I Became an Ant Lord, So I Built a Hive Full of Beauties-Chapter 226: Hiding Secrets?!

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"You need rest," Kai said, voice low and firm as his arms curled protectively around her. "Otherwise, you’ll feel sick. I can’t let my woman fall ill because I loved her too hard."

Akayoroi’s antennae twitched at his teasing tone, but she didn’t flinch away from his gaze. She rested her cheek against his chest for a few moments longer, listening to the steady thrum of his heart.

"I’ll rest later," she murmured. "The others will be waiting."

Kai’s gaze drifted down. Her abdomen still bore the glow of earlier night’s bond. It’s faint now, like embers after a storm, but unmistakably warm. The soft hue pulsed against her carapace like a hidden promise, and Kai’s jaw clenched with restraint.

"They’ll see it. Your sister might tease you."

"Let them. I don’t care. I am yours, they will know about it sooner or later."

Her tone had changed since last night—no longer the sharp, commanding bark of a queen in war-torn exile, but the even, confident voice of a woman who had chosen her future. Not just a partner. Not just a ruler. At this moment she was...

A mother.

A builder.

She rose slowly, and Kai helped her up without a word. The moment her feet touched the ground, she swayed slightly —just for a heartbeat— but Kai caught it. His hands curled at her waist to steady her.

"You okay?"

Akayoroi’s mouth pressed into a tight line. "I’m fine."

But she wasn’t. Not entirely.

Her body had begun its transformation in earnest. The subtle reshaping had already started, her back slightly elongated, abdominal glands thickened, a hormonal flush radiating outward through her scent glands. Her usual crisp pheromonal signature had mellowed into something deeper. Rich. Earthy. Magnetic.

Fertility bloomed off her like warmth off stone at sunrise. A queen becoming a vessel.

She washed herself in silence. A small, rounded tub in her chamber held freshly filtered water and aromatic resin oils. Akayoroi stepped into it without ceremony, submerging her legs and thighs with a quiet hiss as warmth met strain.

Her claws gripped the edges tightly as she sat down.

"...Damn him," she muttered under her breath.

Steam rose as she rubbed her hands along her thighs and between her legs, trying to soothe the dull soreness that Kai’s ’affection’ had generously delivered.

Her thoughts were a quiet storm.

"Shit, Kai was right... My thighs are aching. My lower lips too. I can’t walk properly like this. Ugh... I need to wrap up the day fast, assign patrols, and then collect food. Otherwise... he’s going to make fun of me again."

She sighed. "Not that I’d stop him."

Her hand brushed the curve of her lower belly, feeling the faint pulsing warmth where life was now growing. A soft smile ghosted her lips.

Kai dressed in silence, armor clicking into place with practiced rhythm. His form had shifted back to human, smooth-skinned and tall, though his aura still carried the faint tang of predator supremacy. His silver white hair fell in casual waves, and his red eyes occasionally darted toward the doorway where Akayoroi was getting dressed.

She was bending her body to pick up her clothes. Kai looked at her back side. Beautiful, silk smooth skin. That turned Kai on. He was ready for another round. But he knows Akayoroi’s body can’t handle it... not today.

"It would be better if Luna was here. Then both of them can handle me. I guess... maybe not... I need to add a few more... Maybe then, they can satisfy my anaconda."

While thinking about that he tried not to smirk. Tried. And failed.

She emerged a moment later—freshly cleaned, armored in her regal black sheen again, though the slight stiffness in her gait didn’t escape his notice.

He raised a brow.

She glared at him.

"Say nothing."

Kai threw up his hands in surrender. "Wouldn’t dare."

He crossed the chamber and pulled her close again.

"Come here."

He kissed her—slow, deliberate. Not a hungry mating gesture like before, but a tender seal. Their mandibles brushed faintly at the base of their jaws, transferring another short burst of scent—his claiming, and her acceptance. She leaned into it. Softened. For two minutes, they simply stood there, breathing together.

Then he bent down and lifted her into his arms.

Akayoroi made a small noise in protest, but he didn’t let her down.

"Tell me where you wanna go," Kai said. "I’ll give you a ride."

She smacked his shoulder lightly. "You’re enjoying this."

"Of course," he said. "You’re warm, soft in some places, hard in some places, and everything is mine. I like carrying treasure."

"...Take me to the old meeting hall. Where my last nine assassins’ sisters are. I need to speak with them and give them some instructions."

Kai nodded. "Alright. Kai’s delivery system will deliver sexy goods to the right place."

She blushed. "You are too much."

Ten Minutes Later – Meeting Chamber, Temporary Carpenter Ant Tunnels, Southern Forest

The roots of the southern grove twisted like frozen lightning above the carved ceiling as Kai carried Akayoroi through the moss framed entrance to the main chamber. The tunnel opened wide into a gathering hall hewn from compressed soil and lined with fused shell fragments— decorations from old battles and deeper traditions.

There was no royal throne room. It was a place for decisions, forged from necessity, shadow, and earth. Light filtered through slitted vents above, casting dappled sun across the polished center where warriors now gathered.

Sha stood tall beside the entrance, one arm still wrapped from the last skirmish. Vel was already waiting near the center of the chamber, antennae twitching anxiously. Naaro leaned against the wall, sharpening her bladed limbs in silence, Xxx and Xxx talk to each other, while the four injured ants lay just beyond. They were tucked into insulated alcoves, their bodies swaddled in moss and bitter-sap cloth. They can now move around with some help.

They looked up when Kai entered.

Eyes widened.

The breath in the room shifted.

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