IOTMGB 46: Major General: “I love you.”

What the hell is “Major General’s wife”?!

“No, that’s not…”

Miao Te felt it necessary to correct the white ball’s way of addressing him.

“Yes, if you need anything, just command Dada, Major General’s wife!”

“No, what I’m trying to say—don’t call me that!”

The snow-white orb hovered in front of Miao Te, bobbing up and down, its triangular eyes flashing cheerfully.

“Then, how would you prefer to be addressed, Major General’s wife? Madam? Mrs. Miao Te?”

“…None of those! Just call me by my name!”

“Eh? No, no~~ Dada can’t be so disrespectful to you, Major General’s wife~~”

“I’m telling you, I’m not the Major General’s wife!” Miao Te felt like he was about to go crazy. “I’m just a subordinate! A regular subordinate! I have a superior-subordinate relationship with your Major General!”

“It’s not good to deceive Dada Dada has subordinate settings, but the authority Major General gave you is master-level. That means, Major General’s wife, you are the second master here.”

The little white orb had a smug expression as if to say, “I’m very smart, don’t try to fool me.”

“Dada knows very well only Major General and Major General’s wife can activate master-level permissions on Dada!”

“…”

Hearing “Major General’s wife” over and over, the young man swallowed a mouthful of frustration and turned to look at the one responsible for the current situation.

“Major General… aren’t you going to say something?”

Taylor stood on the side, watching the two little things cause a fuss, not in a hurry at all. Now, seeing the youth turn to look at him, with those dark eyes gazing at him…

“This little thing may be stupid.”

He said, looking at Miao Te.

The young man chuckled bitterly inside.

Major General, I agree with you that it’s dumb, but could you not look at me when you say that?

“But it’s unexpectedly stubborn, once it decides something, it won’t change.”

The Major General said this, raising his hand to rub the teenager’s head, then turned and went inside the house.

A cool and detached voice left behind one last comment.

The Major General said, “You’ll get used to it.”

Miao Te: “…”

I can’t get used to this!

“Major General’s wife~ Major General’s wife~~ Major General is so kind to you~~ Major General never pats Dada’s head, but Dada wants that too~”

No matter how much Miao Te was internally coughing up blood, the little white orb kept happily circling him, gazing up at him like a puppy, seemingly wanting Miao Te to pat its head.

“Major General’s wife~~ Dada wants head pats~~”

The young man instantly exploded in frustration.

“If you call me that again, I’ll dismantle you!”

“Major General’s wife~~ Dada is the latest liquid-brain model in the universe, with the highest atomic density and resistance to pressure, heat, and damage. Even if Major General’s wife increased your arm strength tenfold, you still wouldn’t be able to leave a mark on Dada~~”

“…”

Miao Te silently swallowed another mouthful of frustration.

“Major General’s wife why don’t you like Dada calling you that? Oh, Dada gets it, you’re arguing with Major General, aren’t you? That’s how it always goes in novels and movies~”

“…” The teenager held it in for a long time before finally squeezing out a sentence, “Yes, we’re arguing, so if you call me that again, I’ll break up with your Major General!”

This was just something Miao Te blurted out in frustration, but the white orb, immune to both coaxing and threats, panicked upon hearing this, quickly spinning around Miao Te in a frenzy.

“No, no Major General’s wife, don’t break up with Major General! Major General likes you so much that if you leave, he’ll be unhappy. Dada likes Major General, Dada wants him to be happy. Madam, no, Lord Miao Te, don’t go—”

“…If you stop calling me that, I won’t leave.”

“Okay, Dada won’t call you that. Dada will listen to Major General’s—no, Lord Miao Te’s words. Lord Miao Te, don’t go.”

The little white orb looked pitifully at Miao Te. At some point, its triangular eyes had transformed into large round ones, and it even simulated tears in its eye sockets, gazing at Miao Te with a tearful expression.

“…”

The teenager, feeling like he was coaxing a child, held his forehead, feeling a bit worn out.

Come to think of it, Major General, you’re so cool, so aloof, and so good at acting superior. Why on earth is your AI brain assistant such a silly, adorable thing?

The contrast is way too extreme, isn’t it?

***

After moving into Major General Taylor’s residence, Miao Te didn’t feel too out of place, as the furnishings and style were quite similar to the room on the ship.

If it weren’t for the fact that the space was much larger, with several floors and a vast private garden outside, he would have thought he was still on the Ishtar.

The only thing that felt strange to him was that, in this huge villa, there was almost no one else besides Major General Taylor and himself. The entire villa and the vast garden outside, so large it could be called a wilderness, were managed by that AI brain assistant, Dada. The robots responsible for cleaning and daily tasks were non-intelligent and had no independent thought. The entire place was eerily quiet, with no human presence at all.

It was said that Major General Taylor was rarely home, spending most of his time away, so usually, Dada was the only one with any independent thought in the house.

Miao Te suddenly understood why Dada was so talkative. If he had to stay in such a vast and empty house for years, he would probably start talking to himself too.

No wonder Dada kept saying it liked the Major General the most, but for the past few days, it had been hovering around him… Because even if it hovered around Major General Taylor, as soon as it spoke for less than thirty seconds, it would get a “shut up” order, and then it would dejectedly fly over to him, seeking comfort and head pats.

Still, despite the cold and quiet atmosphere in the vast villa, Miao Te quite liked the forest outside.

The snow-white trunks, fiery red leaves, and dense canopy intertwined, looking like a sea of burning clouds. Especially at dusk, with the fiery red sunset in the sky, it resembled a cluster of blazing crimson flames.

For the past few days, Major General Taylor seemed to be busy outside and hadn’t returned. Left alone in the house, Miao Te enjoyed sitting under those fiery red trees, letting Dada, who followed him everywhere, teach him common knowledge. He also continued learning the Imperial language because speaking and listening alone was not enough—he needed to become proficient in writing and using the virtual keyboard.

So, for the past few days, his routine had been to sit against the snow-white tree trunks on the soft grass. The white orb would obediently shoot light from its triangular eyes, generating a light screen in front of Miao Te, and then Dada would begin his lessons.

This afternoon was another day of routine learning, but today, the sunlight was too warm. Plus, Miao Te had, on a whim, gone to the gym at noon and ran for half a day under one-time gravity, leaving his body a bit fatigued.

Now, he lazily leaned against the tree trunk, sitting on the soft grass. Under the warm sunlight, he became drowsy and, with Dada’s crisp teaching voice in the background, drifted off to sleep.

The fiery red canopy swayed gently in the breeze, with bright sunlight filtering through the leaves, casting speckled patches of light on the teenager’s face.

The teenager leaned against the snow-white trunk, his head tilted, with soft black hair falling over the corner of his eyes.

He slept soundly, his pale lips slightly parted, occasionally mumbling in his sleep. His fine eyelashes cast a faint shadow on his soft cheek.

The round, white orb hovered beside the sleeping teenager, slowly circling him. Knowing the teenager was asleep, it remained quiet, obediently guarding him.

A few fiery red leaves drifted down, one of them quietly landing on the teenager’s face, half-covering his nose, gently moving with his breathing.

When Major General Taylor entered with his subordinates, this was the scene that greeted him.

The red-haired subordinate behind him saw the young teenager under the tree, with a leaf moving up and down on his face, and couldn’t help but laugh.

As for Dada, as soon as the Major General entered the gate, it happily floated over.

“Major General~~ Dada has been obediently following your orders, Dada has been protecting Lord Miao Te well~~”

It circled the Major General, happily reporting its achievements to its master.

After all, ever since the Major General had given it the order to protect the new master, it had been watching over him constantly.

Major General Taylor gave a soft acknowledgment.

He had been busy outside for the past few days, leaving the teenager alone here.

Don’t be fooled by this white orb’s small, round, silly appearance—it was a specially customized, top-of-the-line liquid AI brain in the universe.

Even though this villa seemed to have no defensive structures, its invisible particle shield could withstand even a planet-based annihilation cannon strike from a space cruiser.

Beneath the beautiful scenery lay countless cutting-edge, precise, and incredibly powerful weapons. Once in alert mode and under Dada’s control, anyone who came would be unable to leave.

Unless the planet itself was destroyed, this villa was impregnable.

The red-haired Major chuckled and patted the white orb, which was asking for the Major General to pat its head, but the orb unhappily bumped into him.

Robin was about to speak to Major General Taylor, but when he looked up, he saw his boss had already walked away and was heading toward the teenager under the tree.

He watched as his boss bent down and picked the teenager up. The teenager’s head tilted into the Major General’s chest, and the red leaf that had covered his face fell onto the Major General’s chest.

The slightly germaphobic Major General seemed not to notice the leaf that had fallen onto his chest. He simply lowered his head and squinted slightly as he looked at the teenager who was sleeping soundly, nestled against his chest.

Then, Robin watched as his boss carried the teenager into the house.

The red-haired Major couldn’t help but click his tongue twice.

“Looks like the boss has fallen hard.”

He said this while giving the white orb beside him a strong pat.

“You’ve got a new master to play with, happy?”

Speaking of which, the fact that the aloof Major General’s liquid AI brain assistant was such a silly thing had everything to do with Robin.

Back then, Taylor was mostly out on the battlefield, and even though he had been granted the title of Major General by the emperor and received Forna as his territory, he rarely stayed there. Since he wasn’t around, others naturally had to arrange the construction of his private residence on the planet.

At that time, Robin had been injured in a fierce battle and was unable to follow the Major General in his campaigns, so Via had assigned him to handle the construction on Forna.

The liquid brain assistant responsible for managing Major General Taylor’s private residence on the planet was a specially customized model. It was the most advanced liquid brain in the universe at the time, capable of human emotions, with unwavering loyalty to its master and self-learning capabilities.

Its personality developed during the first month after activation. In other words, how it was taught during that month would shape its character, much like raising a child.

And during the month that the white orb’s liquid brain personality was forming… it was with Robin.

Every time Via thought about this, he deeply regretted it.

Why did he lose his mind back then and entrust something as important as the Major General’s residence liquid AI brain to that guy?

As for the Major General’s reaction…

Well, the Major General didn’t say anything, but after his first encounter with Dada at the villa…

***

The next day, after sparring with the Major General, the usually tough-skinned Robin ended up with a black eye and spent ten days bedridden in the hospital.

Although many were dissatisfied, the liquid AI brain had already been set, and its information stream was locked with the villa’s system, making it impossible to change.

“What’s wrong, Dada? You don’t look very happy.”

Robin asked with a grin, “You don’t like the new master?”

“Dada likes Major General’s wife very much.”

Since Miao Te wasn’t around, the white orb resumed calling him “wife” without hesitation.

“But Major General’s wife won’t let Dada call him that~~ Dada is worried that Major General’s wife will leave and won’t want Major General anymore~~”

Before it even finished speaking, the red-haired Major was already laughing so hard he squatted to the ground.

Major General’s wife—Hahaha! Wife—

Oh my god, Dada, you’re amazing—Major General’s wife, you’re killing me with laughter!

“What should I do? Teach Dada what to do! Major General’s wife said he was arguing with Major General. Dada wants them to make up.”

“Exactly, exactly The boss’s lifelong happiness is in your hands, Dada. You have to work hard, hahaha, oh my god, you’re killing me with laughter, hahaha!”

“Okay! Dada will do its best! Dada will definitely make them reconcile!”

Encouraged by Robin, the white orb’s black triangular eyes sparkled with determination.

***

When Miao Te woke up, he found that he was no longer on the grass but lying on a soft sofa in the middle of the first-floor hall.

Dada, the little white orb, definitely couldn’t have moved him, so it had to have been the Major General who carried him back. And since Dada had been following him everywhere these past few days, its absence now likely meant that the Major General had returned, and it was hovering around him.

Sitting up, Miao Te still felt a bit disoriented.

To be honest, although he had been acting carefree and nonchalant these past few days, his mind was still a bit unsettled.

Not long ago, Major General Taylor’s ambiguous gesture—whether intentional or not—of brushing against his lips had left him feeling confused.

He couldn’t figure out what the Major General meant by it—was it deliberate, or just an accidental brush?

…He had told the Major General himself that he didn’t like him, and he didn’t believe that the proud Major General would develop feelings for someone who didn’t like him. Besides, the Major General liked Princess Salome!

Just based on appearances alone, they looked like a perfect couple standing together.

However, even someone as dense as Miao Te could sense that the Major General was treating him differently from others.

…Ruffling his hair whenever he felt like it, or carrying him back like just now—such affectionate actions…

Aaaah—this is so confusing!

The teenager, grabbing his head in frustration, couldn’t figure out the ever-expressionless and aloof Major General’s thoughts.

While Miao Te was lost in thought, a shadow suddenly fell over him.

He looked up to see the Major General’s tall figure standing before him, looking down at him.

Those dark blue eyes stared straight at him as if seeing no one else but him.

The teenager suddenly felt a wave of inexplicable panic.

He couldn’t help but want to speak, to hide his nervousness, but before he could make a sound, the Major General moved first.

The Major General leaned down from where he stood in front of the sofa, dropping to one knee, his hands pressing on either side of the sofa, enclosing the seated teenager within his arms.

Originally, he was sitting while the Major General stood, looking down at him.

Now, with the Major General half-kneeling, it was the teenager looking down on him.

Under the jet-black hair that shimmered like velvet, the Major General’s long, narrow phoenix eyes gazed unblinkingly at him.

He watched as the Major General’s lips moved slightly, emitting that familiar cool voice.

Major General said, “I like you.”

“…Huh?”

The teenager was instantly dumbfounded, staring in shock at the Major General’s sudden confession.

Those dark blue pupils remained fixed on Miao Te as Major General Taylor softly spoke again.

He said, “I love you.”

As he spoke, he leaned in, his handsome face inching closer, aiming to kiss the teenager.

The stunned Miao Te was startled and reflexively reached out, trying to push Major General Taylor away.

But before his hands could rise, Major General swiftly grabbed both his wrists, pinning them against the sofa’s backrest, and continued closing in.

“Wait…”

Miao Te instinctively leaned back to dodge, but the sofa’s backrest blocked his retreat, leaving him with nowhere to go.

He struggled forcefully, but his wrists were held down tightly. The more he tried to fight back, the harder the Major General squeezed his wrists, causing a faint pain as he was firmly pinned against the sofa.

A flicker of anger flashed in the teenager’s dark, bright eyes. He stared at the handsome face inching toward him, his expression gradually darkening. He no longer struggled in vain, nor did he panic as before.

He simply stared, eyes wide open, at the man who was about to forcibly kiss him, his face expressionless, his gaze growing cold.

Just as those pale lips were about to meet the cold ones—

Suddenly, a hand shot out, grabbing the Major General’s head and twisting it viciously—

In the teenager’s shocked gaze, the Major General’s head, half-kneeling before him, snapped with a loud crack, wrenched by that hand.

At that moment, Miao Te felt as if his entire world had been turned upside down.

What—what just happened—?!

Everything had happened so fast and so bizarrely that Miao Te couldn’t react. He stared in shock as that hand flung the Major General’s severed head onto the ground, where it splattered into a puddle of silver liquid.

That was brutal! His brains splattered everywhere!

…Wait.

Silver liquid?

Miao Te’s brain finally started working again. He looked up and saw another Major General Taylor standing behind the crouched ‘Major General.’

That familiar handsome face, jet-black hair, and chillingly cold gaze.

The hand that had twisted off the kneeling ‘Major General’ head belonged to the real Major General Taylor standing behind him.

The man lowered his head, and beneath his tousled black hair, his sharp phoenix eyes glanced at Miao Te. The glint of cold light in those blue eyes made Miao Te’s chest tremble.

He opened his mouth to ask something, but before he could speak, the real Major General lifted his long leg and delivered a powerful kick, sending the headless ‘Major General’ flying. It crashed into the ground with a splat, turning into another puddle of silver liquid.

Then, Miao Te stared in stunned disbelief as the two puddles of silver liquid slowly moved toward each other, as if alive, and merged.

The glowing silver liquid floated into the air, gradually transforming into a familiar white metal orb.

What the hell! Dada!

Completely dumbfounded, Miao Te cursed inwardly.

The white orb floated up and down in mid-air, its black triangular eyes completely dark, looking terribly dim as it timidly glanced at the Major General, who was glaring coldly at it.

“Dada… Dada just wanted to help Major General and Lord Miao Te reconcile… yīng yīng. (T/N: whimpering or alternative to boohoo)”

The white orb, having used its liquid metal simulation ability to transform into the Major General’s likeness, whimpered pitifully.

***

Translated by NightOwll

***