Chapter 179 – Brutal Beastman Marshal vs. White Lotus, Black Lotus, Pitiful Plant Prince (06)
Seeing Mu Jin in this state, Cromwell felt even more troubled. He deeply regretted his impatience at the wedding. Being forcefully kissed by a stranger at first meeting would not be a good experience for anyone.
Unfortunately, beauty can be misleading, and the straightforward marshal was clearly inexperienced in handling relationships. Acting purely on instinct, he now realized his mistake.
He should have listened to Wilson’s advice and met Mu Jin earlier to develop some rapport. It would have been much better than scaring the little guy like this, which was far from pleasing.
At this moment, Mu Jin didn’t care what Cromwell was thinking. He had overheard the entire conversation between his man and Wilson in the dressing room while resting in the adjacent room.
Although he was confident that his lover would like him upon meeting, if not fall in love immediately, he knew that his current persona wouldn’t rush to please a stranger at first sight.
Moreover, Mu Jin was under suspicion as a spy from the Plant Empire, which was the most pressing issue to resolve. Other matters could wait.
Mu Jin adamantly denied being petty or upset because he heard his lover say he didn’t want to be partners. He kept emphasizing to 003 in his mind that he was acting cautiously. However, if tonight he could make Cromwell lose control and feel more guilty, that would be perfect.
Thinking this, Mu Jin abandoned the idea of immediately showing goodwill towards Cromwell. He maintained his timid persona, staying quietly beside the marshal. When they arrived at the marshal’s residence and the hatch opened, they were greeted by Wilson, who had been waiting outside.
Wilson was also somewhat speechless about Cromwell’s behavior at the wedding. Although the marshal’s starship was fast, Wilson, determined to prevent any further scares for the young prince, had rushed back even faster to the residence.
When the starship stopped and Cromwell tried to carry Mu Jin off, Wilson shot him a stern glare. Although Cromwell didn’t understand why the butler was glaring at him, he instinctively froze.
Turning to Mu Jin, he coughed lightly and attempted to smile. However, it was clear he didn’t smile often, making his grin stiff and, combined with his scar, rather intimidating.
Seeing his lover like this, Mu Jin almost burst out laughing. Luckily, he pinched his thigh to maintain his timid demeanor. He heard Cromwell speak in as calm a tone as possible, “Um…” but then there was nothing more.
Mu Jin blinked, unsure of what Cromwell wanted to say, but seeing his face turning redder, he looked even more intimidating.
To avoid laughing out loud, Mu Jin quickly lowered his head, his shoulders shaking as he tried to suppress his laughter. To others, it seemed like he was trembling in fear of Cromwell.
At this moment, Cromwell was feeling extremely frustrated. It was only now that he realized he didn’t even know his partner’s name. He awkwardly rubbed his nose and quickly cast a pleading look toward Wilson, who was not far away.
However, Wilson, almost driven to tears by his marshal’s foolishness, turned his head to look at the sky and ground, deliberately avoiding Cromwell’s gaze. In his heart, he coldly snorted, “Beastmen always cherish their partners. Who wouldn’t? Only you could manage to mess this up! Now you know what it means to ‘bring trouble on yourself!’“
Despite his frustration, Wilson still cared about his younger master. After all, it took years for the marshal to finally fall in love with someone. He couldn’t really leave Cromwell in such a predicament.
So, Wilson gave Cromwell a meaningful look before walking over to Mu Jin with a kind smile. He gently took Mu Jin’s hand and helped him off the starship, saying warmly, “Your Highness, the Fifth Prince. You and the marshal are back. Would you like to have a meal?”
Hearing Wilson’s voice, Mu Jin finally raised his head. With Wilson by his side, Mu Jin seemed to relax. He smiled shyly at the old beastman and nodded, “Yes, Grandpa Wilson.”
Cromwell watched the two figures ahead, hand in hand like grandfather and grandson, and ground his teeth in jealousy. In his heart, he roared, “That’s my partner, only I should be holding his hand!”
Knowing he was in the wrong, Cromwell could only follow dejectedly behind Mu Jin and Wilson. Pretending to be casual, he quickly pulled up the information Wilson had sent him earlier about Mu Jin and skimmed through it.
He finally learned that his marriage partner was the Fifth Prince of the Plant Empire, named Mu Jin.
“Mu Jin.” Cromwell murmured the name to himself, finding it inexplicably pleasant to say. After rolling the name around in his mouth, the thought that this person was to be his partner filled him with joy.
Yet, for some reason, looking at the well-behaved young man in the photos, Cromwell felt something was off. Although today was their first meeting and Mu Jin indeed seemed shy and well-behaved, the person in the photos didn’t quite match the lively individual before him.
The person in front of him was clearly more vibrant. If he had seen the information earlier, he might not have been moved by just the photos. However, meeting Mu Jin in person made it impossible for Cromwell to ignore his racing heart.
It was as if his entire being had been unlocked by a key, a deep joy from his soul that he couldn’t ignore. It felt like he had found his destined other half, and only upon seeing Mu Jin did Cromwell feel that his soul was complete.
With Cromwell back, dinner was naturally sumptuous. Moreover, since it was their wedding day, Wilson had specially prepared a cake they hadn’t had the chance to eat at the wedding banquet. He also set up a very romantic scene and even opened a bottle of fruit wine for them.
Cromwell didn’t drink, but Grandpa Wilson had prepared fruit wine for the newlyweds’ first night together. He worried that Mu Jin might feel nervous and hoped the wine would create a better atmosphere between them.
Mu Jin, who had always enjoyed alcohol, was quite pleased. Although the alcohol content in this interstellar world was disappointingly low, being able to drink something he liked was still a joy.
After two glasses, Mu Jin appeared more relaxed, which made Cromwell feel relieved. However, he was a bit frustrated to see that despite them dining at the same table, Mu Jin had chosen to sit far away from him.
Cromwell even suspected that, if possible, the little guy wouldn’t want to eat at the same table with him.
Fortunately, after feeling disheartened, the marshal quickly regained his spirits. He resolved to perform well tonight and prove to his partner just how capable he was.
However, right after dinner, Wilson pulled Cromwell aside to discuss some matters regarding Mu Jin.
Cromwell was very eager to learn anything about Mu Jin, so he obediently followed Wilson to get some advice.
Wilson mainly urged Cromwell to be as gentle as possible and not to scare the little guy again. Cromwell nodded in agreement, reflecting that his behavior at the wedding hadn’t been ideal. He decided to take things slowly tonight.
When Cromwell entered the room, he saw Mu Jin obediently sitting on a chair, still in his wedding attire. Seeing Cromwell enter, Mu Jin’s eyes filled with obvious nervousness, making Cromwell sigh inwardly.
He silently walked over to Mu Jin, wanting to say something, but he wasn’t good at making conversation. For a moment, Cromwell was at a loss for words, unsure of how to break the ice. Surprisingly, it was the little guy who spoke first.
The little guy looked at him anxiously and said in a low voice, “Marshal, if… if you don’t want to share a room with me, I can sleep in another room.”
“Who told you I didn’t want to share a room with you?” Cromwell’s brows furrowed, his face showing surprise as he looked straight at Mu Jin.
He then saw the little guy biting his lower lip, glancing away briefly before lowering his head and saying dejectedly, “Before the wedding, I heard your conversation with Grandpa Wilson.”
After speaking, the little guy, as if fearing a misunderstanding, quickly waved his hand and tried to explain, “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. It’s just that my rest area was next door. The usher1 asked me to come out and go to the stage, and I happened to pass by your room. The door wasn’t fully closed…”
Cromwell was stunned to hear this, realizing his little partner had overheard his foolish words to Wilson earlier. Now, the marshal deeply regretted his actions.
At that time, the wedding scene was very busy, with staff coming and going in the corridors. How could he have known that his future partner would pass by the door and overhear him saying he didn’t like their arranged marriage? This made it impossible for Cromwell to deny it.
However, the little guy across from him seemed particularly considerate. Seeing that Cromwell didn’t respond, he tried to smooth things over, saying, “I understand that our relationship is just an arranged marriage, and it’s normal for you not to like me. Don’t worry, I will listen to Grandpa Wilson in the mansion and not cause you any trouble.”
Hearing this made Cromwell’s head ache. He wanted to say that he had fallen in love with him at first sight. But before he could respond, the other person took out a well-preserved envelope from his pocket.
Inside the envelope was a prescription given to Mu Jin by the second prince. Of course, Mu Jin actually had better formulas but didn’t plan to reveal his talent so early.
Mu Jin respectfully placed the prescription in front of Cromwell and said, “This is a treatment prescription that the second prince asked me to give to you.”
Cromwell raised an eyebrow. He knew well the value of a prescription from the Plant Empire and took it with some curiosity. Although he wasn’t knowledgeable about pharmacology, he understood that even a small prescription was worth a lot.
After accepting the prescription, the Marshal’s expression became serious. He pursed his lips and asked, “This prescription was given to you by the second prince of the Plant Empire?”
Mu Jin nodded and said innocently, “Yes, the second prince found me before I came here. He said I could use this prescription to please you and gain your trust.”
“Oh? Are you close with that second prince?” Cromwell asked nonchalantly, his eyes flickering.
Mu Jin hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, “The second prince has been very kind to me. Without him, my days…”
At this point, he paused and didn’t continue. However, Cromwell didn’t miss the flash of sadness in Mu Jin’s eyes.
It was evident that, despite being the fifth prince of the Plant Empire, Mu Jin had to be respectful when mentioning the second prince. It suggested that he likely had to depend on the second prince for survival in the palace.
Cromwell didn’t want Mu Jin to dwell on unpleasant memories, so he steered the conversation back to the prescription. After a few words, he noticed the young man’s conflicted expression and hesitation. “It’s just that…”
“Just what?” Cromwell’s gaze softened as he reached out to smooth Mu Jin’s slightly disheveled hair. He thought, ‘This little guy was sent as a spy by that second prince. But could someone so innocent really be a spy?’
Before Cromwell had even asked anything, Mu Jin started to confess, even revealing who was behind it. It was almost endearing how naive he was.
The man couldn’t help but reflect on how easy it was to read the little guy. The second prince must not have given him many benefits, yet he was so grateful. He didn’t realize that this marriage was entirely orchestrated by that second prince.
Blushing from Cromwell’s affectionate gesture, Mu Jin stammered, “But this prescription, I’ve looked at it, and it doesn’t have much value. It can only treat superficial wounds and produce some lower-level potions. So, you shouldn’t expect too much from it.”
Note :
- “Usher” refers to someone who guides or directs people. ↩︎