Chapter 12: The Twelfth Iron Pillar

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With his unmistakably flamboyant stage manner, Elvis slowly recounted his past.

He had run away from home.

He was the heir to the Steven family, which had once been the left and right hand of the former King Landy, enjoying the utmost trust of the previous queen.

But all that changed later.

Elvis’s grandfather died during the transition of the throne.

The new queen clearly disliked the Steven family, who had served the old king loyally.

A new ruler, new ministers.

The Steven family was gradually replaced by other families, and their status in the central district plummeted.

Along with their status, the family’s population dwindled.

Elvis’s parents died in a tragic accident when their airship crashed during a journey, with no survivors.

Later, Elvis’s uncle’s family was sent to inspect a frontier star but unfortunately got caught in a riot; the couple died in the conflict between the Hive and other species, leaving behind a cousin disabled by the turmoil.

In an unfortunate coincidence, a few years later, Elvis’s younger uncle’s family also met with disaster. At that time, Elvis was still in school and sensed something was wrong, fleeing the capital star of Luikai overnight.

That flight lasted over a decade.

“So, Your Highness, if it weren’t absolutely necessary, I wouldn’t want to contact the capital star at all,” Elvis said with a bitter smile.

His family had been loyal to the old king, who had been a rival to the current queen during their time.

The queen’s sweeping reforms after ascending the throne were not unusual and could be understood.

What surprised Elvis was her choice to completely eradicate the Steven family. Yet, despite his family’s ruin and death, he had no choice.

The queen was supreme and beyond question.

Even if she was wrong, she was right.

Crescent, who knew only basic facts, asked, “Don’t worker bees lack the ability to conceive?”

Worker bees were female members of the Hive.

Elvis nodded. “Yes, but male drones and worker bees could form families. After that, this small family could apply upwards to the Nursery City for a bee egg to raise. Families with more military merits could apply for more eggs.”

Thus, in such small families, whether worker or drone, the queen always ranked first in their hearts.

Following the queen was the queen-bestowed bee egg—their offspring—and only then came their partners.

Crescent understood and silently marveled at how unique the Hive were.

All bee eggs were uniformly obtained from the Nursery City, so even if the male and female caregivers had selfish motives, the ultimate benefit belonged to the Hive queen.

Indeed, a clever system.

Elvis cautiously observed Crescent’s expression, and seeing no further questions, he exhaled deeply.

“Your Highness, the suppressant injections are done. Let’s go out to eat. I’ve been to Crystal City before, and I know a restaurant with great food that’s open twenty-four hours,” Elvis suggested, catering to her preferences.

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“Knock knock.” Someone knocked on the door.

Shen Junlin went to open it and was surprised to find an older woman holding out a set of women’s clothes.

“Sir, these are the clothes you requested,” she said, handing them over.

Shen Junlin accepted the clothes.

Elvis saw this and caught a flicker of regret in the red-eyed Hive’s gaze.

How had he not thought of this sooner?

Shen Junlin returned with the clothes and approached Crescent. “My lady, there’s a bathroom over there. You should change into these first. After your bath, we’ll go eat.”

Crescent glanced down at her dirty black cloak, then looked up at the clothes in Shen Junlin’s hands, finally reaching out to take them.

But she didn’t head straight to the bathroom; instead, she seemed lost in thought, recalling something.

Shen Junlin assumed she had further instructions and waited quietly.

“Thank you,” Crescent said.

As if completing a task, she turned and left—completely missing the stunned expression on the drone’s face behind her.

Crescent stayed in the bathroom for a full half-hour. During that time, the two men in the room occupied opposite corners, forming the widest diagonal distance, clearly uneasy with each other.

Half an hour later—

The bathroom door opened.

The two men immediately looked over, both stunned, their eyes reflecting the same admiration.

They had always known Crescent was beautiful, but they hadn’t expected her to be so striking after bathing and changing into new clothes.

On a star of exile like this, women were rare, and those few that existed were often kept as prized canaries.

Manufacturers, seeking profit, sold mostly extravagant women’s clothes here.

Including the one Boss Qi had sent over—the very outfit Crescent now wore.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, every inch of her delicately crafted, with especially captivating eyes.

Cold as jade, like emerald, like a deep pool—her imposing gaze and the slender tips of her eyes perfectly matched the gorgeous black-edged, bright red dress.

She emerged barefoot from the bathroom, her pale feet resting on the dark floor like the first snow of early winter.

“Your Highness, I truly believe no one could be more beautiful than you. You were born to receive endless praise,” Elvis praised without reservation.

“This dress isn’t very convenient,” Crescent said, the loosely hanging belt at her waist barely cinched.

Elvis stepped forward, carefully lifting the gold-trimmed belt and thoughtfully tying it.

One wouldn’t expect such a tall man to have such deft fingers, yet soon a beautiful bow appeared at Crescent’s waist.

“Your Highness, there’s nothing inconvenient. Here, you won’t have to deal with anyone yourself because I will clear all troubles for you,” Elvis whispered.

Crescent looked down at the tied bow, reaching out to adjust its tails. “This is really pretty...”

Elvis couldn’t hide the smile spreading across his face at the compliment.

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“Madam, here are some shoes,” Shen Junlin said, holding out a pair of small red boots.

With the shoes on, Crescent eagerly set out in search of food.

Time to eat!

They weaved left and right upon entering and did the same upon leaving.

Crystal City at night shone brilliantly. Every few meters, glowing stones lit the ground, and vendors’ stalls were arranged precisely atop these stones, as if by design.

“Come have a look! Today’s special: braised fire marten meat, buy one get one free.”

“Meaty aromatic milk, four credits a cup. Drink it to strengthen your body and fill you with energy.”

“Miffy Grand Hotel is at the end of this street, turn left for thirty meters. Rooms cost about a hundred credits a night, breakfast included.”

“Heaven Club inside features women’s performances. If you’ve never seen a woman, don’t miss it!”

The street buzzed with calls.

Originally, Shen Junlin and Elvis planned to take Crescent to a big restaurant, but as soon as they reached the main street, Crescent’s attention was caught by a grilled meat stall.

Someone spontaneously veered off course.

“How much for braised fire marten meat per skewer?” Crescent asked.

The meat looked delicious, so it must taste good too. She decided to try it.

“Seven and a half credits, buy one get one free,” the vendor said politely.

“I’ll have one,” Crescent replied.

The vendor smiled cheerfully. “Alright, please wait a moment.”

Seeing Crescent decide on the grilled meat, Elvis immediately took out his light computer to pay, but Crescent was quicker, handing over some paper bills.

The bills were worn and stained with grease.

Exactly seven and a half credits, not a cent more.

The vendor often accepted such bills, but seeing they came from this beautiful young lady, he couldn’t help but glance a few extra times.

What’s up with the current owner?

Even if she were a pet playing at trading, she shouldn’t be given such shabby money.

The vendor’s eyes flicked toward Shen Junlin and Elvis with a subtle hint of disdain.

A slight smile curved Crescent’s lips.

This young boss seemed to have misunderstood something.