yusto’s impulsive nature played a role, it was certain that Duke Durant had some discreet involvement. After all, there were certain matters that elders couldn’t directly handle, leaving them to be managed by the younger generation. After the fact, they could easily brush it off as the antics of a young zerg, and few would truly investigate.
If Duke Durant genuinely wasn’t satisfied with the marriage arrangement, he could approach the Zerg Emperor to annul it. The Zerg Emperor might very well agree, but Duke Durant, always diplomatic and desiring to avoid conflicts, chose the indirect route. Instigating his younger son to harass Gaien, who was already physically impaired, seemed rather beneath him.
Lu Yuan’s demeanor was neither warm nor distant. He simply gestured towards the sofa opposite him, saying, “Please, have a seat.”
Duke Durant subconsciously rubbed his hands, “Your Excellency, actually, I came here today to offer a sincere apology…”
Before Duke Durant could finish his sentence, a sudden bout of coughing echoed from outside the door. It turned out Duke Monck had also entered. His sincerity seemed to surpass Duke Durant’s, as he was accompanied by the disheveled Wengel. Of course, it couldn’t be ruled out that Boya was still bedridden due to the thorough beating from Yusto.
Lu Yuan was somewhat surprised by the turn of events. He thought, isn’t this the old guy who gave me a stern look outside General Saphir’s office back in Bardell? It turned out to be Duke Monck. He wondered whether today’s visit was to settle scores from the past or if there was a different motive behind bringing Wengel along.
It was evident that Duke Monck had come to apologize today. As soon as he entered the sickroom, he grabbed Wengel by the collar and tossed him in front of Lu Yuan’s bed. With a stern tone, he scolded, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and apologize to Your Excellency Lu Yuan!”
Wengel, who had already been disciplined at home, could only swallow his pride and, with a reluctant demeanor, apologize to Lu Yuan, “Your Excellency, I sincerely apologize for my previous offense at the military enrollment hall. I came here today specifically to make amends. I hope you can forgive me.”
Lu Yuan, puzzled, furrowed his brows and turned to Duke Monck, asking, “What do you mean by this?”
Duke Monck forced a slight smile to soften the stiffness of his expression, “Your Excellency Lu Yuan, earlier, Wengel behaved ignorantly and got into a conflict with you. I feel really uneasy about it. Hearing that you were driven to the hospital by the young master of the Durant family, I came today specifically to visit and offer my apologies, bringing Wengel along as well.”
Infighting among nobles was not uncommon, but it was rare to see someone as shameless as Duke Monck openly disparaging another noble. Duke Durant, who had just settled onto the sofa, shot up at the accusations. He took swift steps forward and angrily retorted, “Nonsense! What are you talking about, Duke Monck?! His Excellency Lu Yuan is in the hospital because he’s sick. What does that have to do with Boya?”
Duke Monck cryptically responded, “His Excellency Lu Yuan is indeed in the hospital due to illness, but that’s because he fainted from exhaustion during prolonged interrogation in the questioning room. As for why he was in the questioning room, I don’t think I need to explain that to you, do I?”
Upon hearing Duke Monck’s words, Duke Durant almost coughed up a mouthful of blood. However, he couldn’t refute the claim because Lu Yuan did indeed end up in the questioning room after the altercation with Boya. Once the origins were traced, it implicated Duke Durant himself.
Fearful of Lu Yuan holding a grudge, Duke Durant wiped the imaginary sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. He quickly explained, “Your Excellency, it’s all Boya’s fault for not understanding. I have already reprimanded him. Originally, I planned to bring him here personally to apologize, but his condition hasn’t fully improved. He couldn’t leave his sickbed, so… so…”
Lu Yuan found the situation increasingly amusing. “Apologize? Apologize for what? It was me who hit him. Why should you apologize?”
“No, no, no! How could it be that you hit him!”
Duke Durant, wide-eyed, blatantly lied and vehemently denied, “It was that wretched boy Boya who walked without looking, accidentally ran into your slap, and caused you to fall ill and end up in the hospital. It really shouldn’t have happened. If you want to seek compensation from him, I can immediately arrange for a lawyer to come. You can name your price!”
With noble families possessing substantial wealth, Duke Durant was willing to accept resolving this matter with money if it meant settling things smoothly.
At this point, Lu Yuan finally grasped the situation. Crossing his arms and leaning against the bedhead, he asked, “So both of your families came here today to apologize?”
Duke Monck forced a sheepish smile, while Duke Durant nodded repeatedly.
Yusto sat on the nearby sofa and couldn’t help but chuckle at the situation, finding it ludicrous. He decided to put down the magazine, intending to signal Lu Yuan to ignore these manipulative individuals. However, to his surprise, Lu Yuan spoke up, “I think you’ve chosen the wrong person.”
Duke Monck and Duke Durant looked puzzled.
Lu Yuan, seeing their confusion, patiently repeated, “If you’re here to apologize, I think you’ve chosen the wrong person.”
Lu Yuan wasn’t particularly concerned about brawls; he deliberately beat up Wengel, and he also intentionally fought with Boya. Regardless of the reasons behind these incidents, the fact remained that he was the one who initiated the physical confrontations. If one were to argue about right or wrong, it essentially boiled down to a case of a big bully encountering a small bully, with neither being particularly innocent.
Looking at Wengel, who had been silently enduring, Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow and said, “The one you owe an apology to isn’t me but the male zerg whose enrollment form you tore apart. Similarly, Boya owes an apology not to me but to the Eighth Prince, whom he injured.”
“As for me…”
Lu Yuan pointed to himself and shook his head slightly, saying, “I just happened to clash with you over these incidents. You offended me, and I retaliated. It’s fair.”
“I won’t accept your apologies. If you truly want to make amends, find a different person to apologize to.”
Lu Yuan was well aware that an apology didn’t necessarily indicate a change of heart or genuine remorse. It often meant that these male zergs had encountered someone they couldn’t afford to provoke and were temporarily bowing their heads.
“Empty gestures” and “wolf-hearted” were phrases that, much like each other, held little value.
This time, Wengel finally showed some wit. He hastily said, “Your Excellency, I will go find that male zerg later to apologize and seek his forgiveness.”
Duke Monck didn’t say anything, tacitly agreeing. After all, an apology was an apology; it didn’t matter who they directed it to. Once they had lost face the first time, they weren’t afraid of losing it a second time.
Duke Durant found himself in a dilemma. If he went to apologize to the Eighth Prince, it would be an implicit acknowledgment of the conflict caused by Boya’s assault. It would also pose a potential problem if the Zerg Emperor decided to investigate the matter further.
Yusto, observing the situation, seemed to have recalled something. He lazily stood up from the sofa, walked over to Lu Yuan, and whispered something in his ear. Afterward, he planted a kiss on Lu Yuan’s cheek before returning to his seat.
He didn’t mind exposing his close relationship with Lu Yuan in front of everyone; on the contrary, he hoped that all zergs would be sensible enough to understand that Lu Yuan was his future consort. They should refrain from harboring any illusions about easily laying hands on him.
Duke Monck and Duke Durant, seeing the situation, awkwardly averted their eyes. They could only pretend not to have witnessed the intimate moment. In the Empire, a male zerg with a blood purity of 100% was a rare find, and only a royal zerg with the flowing blood of the imperial family could be deemed worthy.
Lu Yuan hadn’t expected Yusto to be so audacious, daring to show affection openly in front of everyone. He glanced at Yusto, but the latter was already sitting on the sofa, seemingly indifferent, reading a magazine with his face well-hidden.
With no other option, Lu Yuan shifted his gaze back to Duke Durant and said, “If you truly want to make amends, why not personally approach the Zerg Emperor to cancel the engagement between the Durant family and the Eighth Prince? Given the current situation, it might be the only way to make reparations for what has happened.”
This was Yusto’s suggestion.
It was evident that the Durant family wasn’t fond of Prince Gaien due to his disability. Even if they reluctantly agreed to the marriage under the pressure of the Zerg Emperor’s authority, Gaien would likely face mistreatment in the future. No one understood better than Yusto how a fallen-from-grace and disabled prince would be treated. Instead of enduring humiliation, it would be better for Gaiyin not to marry.
Emperor Apu had already found a new “candidate” for Gaien’s future consort, selecting a fallen noble from a third-tier star. Although the candidate had a decent blood purity, their family lacked significant influence, making them easy to control after the marriage.
Upon hearing Lu Yuan’s words, Duke Durant subtly breathed a sigh of relief. In truth, he had been contemplating seeking annulment for the engagement, but he was hesitant, fearing it might displease the Zerg Emperor. Now that Lu Yuan had taken the initiative to suggest it, he readily complied, “Your Excellency, I deeply regret the matter concerning the Eighth Prince. Since you’ve said so, I will do my best to compensate for it. After returning, I will report the reasons to the Zerg Emperor and request the annulment of the engagement with the Eighth Prince.”
For the sake of preserving the royal family’s dignity, it was better for the cunning Duke Durant to make the proposal himself rather than flip-flopping on a decision.
With everything settled, Lu Yuan finally spoke to see off the guests. Duke Monck and Duke Durant, being tactful, bid their farewells as well, leaving behind a generous amount of expensive supplements. They turned and left the hospital room.
As the door softly closed with a “click”, Yusto discarded the tattered magazine he had been flipping through and walked over to the bedside, taking a seat. He smoothly nestled into Lu Yuan’s arms, lightly tapping his fingertips on Lu Yuan’s chest twice. With a smirk, he said, “Look, they are just like the captain, always steering the ship according to the wind.”
Lu Yuan grabbed his hand and brought it to his lips, giving it a gentle bite. He felt it wasn’t a bad outcome, saying, “At least the Eighth Prince’s marriage issue is resolved. But you mentioned his estrus period approaching. If he doesn’t marry the male zerg from the Durant family, what will he do when the time comes?”
Yusto’s tone carried a mix of emotions as he explained, “The Emperor has found another male zerg. Their family originally settled on the main star but later moved to a backward and remote third-tier star due to reckless extravagance that led to bankruptcy. If the Eighth Prince marries that male zerg, considering their status in the royal family, Gaien shouldn’t be too mistreated.”
Lu Yuan inquired, “How is that male zerg?”
Yusto, however, frowned and said, “I heard he’s a fool—stupid, clumsy, and ugly. A few months ago, he got into an accident due to a malfunctioning spacecraft, damaging his brain. He doesn’t remember anything now.”
Lu Yuan couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised, “Stupid, clumsy, and ugly? Is that true?”
Yusto shrugged, “I don’t know. It’s just what I’ve heard. They will be invited to the banquet next month, and the Emperor decided to see for himself how that male zerg is. If he’s genuinely ugly and unpleasant, they might have to reconsider and find another candidate.”
As the topic shifted to the upcoming banquet, Lu Yuan grew curious, “Is there a special occasion in Salaranfa? Why is there a sudden need for a banquet?”
Yusto explained, “No, it’s just the annual routine celebration banquet. At that time, the generals stationed across the empire will return to the main star for the banquet, and all the nobles are required to attend.”
He paused and gently lifted his head to plant a soft, moist kiss on Lu Yuan’s lips, tinted with the fragrance of roses. Speaking in a slow, hushed tone, he said, “Including you.”
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow, “So, I’ll be meeting the Emperor and the other princes?”
Yusto touched his throat, “Of course. Are you nervous?”
Lu Yuan replied, “Not really, just a bit surprised.”
#After all, a nest of bunny spirits is quite rare.#
With this thought in mind, Lu Yuan unconsciously rubbed the soft silver hair of Yusto, massaging him until he became completely relaxed, with his eyes closing and resting on Lu Yuan’s chest.
Author’s note:
Lu Yuan: (〃’▽’〃) Big bunnies are super good at being soft and fluffy~
![The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image_2021-09-11_143139.png "The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao")
