Volume 1 Chapter 9: Lies Exposed by the Machine

Just as Alec’s hand was about to trigger the self-destruct mechanism, a slender hand gripped his arm.

"Wait."

"Young Master?" Alec was bewildered. He could not understand why his master would suddenly change his mind, especially since he never wavered once a decision had been made.

He-Kun’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Since its inception, the Rebel Alliance had grown to rival nations, always led by the scions of the Wenli family. He was the generation with the highest mental fortitude in the family, and his father constantly spoke of the importance of heirs. If the Wenli bloodline were to end here, it would be his father’s failure.

Every major nation had wronged the Wenli family. They could not allow their lineage to die out before they had finished off all those leaders.

If the child she carried was truly his flesh and blood, then even if he were to meet an untimely end, he would not have failed the Wenli legacy.

"Go," He-Kun finally decided, choosing to abandon the vehicle and his subordinates.

As soon as they touched the ground, his men were there to meet them, and they soon departed in a transport craft. Before leaving, He-Kun glanced toward the warship; because they were flying low, he had to look up at it.

The eyes of the man on board were tracking him as well.

He loathed that feeling of being looked down upon; it was an insult to him.

"Resde... heh, he’s nothing more than a man clinging to his family’s glory."

Every time he entered the territory of the Hilna Empire, Resde would personally hunt him down. He-Kun secretly relished the thrill of being pursued yet never caught. He raised his middle finger toward the ship in a gesture of mockery.

"Colonel, shall we pursue the fugitives?"

"No need." Resde knew they would not be able to catch He-Kun.

As one of the most wanted criminals on the list, He-Kun had managed to escape time and again. He possessed genuine skill, and a pursuit without a plan would only lead to disastrous consequences.

The nanny opened the cabin door to let the approaching soldier inside.

Meng Yuan sat on the bed, her heart finally settling the moment she saw Resde enter.

"Are you hurt?" Resde asked with genuine concern.

Meng Yuan shook her head. "No."

"Colonel, she’s just trying to keep you from worrying. Earlier, she was complaining of stomach pain."

The nanny’s ruthless exposure made Meng Yuan blush with embarrassment. Resde took two steps forward. Meng Yuan thought he was going to say something, but in the next second, she felt her body lift as he pulled her firmly into his arms.

"Actually, there’s no need to trouble yourself..."

"Hush, don't speak."

Resde carried her into the warship, found her a soundproof room to rest in, and summoned a robotic doctor.

"You rest first; I have matters to attend to. The robot will leave automatically once the check-up is complete, so don't worry."

"Alright. Thank you for today, Colonel."

"Mm. It is nothing."

After Resde left, Meng Yuan lay on the bed, following the robot's instructions for the exam. Thinking of his firm arms and powerful breathing while holding her, her face grew hot and her heart raced.

When they had transferred from the transport craft, the gap between the vehicle and the warship had been daunting; the people below looked like ants. If she had fallen, she would have been crushed to nothing.

"Beep. Elevated heart rate detected. Alerting headquarters."

*Huh?* Meng Yuan froze, forgetting she was still in the middle of a check-up.

Resde soon returned to inquire about her condition. Meng Yuan smiled sheepishly. "I was just lying here, thinking about how dangerous it was earlier, and I got a bit scared. That’s why my heart was racing."

"Beep. Patient's micro-expressions indicate heart rate acceleration due to shyness, followed by fear."

The robot doctor’s cold, factual correction left Meng Yuan wishing she could vanish. Fortunately, Resde only said, "Get some good rest," and left.

The moment the door clicked shut, Meng Yuan felt like screaming.

*Ahhh, so embarrassing! I want to die of shame.*

*Why did I have to think about that while being scanned? No one told me the medical robots could analyze facial expressions! It's smart, sure, but can it be a little less intelligent?*

Warships were prohibited from entering urban areas except in emergencies. Afterward, the group returned to the city by transport craft. Meng Yuan stayed in her bedroom the entire time, terrified to enter the living room for fear of running into Resde and being reminded of her humiliation. She was, by nature, a sensitive person.

Soon, the craft stopped at the estate, right in front of her door.

Meng Yuan passed through the living room and thanked Resde. Just as she was about to leave, he called out to her.

"Ms. Meng, I need to understand the details of what happened. I will be questioning your nanny, of course, only after she has escorted you back to your room."

"Understood." *Sigh.* He was too polite. She lived in his house, ate his food, and even her nanny was his employee, yet he still asked for her permission as a guest.

In the study, Resde’s brow furrowed as he listened to the nanny.

"You are saying the assassin who wounded Lanke previously was actually targeting Ms. Meng?"

"Yes, Colonel. I heard it with my own ears in the transport vehicle."

"Did she show any signs of suspicious behavior during your time together?"

"None."

He-Kun had already seen Meng Yuan’s medical report and knew the uniqueness of her identity. Surely, upon returning, he would devise a strategy to abduct her.

Consequently, Resde surrounded Meng Yuan’s room with defensive robots and stationed soldiers to patrol the perimeter, with orders to shoot any suspicious individuals on sight.

Meng Yuan thought nothing of Resde pulling the nanny aside, assuming it was merely for a formal statement. After such a major incident, a report to the higher-ups was standard procedure. She had no idea that anyone would harbor suspicions about her.

Days turned into weeks, and her due date approached.

During this time, Lanke would contact her via mobile after school, and the two would chat about interesting things happening around them. The Rebel Alliance, meanwhile, remained silent.

Finally, the day of the birth arrived.

Due to her sensitive status—and the fact that only the hospital director was aware of the news—Resde had the director brought over as soon as he learned labor had begun.

While the director would not be performing the delivery himself, he was needed to operate certain specialized instruments. Every female’s constitution and reaction during labor were different, and if complications arose, a human expert could provide rapid treatment, whereas robots, governed by strict programming, required diagnostic time before taking action.

[Congratulations, Host. You are about to go into labor. The system can block the pain of childbirth for you. Would you like to enable this?]

As waves of pain began to surge through her body, Meng Yuan immediately chose to block it.

In the next second, the pain vanished. However, to avoid raising suspicion, she continued to act as if she were in labor.

[Host, you will give birth in approximately one hour. Please wait patiently.]