Sorry I'm Mated To The Commander novel Chapter 5

Chapter 4 Do You Want A Divorce?

Layla gritted her teeth. ‘What a streak of bad luck.’ She decided to head to Imperial Academy to register first and buy a new optical computer. As for money, she’d have to earn enough starcoins fast, and pay back the Sullivans for good.

Thankfully, the lounge had a bathroom. Layla took a quick shower, put on her Imperial Academy uniform, and left. As she stepped out of the elevator, she nearly bumped into the staff member with glasses from earlier. He looked slightly startled to see her.

Layla felt a flicker of embarrassment, thinking of how long she’d been in that lounge with the fox-eared young man. ‘It’s partly his fault anyway. He should have told me my match was in rut,’ she told herself.

She shot the man a pointed look. “I’ll file a complaint,” she said flatly. He opened his mouth, confused, but Layla was already walking past him and out of the Central Nexus.

Her first stop was a nearby mall, where she bought the cheapest basic optical computer. Once she paid with an iris scan, messages began flooding in. Most were from the Sullivans, including one from Karter himself.

Karter: [Layla, come home. I will handle this. This stays within the family. Do not make it public.]

Karter was a stern man who rarely smiled at his own family. He even kept the same poker face before the king. Out of respect, Layla replied to him.

Layla: [Duke Karter, please check your inbox for the video I sent. I am deeply grateful to the Sullivan family for raising me these ten years, but Xanthe can’t accept my presence. I do not wish to stay and put you in a difficult position.]

The fact that Karter had sent the message meant he was taking it seriously. Whether he’d discipline Xanthe after seeing the evidence no longer concerned Layla. She chose not to reply to any of the other messages from the Sullivans, including Nolan’s.

After Layla paid her fees at the freshman registration office, she was left with only enough for living expenses. But at least the dorm supplied bedding and daily bio-engineered gel, so her essentials were taken care of.

It was the final day of registration, and the campus was buzzing with life. Most students wore the same blue-and-white uniform as Layla, a design reserved for first-years.

Each college had its own distinct style. The College of Humanities was built in an ancient fashion, with classical stone arches and columned walkways that felt like a page from Old Earth’s history.

In contrast, the College of Medica Sciences featured smooth, rounded white structures that looked from a distance like a row of enormous medical capsules.

The College of Military was the largest of them all. Rows of gray steel-and-glass towers rose into the sky, connected by transparent aerial walkways. Cold light gleamed off every metallic edge and corner.

“Well, look who it is.” A blonde cat-eared girl in the same blue-and-white uniform strolled over, trailed by a small group.

She glanced around Layla and clicked her tongue. “Here all by yourself today? The Sullivans didn’t send anyone along?”

Layla’s voice stayed calm. “Annie, the College of Military isn’t easy. If you keep acting like a spoiled child, you’ll be crying to go home before the term’s half over.”

Annie Knight’s cat ears twitched in irritation. She shot a glare at the crowd around her. “I told you all not to come. Now look. How embarrassing.”

Annie’s grandmother, mother, and several other relatives immediately began showering her with more earnest advice and worried reminders. Annie stood there like a ruffled cat, thoroughly annoyed.

But Layla had already left the group behind and found her dorm using the campus map. It was a shared dorm room set up for two, but for now, she had it to herself.

She scanned her optical computer to unlock the door. Inside, daily necessities were neatly laid out. After a quick look around, she sank onto the bed.

Staring at the optical computer on her wrist, she opened her personal profile. ‘What exactly was that fox-eared guy thinking? If he has changed his mind and wants a divorce, he should just say so.’

Her eyes fell on the name listed in the spouse column. Without hesitating, she sent a direct message. [Do you regret it? If you want a divorce, fine. Just don’t drag it out.]

Even though she was annoyed, the memory of how he’d looked during his rut softened her irritation a little. ‘It’s not like I ever wanted to get married anyway. This whole mess is Xanthe’s fault.’

No reply came. Layla decided to let it go for now. What she needed most was starcoins. She pulled up the virtual screen on her optical computer, logged into a mech suit forum, and posted a new thread.

Hades: [Auctioning three mech suit design blueprints. Codes are in the images. Starting bid for each is 100,000 starcoins. Auction closes in three days.]

Then she logged off. All she had to do now was wait. Even the Sullivans had no idea that Layla was in fact Hades, the legendary Diamond Rank mech suit master whose name carried weight across the entire mech world.

When Layla was twelve, she went on a family trip with the Sullivans to a tourist planet. Near some old ruins, she met an elderly man with long white hair. The moment he saw her, his eyes brightened.

“Little girl, I can tell just by looking. You have a natural gift for tool refining. You could be a master crafter,” the elderly man told Layla.

Back then, Layla was a clever child who knew to stay away from strange adults. But seeing how ragged his clothes were, she felt sorry for him. Before being adopted, she had known hunger and cold herself.

So little Layla gave him the only box of element blocks from her backpack, which could quickly restore strength. After eating them, the elderly man seemed to come alive. He grew excited and insisted on taking her as his student.

Layla didn’t think much of it at first. But that changed when she watched the old man turn a pile of scrap metal into a little robot dog that could bark and wag its tail. Suddenly, she was interested.

She began learning what the elderly man called “tool refining” from him. Layla understood it was really mech suit design, and the elderly man was a true legend in the field who chose to stay hidden.

After her training ended, the elderly man disappeared, saying he was going to wander the stars. Layla hadn’t meant to hide it from the Sullivans, but the elderly man had advised against it.

“Keep your skill to yourself,” he’d told her. “It’ll be your way out when you’re in trouble.” Now, years later, his words rang truer than ever. That very skill had become her path forward when every other door seemed closed.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Layla closed the virtual screen and went to answer it. When she opened the door, she found a handsome young man in a neat military uniform standing outside.

He looked tired from the journey, but when his eyes met hers, a warm smile touched his lips. “Layla,” he said softly. “I finally found you.”

Chapter 5 Prince Atlas

Recognizing the familiar warmth in Nolan’s eyes, Layla relaxed. “So you already know everything, Nolan?”

Nolan nodded and glanced past her into the room. “Can we talk inside?” Seeing he hadn’t changed, Layla didn’t refuse him. She stepped aside to let him in.

Nolan’s gaze swept over the small shared room, and his brow creased slightly. “I thought I arranged a single-suite dormitory for you?”

She knew Nolan had a million questions, but so did she. ‘Who could have guessed that a random application would pair me with a prince? This kind of luck is just unreal. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket next. Could I win a whole planet?’

“Nolan, we’ll talk later,” Layla said briefly. Without another word, she pulled Atlas into the dorm and shut the door. She didn’t notice the brief look of sadness that passed through Nolan’s eyes.

Dragged inside, Atlas gave a faint smile. He glanced around and then frowned. “It’s so small. How can anyone live here? And it’s shared between two people? Who are you going to share it with, Star?”

Layla was speechless. “We’ll only be here a little while, Your Highness. It’s not like you’ll be staying long.”

“Star, don’t call me Your Highness. You can call me Ninth, or Atty,” Atlas said, hoping she wouldn’t be so distant and formal.

Layla took a step back, her expression calm. “Why didn’t you tell me you were Prince Atlas when we were at the Central Nexus?”

A deep wetness gathered in Atlas’s jewel-like eyes. “Star, are you rejecting me?” He looked wounded, like a small, hurt animal.

Layla’s lips twitched. “It’s not about rejection. Even though we’ve been through your rut together, there’s something you should know. I’m the Sullivan family’s adopted daughter.

“I’ve left them and have no ties to them anymore. Right now, I’m just a freshman at Imperial Academy, an orphan with no family. Given all that, are you still sure you want to marry me?”

Hearing this, Atlas’s eyes lit up. “Star, does that mean you only have me now?” He actually seemed a little pleased by what she’d said.

Layla was lost for words. ‘I said all those things, and that’s the only part he heard?’ She felt like she was talking to a brick wall.

She remembered Nolan mentioning that Atlas couldn’t think clearly during his rut. Given his royal status, she took a deep breath. “I’m worried you might regret it later. Let’s have a serious talk about our marriage after your rut is over.”

Layla had to admit she’d been drawn to him from the start, but his identity was special and his state was unstable. Marriage was a serious matter, especially with someone from the royal family.

Atlas’s fluffy ears drooped at once. His eyes grew shiny with unshed tears, and his delicate face looked so pitiful that it could soften any hard heart. “Star,” he murmured, his voice tinged with hurt, “you’re really rejecting me.”

Layla was at a loss for words. If anyone else were being this unreasonable, she would have shown them the door already. But Atlas had just spent his rut with her and he was a prince.

She took another deep breath. “Marriage is a big step. We have to be serious about it. Look, I just started university and have a lot going on.

“You should go home first and talk to your family about us. I don’t have a family, but you do. I want our marriage to have our families’ blessing.”

Atlas tilted his head, thought for a moment, and decided Layla was right. He brightened up and said happily, “Then Star, I’ll take you home with me.”