No-Hunting Zone 7

Creatures like Kasa, who have lived for thousands of years, should have an even stronger sense of possession. However, such beings also possess a patience that is unshaken even by the destruction of the universe. He had not made his move for months, which seemed to align with his consistently patient nature. Mao An’an sniffled, completely unaware, “I don’t know, maybe he just sees me as a toy.” Who would bring a toy to a state banquet, Earl thought to himself. Clearly, Kasa was reluctant to act, revealing a tender side that was unexpected. However, she did not seem to appreciate it. She hid under the covers, curling up into a small ball, trembling at the slightest touch. Earl remembered her before she went to Zela, when she was cherished to the heavens by Mir, daring to look directly into his eyes, unaware and unconcerned as she expertly dug out the brain of a Monra beast for his afternoon tea, soaring through the skies with Mir in a fighter jet. But now, without anyone to protect her, treated like mere merchandise for exchange and use, she was timid in everything she did, unable to meet his gaze since disembarking from the warship, her eyes filled with nothing but panic and fear from past traumas. Earl subconsciously touched his face, wondering if it had become terrifying over the past few months. “Alright, you can sleep here,” Earl softened his tone, careful not to further frighten the already scared creature, “I still have some military affairs to attend to; I won’t be back to sleep tonight. Let’s have breakfast together tomorrow morning.” Forget it, how could he succeed in this state? To force a trembling girl would not be something the proud and arrogant Prince would do. Earl left the room in frustration. A few seconds later, Mao An’an, her ears pricked, heard the door close. She cautiously poked her head out from under the covers, surveyed her surroundings, and confirmed Earl had indeed left. Phew… She collapsed limply onto the large bed. After a while, Mao An’an, barefoot, ran to the door, ensured no one was guarding it, and quietly made her way to a room deep in the corridor. “She went to Mir’s former room?” Prince Earl mechanically flipped through documents, but his attention was not on those dry materials; his mind was full of her fearful eyes. Ivan, his adjutant, responded, “Yes, she went there within five minutes of your departure and hasn’t come out since.” “Is it still as it was?” “Yes, Your Highness, everything remains as it was before Prince Mir went to war.” “Ivan, why is she afraid of me?” “…Huh?!” Ivan wiped the sweat from his forehead. How should he answer this? The Prince’s innate cold demeanor was intimidating not only to the frail girl but even to Austin’s nobility, let alone considering his reputation as an excellent military man known for his iron-fisted policies. His sharp tactics and imposing presence made enemies tremble. Should he tell the Prince that he himself was inherently a fearsome being? Ivan didn’t respond for a long time, and Prince Earl, lacking patience, stood up to leave, with Ivan quickly following, draping the black cloak over his master. A night of hard patrolling did not earn him respect from Austin’s nobility. At dawn, Duke George, leading a group of dukes and marquesses, demanded an audience with the Prince, knowing well what grievances they wanted to voice and what they were seeking. Iron-fisted policies don’t fare well in politics; you can’t just throw them out one by one. Earl went to the bathroom to wash his face, then stepped out to face the barrage of accusations. Duke George stepped forward, respectfully bowed, and politely began, “Esteemed Prince, I heard you left the noble Breeder in your palace last night to go patrolling?” Earl remained expressionless, “Yes, Duke George, to prevent a counterattack from Zela, I personally checked the border security defenses.” Duke George smiled, “With her in our hands, would the weakened Zela dare to act rashly, Your Highness?” His words implied a severe doubt that Earl had left the embrace of a beauty to go out into the cold night, possibly because he couldn’t accept the reality of mating with an alien species. Since you can’t, why not let someone else take over? Don’t delay the grand plan of breeding, right? Earl’s gaze was piercing as he coldly replied, “Duke George, as a general, don’t you know that the greatest taboo on the battlefield is to underestimate the enemy? Because of such underestimation, we lost all our women and Prince Mir. Do you wish to see this mistake repeated, giving Austin another bloody lesson?” Each word from the Prince was like a gem, leaving Duke George speechless. Though his excuse was well-found, it still couldn’t hide the fact that the Prince had not taken substantial action to save Austin. Duke George was far from satisfied. “It seems, Your Highness, you wish to delay the plan to produce an heir. Would you mind if I temporarily housed the precious Breeder in my palace? I would dispatch the best physicians to help her recuperate. I’ve heard she’s quite thin, which might affect her fertility.” However, in the current tense situation, successfully producing an heir was crucial for consolidating power. If Duke George, second only to the Prince, managed to gain time with her, he would not miss the opportunity to climb over Earl. Having a child would be the trump card to overshadow the Prince’s authority. Duke George had long coveted the position of military commander. Sensing the challenge to his power, Earl’s expression turned icy, and he made a grand gesture, “Under objective conditions, success rates are proportional to opportunities. For the swift production of an heir, Duke George, I’ll entrust you with nightly patrols.” Not only did Duke George face a setback, but he was also assigned the sleepless task of patrolling at night, leaving with a green face. This example teaches us never to question a leader’s ability. Sitting behind his desk, Earl was filled with worry. Although he had dealt with the troublesome nobility, he was now forced into a corner. The night’s activities seemed inevitable, but with her in that state… Ivan, unable to watch any longer, asked, “Your Highness, should I inform Steward Drew to prepare?” “What is she doing now?” Ivan pulled out a microcomputer, reviewed the surveillance footage from the palace, “She’s still in that room, hasn’t come out, and hasn’t eaten breakfast.” Earl stood up abruptly, the hard military boots thudding on the floor, “Back to the palace.” With a hint of anger, he opened the door, searching for Mao An’an’s figure, but where was she? Prince Earl narrowed his eyes, his keen sense of smell searching for the scent of that delectable human. …On the bed?!
However, there was no one on the bed. Li Erben quickly approached the bed, abruptly lifting the fluffy velvet duvet, only to find Mao Anan curled up in a ball, deeply asleep and sunk into the soft mattress. The bed was too soft, and the small human had gone unnoticed trapped within! Rubbing her sleepy face and sporting a bird’s nest hairstyle, Mao Anan asked in confusion, “Oh, you’re back?” Li Erben pulled Mao Anan up and sternly asked, “Why didn’t you have breakfast?!” Mao Anan glanced at the clock; it was already 11:30 AM. She had been too anxious to sleep last night and had slept straight through to noon. Realizing she had been caught sleeping in by her superior was already quite unfortunate, but being dragged out of bed was even worse. Seeing Prince Li Erben’s face, frosty with anger, she could tell how furious he was about his subordinate’s laziness. Mao Anan hurriedly waved her hands in defense, “I… I…” Li Erben’s voice was icy, “Are you fasting to refuse mating?” Mao Anan, “??” Li Erben angrily released her, turned to Ivan, the adjutant who was trembling with fear that the prince might explode, and said, “Force-feed her if she doesn’t eat; her weight can’t decrease any further.” Ivan stood at attention, seriously replying, “Yes!” Mao Anan timidly raised her hand to report, “Um… I didn’t fast…” Li Erben raised his eyebrows, “Don’t tell me you forgot to eat because you overslept. Drew called you at eight, and you firmly refused his offer of breakfast then.” Mao Anan shivered, trying to defend herself, “It’s not that… you told me to have breakfast with you…” Li Erben: … Ivan: … Li Erben swallowed his anger, took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, and expressionlessly told the innocent-looking Mao, “I expect you to be clean and in the dining hall in five minutes to have breakfast with me.” Mao Anan wailed, “Five minutes…” Ivan opened the door, escorting the grim-faced prince out, then turned back to give a sympathetic glance to the creature still sitting dazed on the bed, whispering, “The prince doesn’t like people being late.”