The Corruption of a Male Insect

Naturally rebellious, an utterly ruthless pursuer of freedom, gong VS Believer but not blindly obedient, both a hopeless romantic and a ruler, shou (Iris)

Title: Free Fall

World setting: An insect society with many females and few males. Contains original worldbuilding, but does not take the extreme approach of male superiority and female subordination.

***This is a fictional setting and has nothing to do with the real world. Please do not apply it to reality.***

Synopsis:

Qilian once believed in love, until he discovered that what he thought was love was not the same as what the other person thought it was.

He could have brainwashed himself with "He truly loves me" and accepted his fate as a caged songbird.

But in the end, he chose to turn himself into a blade and strike at those who sought to imprison him.

Hatred once became the force that drove him forward, and it also blinded him...

Before parting, someone told him, "Don't let the darkness swallow you, Qilian."

Someone else tried to hold back the hand with which he was falling into the abyss: "The freedom you want is too vast."

Sadly, hatred could not save him, and neither could love.

*

The Federal Government surrendered, and the Empire won.

At the dawn of the new Empire, a secret trial was held in the tribunal of the imperial capital.

The accused was Qilian Reeves, a male insect and former major in the Federal Expeditionary Army.

As an interrogator in the intelligence division of the defeated nation, he was accused of war crimes and a series of other offenses.

Qilian pleaded guilty to each and every charge from the dock.

But Qilian's defense attorney rose and explained his importance to the Empire's victory. If Qilian had not betrayed the Federation and volunteered to become an imperial spy, the war could never have ended so quickly.

His contributions were enough to offset his crimes. He had once been a member of the Federation, and much of what he did had been beyond his control.

Before the final recess ahead of the verdict, the chief justice asked Qilian, "Do you have anything else to say, insect?"

Everyone in the courtroom waited with bated breath.

The white-haired male insect stood with his hands cuffed behind him, his back straight. Calmly, he said, "You must find me guilty."

[Reading Guide and Content Warnings]

1. The gong and shou have complicated pasts. The gong is no saint, is not a virgin, and has a magnetic, everyone-loves-him quality. The story contains angst for both the gong and the shou.

2. The romance is complicated: they loved, hated, and loved again...

3. The setting includes fantastical insect-world elements that are not explained by human science.

4. The author's knowledge is limited, so the worldbuilding may have inconsistencies.

5. The gong and shou both grow over time and each has their own strengths and weaknesses.

6. ...That's all I can think of for now. I'll add more later.

[Recommended only for readers with no content dealbreakers.]

[Insults and hostile comments are forbidden in the comments. Comments may be deleted at the author's discretion.]

Theme: Look beyond appearances to see the truth