Taylor raised his hand, grabbed the back of Miao Teโs collar, and pulled the little guy clinging tightly to him away with a slight tug.
Miao Te was caught off guard, his face still showing the expression of winking at Lady Salome, who stood opposite them.
The Major General arched an eyebrow as he looked at the odd expression on the teenagerโs face.
โWhat are you doing?โ he asked, still holding the teenager by the back of his collar as if he were lifting a small animal.
โIโll explain laterโโ
The teenager who was pulled back paid no attention to him; he just tried hard to look back at the blonde young ladyโs expression. However, he could only see her slightly curved, beautiful almond eyes watching him with a faint, amused smile. Salome gently stroked the neck of the black panther beside her, whose icy blue eyes were fixed coldly on him, filled with a beastโs fierce hostility.
One beautiful woman and one wild beast stood there, one with a teasing smile and the other with a chilling, predatory glare.
As Miao Te looked over, he couldnโt shake the sense of how unnervingly strange the atmosphere between them felt.
Seeing that the little guy in front of him wasnโt sparing him a single glance, the black-haired Major Generalโs eyes darkened slightly. He had seen Princess Salome call the black beast over, so he knew exactly who was standing behind him.
He turned around, took a few steps, and stopped in front of Princess Salome. The blonde princess said nothing, simply fixing her gaze on his impossibly handsome face. After staring at him for quite a while, she glanced at the teenager behind him, as if sparing him a look.
However, the glance she cast at Miao Te carried a subtle hint of ambiguity.
โYour Highness, Princess.โ
The Major General called out indifferently, but it startled Miao Te so much that he jumped.
โPrincess?โ
He stared at Salome in shock.
โYou… youโre a princess? A Royal Princess?โ[1]
In the Empire, all daughters of the emperor are referred to as princesses. Throughout the history of the royal family, there have been several instances where women have ascended the throne and ruled as empresses. A princess destined to inherit the throne is given the honorable title of “Royal Princess”
The current emperor has only one daughter, making Salome the inevitable future empress and thus the Royal Princess.
The future empress clicked her tongue lightly and withdrew her hand from stroking the black pantherโs neck.
โSo, you figured it out this quickly? How boring.โ
Her servants had deliberately been calling her โmissโ instead of โRoyal Princessโ over the past two daysโan order given specifically by her. She had wanted to keep her identity hidden from this interesting little thing.
Honestly, although this teenager seemed obedient and docile in her presence, his eyes never showed any fear of her power, nor did he try to curry favor. Even when he addressed her as โmiss,โ his calm demeanor and actions clearly showed that he did not consider himself inferior. He lacked the submissiveness of those in lower positions, and his attitude toward her was not one of reverence for a superior. Instead, he treated her title as nothing more than a casual form of address, and his demeanor toward her was more a matter of respect or accommodation for her as a woman rather than as a ruler.
His gaze was pure and untainted, just like he wasโclear as spring water, transparent and open, incapable of hiding anything.
Although a bit clueless, he would often sneak dissatisfied and complaining glances at her, and sometimes even shout at her defiantly… But to her, he was a novel and amusing guy.
Howeverโฆ
As Salome looked at Major General Taylor, she knew that this teenager who had caught her interest was likely not going to last much longer.
Sigh, I havenโt had enough fun yet. What a pity.
โI appreciate you looking after myโโ
โAhhhh!โ
Taylorโs words were abruptly cut off by Miao Te.
โUm, I wanted to say, Miss Salome, oh no, Your Highness the Princess, how did I do?โ
Salomeโs eyes curved slightly as she looked at him.
โNot bad,โ she chuckled twice, casting a meaningful glance at the Major General. โKeep up the good work.โ
“…”
The princessโs final words left Miao Te momentarily speechless.
And at that moment, the black panther standing at the princessโs feet finally couldnโt hold back any longer. It began to walk silently toward Miao Te.
But despite its large size, even if it moved without making a sound, it was immediately noticed the moment it started to move.
Over the past few days, Miao Te had grown accustomed to petting the pantherโs head and nuzzling its soft fur. Almost reflexively, he wanted to bend down, stretch out his hand, and give it a good rub.
However, the thought had barely crossed his mind, and before he could make a move, Major General Taylor, standing in front of him, caught sight of the approaching panther out of the corner of his eye. With a swift motion, he extended his hand, grabbed Miao Te, and pulled him firmly behind him.
The Major Generalโs long legs were firmly planted in place, effectively blocking Caesar from getting close to Miao Te.
Lord Caesar was displeased.
Lord Caesar was having a little tantrum.
Its jaws parted, revealing sharp teeth that gleamed menacinglyโ
A pair of slender, fair hands reached out from behind, grabbing the black panther by the neck and pulling it back just before it could sink its teeth into that long leg.
โCaesarโs hungry,โ Princess Salome said, pulling Caesar away.
โExcuse me for a moment, Major General Taylor.โ As she spoke, she shot Miao Te a meaningful glance.
โIn the meantime, my new servant will keep you company.โ She pointed to a side room nearby, smiling as she continued, โPlease wait in here. Iโll join you after Iโve taken care of Caesar.โ
Taylor looked at her, and the beautiful princess returned his gaze with a cheerful, knowing smile. Without saying another word, the Major General turned and stepped into the side room, dragging the teenager beside him along.
The black panther, held by the princess, struggled anxiously as if it wanted to follow inside, but Salomeโs arms wrapped tightly around it, restraining its movements.
โCaesar, itโs not every day we get to watch something this entertaining,โ Salome said with a playful laugh, patting the restless panther.
โDonโt mess this up for me, okay?โ she added. โCome on, letโs go eat~โ
***
“Enough.”
Finally able to be alone together in the modestly sized side room, Major General Taylor broke the silence with a curt statement. He stood there, looking down at Miao Te, who was sitting on a single-seat sofa.
โSpeak.โ His words were direct and to the point.
The black-eyed teenager obediently sat on the soft cushion of the large chair, occupying less than half of the space, making him appear even smaller. Under the Major Generalโs cold, dark blue gaze, Miao Te sat upright, hands resting on his knees, back straight, and his head slightly tilted up as he looked at the Major General with wide, shining black eyes. The entire posture made him look remarkably well-behaved.
โThis is how it happened…โ
Under the watchful gaze of the Major General, Miao Te sat properly and recounted everything from beginning to end.
In the end, to prove he wasnโt lying and to show that he didnโt offend the Major General without reason, he pulled down the high collar of his shirt, revealing the metal collar hidden underneath to Taylor.
โThatโs how it is,โ he said, pulling at his collar with a pained expression. โI didnโt have a choice.โ
The Major General leaned slightly against the window, arms crossed over his chest. Bright light streamed in from outside, casting his shadow long across the floor. His dark bangs hung loosely over his eyes, casting a faint shadow that obscured his gaze.
Through the hazy shadows of his hair, his glassy blue eyes settled on the teenagerโs slender neck. The silvery metal collar around the teenagerโs neck gleamed with the cold, harsh shine characteristic of metal.
Perhaps it was the sight of that icy glint that caused a chill to seep into the Major Generalโs gaze, making his eyes several degrees colder.
These metal collars were used by the imperial family to control servants, a precaution against betrayal. If a servant harbored disloyal thoughts or acted against their master, the master could trigger the collar to explode at any moment. And if one tried to forcibly remove it, the collar would immediately activate its self-destruct sequence.
โWhereโs your data band?โ he asked suddenly.
โ…Caesar bit it to pieces.โ
“…”
That beast.
Thinking of the black panther, its glossy black fur, and how it constantly tried to get close to Miao Te, Major General Taylor glanced at the teenagerโs bare, empty wrist and then at the metal collar coiled around his neck. For some reason, the sight of the metal collar, something he was so used to seeing, suddenly seemed unbearably harsh to his eyes.
He stared expressionlessly at the metal collar, forcibly suppressing the sudden irritation that welled up inside him. With his head slightly lowered and eyes downcast, his expression remained cold and indifferent, leaving one to wonder what he was thinking.
Watching the Major Generalโs impassive face, Miao Te mumbled a quiet complaint. โItโs all because of what you said in front of everyone on the ship that day. Now the rumors have spread everywhere, and even the princess heard them.โ
The teenager wore an “I’m doing this for your own good” expression on his face and spoke in a tone full of earnest concern.
โSo, Major General, you should find a chance to clear things up, or everyoneโs going to think you have some kind of special… preference.โ
He sighed, trying to make his point. โEven Miss Salomeโno, the princessโthinks you have that kind of taste and gave me a task to โseduceโ youโฆ Thatโs why I did what I did. She was right there watching, and I was afraid sheโd blow up this collar out of anger if I didnโt at least pretend to be โseducingโ you…โ
As he reached the end, his voice trailed off, growing fainter with each word, especially when the Major General, still with his head slightly lowered, glanced over at him. The teenagerโs voice became nearly inaudible.
The Major General, standing with his arms crossed and leaning against the window lifted his gaze. His lashes rose, and the shadow they cast on his face shifted upward. His narrowed, sharp eyes fixed on the youth, and his expression darkened slightly.
โโSeduceโ me?โ he said coldly.
โAt that time… I only used my handโฆ I didnโt do anything inappropriate…โ
Although he kissed his hand, the fact remained that he had forcibly pulled the other person into an embrace.
With a sharp snap, the black military boots hit the wooden floor with a dull thud, causing the teenager’s chest to tighten and his heart to skip a beat in nervousness.
The young Major General stepped forward, the dull sound of his footsteps growing closer and closer, and his tall figure steadily approached. Miao Te began to panic a little.
I only covered the Major General’s mouth with my hand, and the kiss was just for showโI only kissed the back of my hand! Surely the Major General wouldnโt beat me half to death just because I covered his mouth and hugged him, would he?
As the teenager worried, he couldnโt help but glance up. Since he was seated, his line of sight was limited to the Major Generalโs legs. Light streamed in from behind, illuminating those muscular, firm thighs wrapped tightly in dark pants, almost as if they were outlined by a halo.
The Major General stopped in front of Miao Te and slowly leaned down. Miao Te had been sitting with his head lowered, but feeling the shadow loom over him, he instinctively looked up. He found himself face-to-face with the Major General, who was leaning closer, his upper body bending down.
Miao Te, who had been sitting upright like a well-behaved child, instinctively recoiled as the shadow descended, falling back until his back hit the soft cushion of the chair with nowhere else to go.
Now almost lying on the oversized single-seat sofa, Miao Te was pinned by Major General Taylor, who was bent over him. The light shone down from above, outlining the body of the Major General leaning over him, with long legs, a slender waist, and nearly perfect golden-ratio-like body lines.
Taylor leaned in deeply, his arms braced against the sofa, casting his shadow over the teenager. Strands of his dark hair fell, a few slightly longer pieces landing on Miao Teโs forehead, cool and smooth like silk. His dark blue eyes, carrying the glow of the stars and sea, were so close that Miao Te could practically feel the touch of those impossibly long black lashes brushing his nose.
That breathtakingly beautiful face was almost pressed against his, nearly cheek to cheek. His eyes were so mesmerizing that it felt like they could pull a personโs very soul in. Their noses brushed past each otherโso close it was hard to tell if they were touching or not.
โHow do you โseduceโ?โ Major General Taylorโs gaze fixed on him.
A deep voice, cold at first listen, but when it reached deep into the ears, it inexplicably gave a feeling of dizziness, almost to the point of numbness.
The breath from the Major Generalโs mouth brushed faintly over his skin.
The Major General spoke softly, his cheek almost pressed against Miao Teโs, his barely audible voice brushing against his ear. The sound, faint yet penetrating, seemed to invade the deepest part of his eardrum, sending a tingling sensation through his shoulders and neck.
The Major General softly said, โโฆLike this?โ
His slender, almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, and the cool tip of his nose brushed faintly against the teenagerโs soft cheek.
With a sudden boom, Miao Te felt as if the blood in his head had instantly reached a boiling point, scalding his face into a deep, flushed red.
***
[1]There were two forms of address in the sentence:[็ๅฅณ (wรกng nว)lit. โKingโs daughterโ is a more general term that could apply to the daughter of a king or prince within the nobility] and [ๅ ฌไธป (gลng zhว) is a more prestigious title associated with the imperial family]ย both terms can mean “princess”. T/N: Iโm confused but I think I get it. Honestly, just google it >.<
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Translation by NightOwll
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