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Her long, slender limbs moved with graceful precision, and her eyes, unlike the harsh golden of the soldiers, were a deep, mesmerizing red.
Kai had never seen a human this stunning before in his previous life. And neither, it seemed, had General Darius.
Darius immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head. "I apologize, Princess Mia. I did not realize you were present."
"Princess?" Kai’s mind raced. So, this wasn’t just some noble ant; she was royalty.
In the background, hundreds of ants were awed by her sudden visit. They were scared to approach her. Although, from time to time, she visited the worker ants’ area, she had never come unannounced like this. They were afraid that something must be wrong.
Worker ant one: "What’s going on? Why did Princess Mia come like this?"
Worker ant two: "Something is definitely wrong! Otherwise, she wouldn’t have come. What should we do? Should we go and greet her?"
Worker ant three: "You stupid dumbo! Don’t you see Captain Darius is there? If you go there, he will make your life miserable. You all better focus on your work."
The group of ants: "Okay, let’s work. Don’t slack off! We should leave the big things to big people. We are lowly worker ants. We don’t have to worry about anything; our job is to just follow the orders of our superiors."
All the worker ants went back to their work.
Mia’s gaze shifted to Kai. "Do not harm the weak ones, Captain," she said smoothly. "He is still new. There is no need for such harsh treatment."
Darius’s expression twisted with something that looked almost like resentment, but he quickly masked it. "Of course, Your Highness."
Kai, still recovering, finally found his voice. "You’re... the princess?" He didn’t know anything about royal treatment. He had never learned anything like that.
Mia smiled slightly, tilting her head. "Yes. And you must be Kai, the new wandering ant."
He blinked. "You... know my name?"
"You... you lowly worker ant! You dare talk back to Princess Mia? Do you want to die?" Captain Darius barked like a mad dog. His eyes were boiling with rage, as if he wanted to tear Kai into hundreds of pieces.
"Darius, lower your voice. Can’t you see I am talking to him?" Then she let out a soft laugh and started to reply to Kai’s question. "I make it my business to know all newcomers. Especially ones who stand out."
Darius’s jaw tightened. He clearly did not like the way Mia was paying attention to Kai. Mia had even scolded him for a lowly worker ant. His fingers twitched as if he wanted to crush him right then and there.
Kai, on the other hand, was utterly confused. His mind raised multiple questions and some inappropriate thoughts. "Why was she interested in me? I must say, she has a hot figure. Those curves, those big melons... It’s making me tingle in my ant parts. Wait, do I have a thing/jewel as an ant? No, ants can reproduce, so I should have the jewel."
While Kai was busy thinking about his manly parts, Mia stepped closer and bent down, her red eyes studying him with curiosity. "You refused to carry supplies because you want to get stronger?"
Kai nodded slowly. "That’s right. Carrying boxes won’t help me get stronger. I want to be a warrior."
With a perverted face and nose bleeding, Kai thought, "Why is she so close? Ooh! She smells so nice. Her chest is so close to my face."
Kai hadn’t transformed, so he wasn’t tall. His ant body was about four feet tall, while Mia was close to six feet. That’s why Mia had to bend down to talk face-to-face with Kai. All this time, she had been talking while looking down at the ground. She wanted to take a close look at the worker ant who wanted to be a warrior.
She chuckled. "You are ambitious. I admire that."
Darius’s aura flared slightly, his jealousy obvious. He had spent years trying to win Mia over, proving himself in battle, showcasing his strength and leadership. And yet, here she was, talking to a lowly worker ant who hadn’t even transformed yet. He thought, "Princess Mia, when I conquer you, I will make you suffer in bed. I will make you beg me in bed."
Kai finally noticed the tension but said nothing. He was too busy processing everything that had just happened.
Mia turned back to Darius. "For now, he will carry supplies. But keep a close watch on him. I will find a suitable job for him. I have a feeling he will rise quickly."
Darius clenched his fists but nodded. "As you command, Your Highness."
Mia gave Kai one last lingering look before turning and walking away, her movements smooth and unhurried.
As soon as she was gone, Darius turned to Kai, his golden eyes filled with thinly veiled hatred.
"You may have gained the princess’s favor," he hissed, "but do not think for a second that you can slack off or skip your work."
Kai’s mandibles clicked as he straightened his posture. "I don’t plan to just slack off here, Captain. I plan to rise above all of you."
Darius’s aura flared again, but this time, Kai held his ground. The challenge had been set. And Kai had no intention of backing down.
Kai could still feel the lingering weight of Captain Darius’s aura pressing against him as he stood his ground. Though the overwhelming pressure had faded, the tension between them was thick as resin. The soldier’s golden eyes flickered with restrained fury, but he said nothing. He didn’t need to.
Kai wasn’t a fool. He had stepped into a world where power dictated everything, and he was at the very bottom of it.
Yet, Princess Mia had taken notice of him. Darius hated that. But he was bound by the rules. For now, he couldn’t do anything harmful to Kai. But he wouldn’t give Kai a moment of peace.