Meanwhile, Clyde couldn’t wait any longer and quickly picked up his coat. Before leaving, he even gave him a look that wished for good fortune.
In fact, it’s not just him; none of these nobles is unafraid of Osbourne. Or, one could say, they all know they’re not on the same side as Osbourne, so they wouldn’t actively go out of their way to provoke him.
But even though they dare not provoke him, these nobles are extremely curious. With such strict upbringing, every move and every word of Osbourne seems to be engraved in their bones. They wonder how Osbourne, who follows a strict code, is getting along with someone like Iger, who seems naturally rebellious.
“General Osbourne, good evening. I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll head back early. Until next time.”
Osbourne glanced at him and nodded slightly towards Clyde.
Iger watched Clyde swiftly disappear into the dark silhouette, silent for a moment. Standing up, he addressed Osbourne, “You scared off my little friend, so now it’s just you and me.”
Walking to the shooting range, Iger put on his earpiece, smoothly loaded the magazine, and raised his hand toward the automated target at the end of the range. He fired off several precise shots, and the distant automated target system accurately reported several bright red numbers in quick succession. At the same time, spent shells quickly fell to the wooden floor, producing a series of muffled sounds.
Osbourne’s gaze moved away from the distant target screen and focused on Iger. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and his light brown hair shimmered with a cool glow under the overhead light. This accentuated his face, which appeared even paler, with thin lips gently pursed and a profile that was both graceful and cold.
For some reason, whenever Osbourne looked at Iger like this, an uncontrollable pain seemed to prick at his heart.
However, as soon as this emotion surfaced, Osbourne quickly suppressed it, feeling somewhat ridiculous. Wasn’t his experience from the previous lifetime enough to make him understand? He could never guess Iger’s thoughts, and Iger didn’t need his unnecessary concern.
Osbourne’s expression softened, and he walked to another shooting lane parallel to Iger.
On the shooting range, besides the continuous gunfire, there was no extra noise, creating an atmosphere of complete silence.
After a while, even though Osbourne had undergone the strictest and most arduous training since childhood, the prolonged, intense focus made his head feel slightly swollen. Moreover, the guns they held were nothing more than standard-issue firearms, and the powerful recoil alone caused a numbing sensation in the hands.
Osbourne looked at the spot where Iger stood, surrounded by countless spent shells.
Bang—
The last bullet completely deviated, even veering off the trajectory. The piercing alarm sounded incessantly, and the target system’s red letters blinked frantically. Finally, Osbourne, feeling frustrated and distracted, took off his earpiece.
Iger noticed the commotion from Osbourne’s side, raised his hand cleanly, and fired off the remaining shots in quick succession, turning his head slightly to Osbourne with a raised eyebrow and a smile, “I won.”
His light brown eyes brightened, and though his smile was faint, it exuded a lively spirit. Osbourne’s breath momentarily hitched at the sight of that smile, and his heart couldn’t help but beat faster.
He uttered a low “Hmm,” turned his head, and walked to the open space beside the shooting lane. After the palpitations that had numbed his heart subsided, all that remained was an endless sense of loss and confusion. It seemed like he was caught in a strange loop. Since his rebirth, he had been hoping that this version of Iger would be different from the one in his previous life. However, he gradually discovered that it was just self-deception.
Everything was replaying itself; Iger was still Iger. When happy, he could enchant Osbourne, making him willing to give up everything for this person. But when unhappy, the disdain in his eyes couldn’t even be bothered to hide.
“Not happy with this? General Osbourne is really stingy.”
Osbourne’s steps faltered for a moment, but it was just a fleeting instant. Soon, he continued walking forward.
Finally reaching the entrance of the shooting range, darkness lay ahead. Osbourne, for some reason, suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked at the person standing in the center of the shooting range under the bright lights. He noticed that the faint smile on Iger’s face had completely disappeared, and Iger was silently watching him.
Osbourne stood still for a moment, and after a considerable pause, he finally asked, “Iger, don’t you think you need to explain something to me? Or perhaps you never felt the need to do so from the beginning?”
Iger frowned slightly, “What do you mean?”
Osbourne sighed lightly, “You always do as you please. Maybe marriage is just an unnecessary thing for you.”
A silence fell over the shooting range. After some time, watching Iger’s still expression, Osbourne’s heart gradually sank in the eerie silence.
He felt his heart grow colder with each word he uttered, the pain cutting like a knife, “If that’s the case, why continue to deceive ourselves?”
The light was blinding, as if all the air in his lungs had been taken away. Osbourne had never known his heart could ache so much, not even in the final moments of his previous life.
After saying this, he saw a flicker of confusion in Iger’s eyes, even a trace of bewilderment on his usually indifferent face.
“What do you mean?” Iger asked.
Osbourne couldn’t bear to look any longer. There was no pleasure in the anticipation he had imagined. He closed his eyes and said, “Iger, let’s get a divorce.”
After uttering those words, Osbourne seemed to sense the temperature around him freezing, and only the sound of electronic equipment operating in the shooting range echoed in the spacious area.
After a moment, he finally heard the cold voice of the other person, “Are you sure?”
Osbourne looked at Iger with a piercing gaze, his voice incredibly calm and clear, “Yes, Your Highness.”
The other person seemed surprised by his response. After a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and warned, “You better think it through before you answer.”
Osbourne remained silent, just gazing at him. In the silence of the shooting range, Iger finally sneered, removed the protective gloves from his hands, slammed them to the ground, and said word by word, “Fine, this is what you said.”
“Don’t regret it later!”
With that, he didn’t look at him again, striding out of the shooting range and stepping into the endless night.
Osbourne stood in place, staring at the night for a long time, before finally turning away and leaving.
*
Working until nearly dawn, Osbourne finally returned home. As he opened the door, a chilly air greeted him.
The multifunctional robot, Xiao Zhi, responded, coming to life from a corner, “Good evening, General Osbourne. Welcome back home.”
Osbourne curled his fingers, unconsciously scanning the living room. His gaze settled on the coffee cup left untouched on the dining table as he asked, “Where is he?”
Xiao Zhi remained silent for a long time before responding, “General Osbourne, are you referring to Prince Iger? He hasn’t returned yet.”
Osbourne tidied up the dining table and kitchen, then thought for a moment before preparing a cup of milk and placing it on the table’s warming pad. He sat by the table for a long time before finally turning to the bathroom.
By the time he finished washing up, it was already 3 AM. However, when he came out, the living room was still empty, with only the robot, Xiao Zhi, diligently cleaning.
He hesitated for a moment before finally taking out his communicator. Yet several consecutive calls went unanswered.
Outside the window, a silent night unfolded with scattered streetlights and blinking neon signs. Osbourne gazed at the night scene, feeling a bit dazed as he recalled Iger’s expression at the shooting range.
Why was he so angry? However, after pondering for a long time, his mind remained in a state of confusion.
Finally, after an indeterminate amount of time, there was some movement at the door. Osbourne immediately turned to look and saw Iger standing there. Upon seeing him, Iger stood still for a moment, seeming to be in a daze. After snapping out of it, he walked in.
Osbourne looked at him, ready to say something, but then Iger took out a document and slammed it onto the coffee table. Without looking at him, Iger coldly said, “General Osbourne said you wanted a divorce. If being with me is so unbearable for you, fine. I’ll sign it today and submit it tomorrow. From now on, we go our separate ways…”
Osbourne stared in astonishment at the document on the table, then turned to look at Iger. He realized that Iger’s expression was icy, without a hint of hesitation.
Osbourne smiled faintly, sensing a confirmation of what he had suspected, “Your Highness, you indeed handle things cleanly, without any mess.”
In his previous life, this person had never shed a single tear for him, even upon his death. Now, it was just a divorce. If he still felt a twinge of reluctance, it was merely because he still held some utility in Iger’s eyes.
But how could that bit of utility be worth the other person lowering themselves and setting aside their dignity to plead with him?
Osbourne picked up the document, a complete divorce agreement with Iger’s personal seal at the end. He took a pen, hovering the tip over the signature line.
However, as his pen was about to touch the paper, the document was forcefully yanked away. The pen’s tip grazed the hard surface, emitting a harsh sound.
Osbourne looked up in surprise, but the next moment, a powerful force pressed him down on the sofa. The sofa groaned under the weight, and the entire living room was enveloped in an overwhelming scent of potent pheromones.
Despite the supposedly refreshing scent of the pheromones, Osbourne felt his limbs suddenly go weak. His body grew increasingly warm, and a dull pain started to throb in his neck. The air around him became stifling and viscous, forcing him to open his mouth to breathe.
Osbourne despised being completely controlled by his body in situations like this. He struggled to sit up, but his rationality only lasted a few seconds. His consciousness quickly crumbled under the influence of these powerful pheromones.
Iger held him down, kissing him while intermittently whispering in his ear, “Who else can pleasure you like I can?”
Osbourne’s body stiffened, about to say something, but Iger leaned in for another kiss, not giving him any chance to speak.
Amidst the collision of lips and tongues, Osbourne seemed to hear a subtle tremor in Iger’s breath, mixed with an almost imperceptible vulnerability.
*
Osbourne woke up the next morning to find that it was already half past eight, well past his usual work time.
Looking at Iger, still peacefully asleep beside him, he recalled everything from the previous night. His eyes held a suppressed expression of pain and complexity.
What could come out of this? It was just growing more desperate day by day.
As he was about to get out of bed, a hand reached out from under the covers, wrapping around his waist. After hesitating for a few seconds, Iger pressed against him, whispering in a low, husky voice, “Osbourne, I feel uncomfortable…”
Osbourne pulled away, standing up and looking down at Iger, who had returned to the bed. With a cold and uncompromising tone, he said, “Your Highness, that’s enough.”
Iger quietly watched him for a while, then closed his eyes. His expression finally turned cold, and after a moment of silence, he said, “Then why are you still staying here…”
Osbourne glanced at him, but his feet seemed to be nailed to the ground. It took him a long time to finally lift his foot and leave the room.
Osbourne prepared breakfast and placed it on the warming pad. He looked at the torn divorce agreement scattered on the living room carpet from the previous night and said to the robot, Xiao Zhi, “Call him for breakfast when I leave.”
Xiao Zhi cleaned up the paper scraps on the carpet, and after reading the data on them, its body stiffened. Then, it ingested the scraps into its system, grinding them into pieces, and earnestly said, “Understood, General Osbourne. I will take care of Prince Iger in your absence.”
Author’s Note:
Shou: The old domineering one doesn’t love me, my heart is like dead ashes.
Chu Yan: I want it too, I want my heart to be like dead ashes too!
Support me on ko-fi ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ
