Chapter 3 Recognized as Matriarch

But the thought only flashed through Tessa's mind before she quickly dismissed it. "Lady Tessa, your personal information has been entered into the system. From today onward, you are an Empire Citizen. Whenever you need to verify your identity, a simple iris scan will suffice," the staff member informed her. Tessa accepted the wristband, a HoloCore, from the staff member. When she activated it, her personal information appeared on the display—name, gender, age, height, weight, and even a health score. Further down, she noticed a section labeled "Partner," which currently displayed "None." However, right beside it was a "Partner Applications" counter, and the number was skyrocketing. Tessa was bewildered. Is this a malfunction? Why are so many people applying to be my partner? "Why is this number constantly changing?" she asked. "Since you currently do not have a partner, your partner applications are set to open by default and are automatically pushed to all unmarried males," the staff member explained matter-of-factly as if it was nothing unusual for her to receive an overwhelming number of courtship requests. "You may choose one consort-prime and an unlimited number of consorts. They will recognize you as their matriarch, pledge their loyalty to you, and dedicate their lives to protecting and providing for you in every aspect." Tessa's expression darkened. "Is this mandatory?" Seeing her displeasure, the staff member panicked and quickly bowed in apology. "No, of course not! The Empire does not force females into marriage—please rest assured. However, for the sake of protection, all unmarried females must have guardians." And each female was required to have at least three guardians. But in reality, the chosen guardians often ended up marrying the female. Tessa reluctantly accepted the concept of "guardians." As long as she wasn't being forced into marriage, it was tolerable. She had developed an aversion to the idea of marriage and wasn't ready to consider it for now. She lifted her gaze to Alexander and Jacob, who had accompanied her all this way. She hesitated, unsure how to bring up the topic. In this world, they were the only two she knew well. Perhaps due to some instinctual attachment, she found herself relying on them more than she intended. Jacob, understanding her dilemma, took the initiative. "I would be honored to serve as your guardian. Would you be willing to grant me this opportunity?" Alexander immediately followed suit, expressing his desire to become her guardian as well. Tessa nodded eagerly in response. Jacob smiled warmly. He had always possessed strikingly refined features, but his usual reserved and distant demeanor made him seem as cold as an iceberg. Now, with this rare smile, it was as if ice had melted into spring water. He took Tessa's hand and pressed a soft kiss to her fingertips. Alexander followed suit, reverently kissing her other hand. "So… we're family now?" Tessa asked, her voice tinged with shyness. Summoning her courage, she added, "Please don't address me so formally anymore, alright? You can relax a little." Being addressed as "Lady" all the time was exhausting for her. Upon hearing this, the surrounding people couldn't help but glance enviously at Alexander and Jacob. Where did this adorable young female come from? These two males are unbelievably lucky. After completing the registration, the staff member informed Tessa, "Please ensure you find and register a third guardian within a month. If not, the system will automatically assign one to you." Since she had a one-month grace period, Tessa decided not to rush it. With that, the three of them headed to Celadon House, a renowned high-end restaurant on Central Planet, for lunch. In the interstellar era, gourmet food was a rarity. Most people had grown accustomed to consuming nutrient fluids instead. Tessa had already experienced an inedible dinner aboard the spaceship—something she barely managed to swallow. As a result, she had opted for a nutrient supplement for breakfast that morning. Most nutrient supplements were fruit-flavored; she chose a peach-flavored one, which tasted refreshingly sweet. Although it had a strange aftertaste compared to regular fruit juice, it was still far more palatable than last night's meal. She had assumed that the poor quality of food was limited to military canteens. But after arriving at Celadon House, she finally accepted the harsh reality—this alien world was a culinary wasteland. Swallowing a bite of the dry, overcooked meat, Tessa nearly teared up. The only difference between this restaurant and the military cafeteria was the price—this food was just as bad, only much more expensive. She had been dumbfounded by the prices while ordering, only to find that the food wasn't just overpriced—it was barely edible. Alexander and Jacob, who had been paying close attention to her every reaction, immediately sensed that she wasn't enjoying the meal. Alexander leaned in slightly and whispered, "If you don't like it, you can give it to me. Do you want to eat something else? Or should we find another restaurant?" Jacob, meanwhile, poured her a glass of grape juice and placed it in front of her, waiting patiently for her decision. Tessa accepted the drink from Jacob and gave him a sweet smile. Then, after some hesitation, she leaned in close to Alexander's ear and whispered, "I don't want to eat meat anymore. I'd like some vegetables." She had no idea how utterly adorable she looked speaking in such a hushed voice. Countless eyes around the restaurant had already locked onto her the moment she walked in. Many of the males present instinctively straightened their postures like peacocks displaying their feathers, captivated by her delicate, fresh-faced beauty. Alexander, with his sharp senses, felt the warmth of her breath against his ear. The young major general, known for his bravery and fearlessness on the battlefield, instantly turned crimson, his ears burning so red they could bleed, and the blush quickly spread across his entire face. He stiffly rose from his seat, hurriedly ordered several vegetable dishes for her, and returned just in time to receive a soft, lilting, "Thank you." Tessa discreetly slid the rest of her meat steak toward the two males, unable to eat any more. In return, she made them a promise, "Next time, I'll cook for you two." Around them, envious gazes turned scorching. A food vlogger happened to be live-streaming in the restaurant and had inadvertently captured the entire scene. At first, only a handful of viewers were watching, but suddenly, the viewership numbers began to skyrocket. However, no one was paying attention to the food review anymore. All eyes were on the young female, who was more mesmerizing than any dish on the menu. 'Does this streamer even know how to film? Get closer, for god's sake!' 'Oh my god, where did this little sweetheart come from?! She actually said 'thank you' to a male!' 'And she even said she'd cook for them! D*mn it! How could any male be this lucky? I refuse to believe this is real!' 'She's so cute! But the kitchen is too dangerous for a delicate young female like her. Cooking should be left to us tough-skinned males! We all had to take culinary training as a required course, after all!' 'She's treating her partners so well… Even smiling at them. Sigh, my matriarch barely even acknowledges me anymore, and she hasn't given me any mental comfort in ages.' 'At least your matriarch just ignores you. Mine whips me whenever she's in a bad mood.' 'You two should be grateful. At least you have a matriarch. I don't even have a female willing to claim me.' 'I've been single since birth. The only female who has ever spoken to me is my mother.' 'Sigh…' The audience quickly turned the comment section into a competition of who had it worse. 'Stop staring at the female! Look at who her partners are! That's Alexander Lyon! He became a major general at a young age! And the other one—Jacob Lloyd, the The Empire's Military Academy's medical genius! He was a legendary figure back in school!' 'Major General Lyon is usually low-key, but I heard the marshal is actually his uncle. Their beast forms are both lions.' 'Wait, the Lionheart Marshal, Felix Lyon?! He's my idol! Major General Lyon is his nephew?!' 'That's some serious background…' 'Jacob isn't any less impressive than Alexander. Back in the Empire's Military Academy, he already held multiple patents. The most commonly used medical pod model today? He helped design it.' Even if he didn't come from an elite background, talent naturally attracted admirers. 'Jacob is insanely famous! Before he even studied medicine at the academy, he was already a self-taught master in pharmacology! Wasn't there a female who went out of her way to pursue him back then? Could it be… this one?' 'No, it wasn't her. It was Xenia Langley.' Many females who enjoyed being admired frequently updated their Galaxy Net profiles, drawing attention from males and gaining influencer status. Xenia Langley was one of them, well-known in her own right. So, when someone mentioned her name, plenty of viewers immediately understood. 'Wait a second—Xenia Langley?! She's in Celadon House right now too!' Speak of the devil, and she shall appear. Tessa was sipping her grape juice leisurely when she suddenly noticed a woman—dressed far too extravagantly—storming toward their table. "Jacob Lloyd!" Xenia's voice was sharp with fury. "You've got some nerve! You ran off to some godforsaken place to be a military doctor just to avoid me, and now you're someone else's partner? Are you trying to humiliate me?!" As she spoke, she raised her hand, aiming to slap Jacob. Without a second thought, Tessa stepped in front of him and caught Xenia's wrist mid-swing. In one swift motion, she twisted Xenia's arm behind her back. The live stream chat instantly exploded.