Ch52 - [Do you like oranges?] Without any hints of performance.

“This kind of fruit is really quite sour.” Sirius nodded his head in understanding and put down the fruit plate, saying: “No problem. Wait here for a moment, I will go ask them to switch. Do you like oranges?”

Nalun said: “…… I thank you.”

Sirius said with a smile: “Wait for me, I will return immediately.”

Nalun: “……..”

The “immediately” that Sirius said was really a matter of a blink of an eye.

Nalun just found a recliner to sit in and was about to readjust his mental state when he saw the Admiral return holding a plate of fruit. Behind him also followed a familiar person.

In civilian wear, His Majesty the Emperor, gave Nalun a friendly smile.

Nalun: “……”

Sirius placed the plate filled with fresh fruit on Nalun’s legs, blinked pointedly at him and then said profoundly: “Soaking in an onsen is an activity that needs a lot of people for the right atmosphere.”

Nalun greeted awkwardly: “Your Majesty?”

His Majesty the Emperor opened his mouth and said: “Long time no see, cousin.”

Nalun reminded him, saying: “We seemed to have participated together in the opening ceremony of the festival just yesterday.”

His Majesty the Emperor smiled and declined to comment.

Nalun looked towards Sirius and used his eye expression to ask: “Just what is going on here?”

The latter indicated for him to remain calm.

Luye Derlin went straight to the point and pulled out a certain 8 legged, mini bug out of his pocket.

“Xiao Jin wanted to see you.”

Nalun asked: “Xiao Jin?”

In a flash, he recalled what Xi Jin once said.

“Luye……” was His Majesty the Emperor’s official name.

His Majesty the Emperor.

And his beloved bug?

Nalun couldn’t stop the corner of his mouth from twitching. He sank into a moment of silence. After the moment of silence, he felt an intense fury burning.

In that moment, he fully experienced the terrifying nature of “having support behind the scene”– both of them were criminal suspects, yet this high authority cousin had instantly harbored his beloved pet while leaving him to feel apprehensive and alarmed? Even allowing him to be brought into the courthouse under the eyes of everyone?

Was this the demeanor that an Asha Emperor should have?

–Shouldn’t he receive the same treatment as well!

Nalun smiled coldly.

Here he was feeling on edge due to this matter, using up all his brain power to deal with the interrogations, and even deeply concerned regarding the future trial. Meanwhile, his Majesty the Emperor had already taken the truly suspicious Insectoid away bright and early. Just because his little buddy Xi Jin and his older cousin, the Emperor, had already hooked up while he was completely unaware!

Immediately afterwards, Nalun relaxed.

Since it’s like this, why did he have to stand trial? He can just directly handover the person with the highest authority here and end everything.

The Emperor shivered from a chill, then smiled: “The Metal Devouring Bug, so I called him Xiao Jin. Hahaha.”

After laughing for a while, he discovered that the other two living people within the room were both expressionless. Thus he had no choice but to awkwardly stop laughing.

As Nalun lamented over this sham of a blood relation, his gaze landed on Sirius, who was standing to the side. He instantly realized: This one knew the situation as well!

Almost as if he felt the Honored Prince’s gaze, Sirius said: “I only learned of it last night.”

Thinking briefly, he added: “Very late at night. You were already sleeping.” And was even snoring slightly, the ‘hululu’ kind.

He didn’t say everything completely.

Something like this… made it easier to accept.

Nalun calmed himself down.

The Emperor, however, was bewildered.

“Uh, Sirius, what did you say just now……”

At the same time, Nalun attempted to reach out and take Xi Jin.

The Emperor immediately pulled back reflexively, making Nalun grab at air.

Nalun: “……”

His Majesty the Emperor: “Xiao Jin is pretty afraid of strangers.”

His cousin’s eyes seemed to hold a dark flame within their depths.

The Metal Devouring Bug started to struggle relentlessly in his palm, letting out “weng weng” like buzzing, which echoed in the room.

Nalun became displeased: “You’ll make him uncomfortable like this.”

“I only want him to calm down a little.” His Majesty the Emperor, who was squeezing the Metal Devouring Bug’s antennas this entire time, looked somewhat complicated: “He got too riled up upon seeing you.”

Nalun asked back: “Just like how I got riled up upon seeing you?”

The Emperor silently sat down. This interruption made him temporarily forget the original issue. In fact, he looked a bit guilty too.

Sirius aptly asked about the matter with the ‘Scepter’ at this time.

Therefore, the Emperor started to narrate how the Scepter was stolen, using this as an excuse to change the topic.

That day, as the Princess’s older brother, Luye Derlin also had to attend the banquet. During the night, he was taking a walk in the courtyard when he was suddenly attacked by a mysterious person that had infiltrated inside. Luye very quickly counterattacked and even forced the other into their insect form.

However, in the end, the Scepter was still stolen; the Insectoid was also injured on the head.

Nalun said: “Oh, so it’s like that.”

The Emperor: “……”

What happened afterwards, Nalun can piece together through pure guesswork. The Insectoid was injured stupid. The Emperor also lost his beloved Scepter. Both sides received heavy losses.

Nalun looked at the only one unaware of the situation amongst the 4 people within the room and sank into contemplation.

According to this explanation, the already ‘stupid’ Xi Jin, whether from his ‘damaged head’ or his “Insectoid” identity, both fitted the Emperor’s described thief perfectly.

Nalun had no choice but to consider a possibility.

— Xi Jin was truly the Insectoid spy who had stolen the Asha Scepter.

He then returned his gaze onto Luye.

There’s no reason the Emperor wouldn’t have thought of the same thing he managed to guess. Then there was only one explanation. His fair and wise older cousin planned to openly and brazenly protect and cover up for his beloved bug.

Sure enough, the Emperor very quickly changed the topic again.

“However…… Can Xiao Jin really turn big?” His expression was very subtly controlled.

With a limited vision at night, Luye only remembered the general shape of that bug. The other details were rather blurry. Not to mention, the difference between the two body sizes was huge. If Xiao Jin wasn’t caught in the act, it would have been hard for him to connect Xiao Jin to the thief.

Nalun nodded his head. The scene of the little bug changing into a huge bug was seen by countless people. There was no reason to conceal it.

“Haha, no wonder he was always saying that after he turned big, he’d raise me in his insect nest.”

Nalun: “…….” He really didn’t understand the thinking process of these people.

At this time, the Metal Devouring Bug let out another thrill of buzzing.

Expression changing, His Majesty the Emperor, handed the bug over, not looking very willing.

Nalun accepted his little buddy Xi Jin. His face was calm and composed, without change, but internally, he let out a series of sarcastic ‘haha’s.

— This person and bug have formed such an intimate relationship that they could converse using the antennas already?

Here he thought he was the only one who could touch the antennas, but actually, they had already been touched who knew how many times!

This old father’s foolish baby bug has been stolen, just like this?

A feeling of ‘having his corner dug’ arose spontaneously.

As soon as the Metal Devouring Bug touched his buddy’s hand, it let out an excited scream.

“Nalun!!!”

At certain times, his little buddy was really too enthusiastic. However, from a certain point of view, it did dissipate some of Nalun’s frustration and gloominess.

His Majesty the Emperor and the Admiral-daren were both nearby. They discovered that the Metal Devouring Bug’s buzzing had suddenly and inexplicably become ardent and passionate. After a while passed, Nalun furrowed his brows and placed the bug to the side.

Then he reached out and leisurely unbuttoned his outer coat, revealing the dark colored shirt inside.

Sirius’s expression changed. “Very hot?”

Nalun shook his head and placed the outer coat on top of the bug.

This time it was the Emperor’s turn to feel surprised. He squatted down and asked the buried bug. “Cold?”

He just finished speaking when the Honored Prince’s coat started bulging slowly and visibly. The Emperor’s vision blurred briefly. Then he saw a delicate and pretty youth appear from thin air.

Live, live transformation?

Nalun’s physique was tall and slim. To Xi Jin, his outer coat was clearly too big. Wrapped inside, the youth looked very thin and frail. His two bare little legs were exposed outside, milky white.

The Emperor gasped in surprise–

Human form! Real Live! Xiao Jin!

Sirius, however, furrowed his brows.

“Sob sob sob!” Wrapped up tightly in the overcoat, Xi Jin dove into Nalun’s arms, trembling and shoulders shaking.

Sirius: “……” His ominous premonition became reality immediately.

His Majesty the Emperor: “……” A certain person, who had opened his arms and got ready to receive an embrace, felt very awkward.

The implicated Nalun also felt extremely complicated. If you must know, he only provided an outer coat because he didn’t want things to develop in this direction– he was still a young unmarried bachelor. This didn’t… give a very good impression.

Forget it…… Nalun patted Xi Jin’s thin and frail shoulders. The two people, who suffered torment, leaned on each other for a moment of warmth and comfort.

Xi Jin sniffled: “Nalun, I’m sorry. I might have caused trouble for you again.”

Nalun shook his head and patted Xi Jin on the shoulder, saying in comfort: “It’s not ‘might have’.”

Xi Jin felt even worse.

Sirius coughed slightly to the side.

The two people looked over at the sound and discovered that Sirius was currently scrutinizing Xi Jin closely.

“I remember you……” Recalling the youth’s tearful performance that day, Sirius said in ridicule: “The person who spent the night with me during the Princess’s banquet?”

Nalun froze and abruptly remembered how he had once employed this pretty youth to create black history for Sirius and cause trouble for him.

— He almost forgot about this brief episode.

The previously employed, pretty youth looked almost like he wanted to say something.

Nalun asked in surprise: “Xi Jin, you’d actually……”

Xi Jin flinched briefly, stammering and trying to explain.

“I…… someone gave me money……”

Nalun said in disapproval: “As long as there’s money, it’s okay?”

Xi Jin flushed red: “No, I……”

Nalun said sorrowfully: “If only I were able to meet you earlier, I definitely wouldn’t have allowed you to give up so much for survival.”

Xi Jin blinked vacantly.

Meanwhile, the Emperor to the side, his face…turned green.

“You’re a good child. It’s not your fault.” Nalun sighed silently and turned his gaze towards Sirius, voice turning cold: “In other words, you had dragged a possibly underaged youth into your bed?”

The questioned Admiral-daren had a very complicated expression.

Nalun shook his head: “You really disappoint me, Sirius.”

The depths of Sirius’s eyes were dark and endless.

Ultimately, he explained patiently, stressing in his sarcastic tone just now, that, as a matter-of-fact: “……That was his impersonation attempt, but it was exposed in the end.”

Nalun fell silent for a few seconds. Then he looked suddenly enlightened: “Oh. So it’s like that.”

Sirius: “……”

There wasn’t a flicker of guilt in those grayish-green eyes. His expression and conduct were natural and smooth, without any hints of performance.

— Amazing.