Iger halted in his tracks, turned to face Orwell, and deliberately, as if speaking to himself, said, “Did I hear wrong?”
The attitude and tone were clearly intentional, but Orwell, acknowledging his fault, found himself compelled to repeat in a low and muffled voice, “Yes, I apologize to Your Highness for my rudeness and arrogance today. I admit… Your Highness is indeed formidable.”
Orwell distinctly sensed that, after uttering these words, the previously light and casual mood on the other side almost instantly vanished. Iger remained in place for a few seconds, under the faint moonlight. His light brown eyes seemed to possess an indescribable charm, as if all the streetlights’ glow were contained within them.
“Well, then…”
His expression suddenly turned tranquil. Even the teasing atmosphere from a moment ago disappeared. Faced with such a look, Orwell’s heartbeat unexpectedly slowed down, and the resentment that filled his heart just moments ago strangely disappeared entirely.
“You mentioned earlier about giving me these flowers. If that’s true… could I trouble Lord Orwell to pluck one for me now?”
His voice was remarkably deep, carrying a unique gentleness in the thick night. Moreover, he spoke with an inquisitive tone, and his eyes held just the right amount of courtesy, leaving Orwell unsure of how to refuse.
This prince seems to have been courteous to me from the very beginning…
Orwell seemed to suddenly realize this, and a strange feeling blossomed in his heart. Perhaps he shouldn’t harbor such strong animosity towards him after all… After all, he is still a prince of the empire…
Orwell took a long breath and fetched tools from the flower house next to the flower bed. After all, these rose varieties were different from the usual, and their thorns were sharper, making it impossible to pluck them by hand.
“Your Highness, how many would you like?”
Iger stood to the side, calmly directing, “Just one will suffice.”
Orwell confirmed, “Really, just one?”
“Yes, the tallest one.”
Orwell picked up the scissors to cut, but then heard the prince instruct, “Never mind, take that one; it looks more beautiful when the flowers are in full bloom.”
“Are you sure?” There were many unidentified small insects in the flower bed, and Orwell’s face had already been bitten three times by mosquitoes in a short time. Swatting the mosquitoes away, he walked around to cut the one pointed out, only to hear the prince, who had been watching the excitement on the side, burst into laughter.
“Hey!” He was laughing so heartily that Orwell, attempting to ignore it, eventually couldn’t bear it and angrily stopped, asking, “What are you laughing at?”
Iger suppressed his smile but didn’t answer. Instead, he urged, “Hurry up, Orwell, you’re really slow.”
“Fine, don’t keep urging me, or you can try it yourself.” Orwell looked down at the tip of his muddy shoe, full of doubt about why he had agreed in the first place.
Finally, after successfully picking the rose the prince had designated and trimming the fine thorns from its stem, the prince finally extended his noble hand, taking the rose with dewdrops still clinging to its petals.
His slender and fair fingers gently pinched the delicate stem of the deep red rose. He was already very handsome, and this action made him appear exceptionally graceful and noble. Orwell suddenly felt that it resembled an oil painting, pleasing to the eye. Thinking back to his own actions just now, he probably looked more like the gardener of this prince.
No wonder this prince, despite his notorious reputation, could still have such firm supporters on the empire’s Star Network.
Iger turned the rose in his hand, a faintly imperceptible smile on his face. He nodded and said, “I have received your apology.”
Orwell nodded as well, dryly saying, “That’s good… after all, I’m not the kind of person who is completely unreasonable.”
After saying this, Orwell didn’t know what to do next, feeling an awkwardness settling in.
Iger asked, “Really?”
Orwell remained silent.
Iger thought for a moment and then asked, “But I sense that you seem to have a particular animosity towards me. Why is that?”
After pondering for a while and unable to come up with a response, Orwell simply threw down the tools in his hand, squatted down in frustration, and said, “I guess I jumped to conclusions… I should have trusted Director Noah.”
In reality, aside from harboring suspicions about Iger’s abilities, the main reason for his antagonistic attitude was to vent his frustration against General Osbourne, but he couldn’t find the right words to express it.
Iger, seemingly indifferent to the response, didn’t press further after hearing his vague answer. He also bent down, thought for a moment, and said, “Actually, it’s nothing. If I were in your shoes, I probably wouldn’t believe it either. However, rumors can’t compare to seeing things with your own eyes. So… have you changed your opinion of me at all?”
Upon hearing these words, Orwell was thoroughly stunned. Was this really the notoriously arrogant Second Prince rumored in the tales? Why did he seem so… different?
As if he particularly cared about Orwell’s opinion?
Orwell didn’t know why, but in the face of such an expression, he found himself unable to utter any dishonest words. So he muttered softly, “How could I…”
Iger gazed at Orwell, watching him stare blankly, and then slowly averted his eyes. Even his voice softened, as if sighing quietly, “Orwell, has anyone ever told you that your eyes are beautiful, like blue gemstones, irresistibly captivating?”
Orwell hadn’t expected him to suddenly say such an inexplicable thing. However, the prince today had been full of strange aspects, as if from the moment they met, he had been consistently peculiar, completely overturning his previous understanding.
He actually wanted to say, “Your Highness, the color of your eyes is recognized as the most beautiful in the empire. Such praise is unnecessary.” So, he muttered sullenly, “Ninety percent of the citizens in the empire have blue eyes like mine; there’s nothing particularly special about it.”
Iger, after listening, stood up and smiled faintly, “Perhaps.”
The smile was fleeting, but Orwell’s gaze involuntarily followed him. He watched as Iger walked to the lake, and his steps unconsciously followed the lakeside. The night on the lake was exceptionally quiet, occasionally brushed by a gentle breeze, causing ripples to spread across the water.
“Your Highness.”
After much hesitation, Orwell finally asked a question that many people might have wondered about but dared not voice, “Are the rumors about you and General Osbourne true?”
In fact, even before asking, he felt that this prince might not be as unbearable as the rumors suggested. Perhaps he was indeed a decent person. If that were the case, why couldn’t these two good people continue to be together?
Seeing Iger remaining silent, Orwell tried again, looking at his profile, “Is there some misunderstanding?”
Iger remained silent for a long time before lowering his head and saying calmly, “No.”
Orwell clearly sensed that he didn’t want to talk about it. Not wanting to press further, Orwell turned around and said, “Your Highness, I’ll head back now. If you need anything, just instruct the servants directly.”
Having spoken, Orwell began to walk in the direction of the castle. However, at that very moment, a force, though gentle, firmly grasped his wrist.
Confused, Orwell turned around to find the person holding him looking at him calmly, saying, “What I mean is, stay here and accompany me.”
Orwell found it hard to describe the strange sensation. His heart rate wasn’t particularly fast, but it was enough to numb his limbs and mind.
In the moonlight, the light brown irises of the person holding him harbored emotions Orwell couldn’t comprehend. Even though he couldn’t understand, it felt as if his limbs were firmly nailed to the ground, rendering him unable to move.
Iger finally gently placed the rose on his eyes, blocking his gaze, and softly said, “Don’t look at me like that.”
The freshly plucked rose carried the scent of fresh soil, mixed with the faint forest pheromones from the other person. Despite both being Alphas, Orwell didn’t sense any hostility or discomfort.
A faintly warm breath gently brushed across his cheek, and Orwell felt his eyelids touched by the cool dew of the rose. He couldn’t help but blink, and suddenly he felt that warm breath slowly approaching. Then, a gentle touch pressed against his eyes, separated by the slightly cool petals of the rose.
A very light kiss, still separated by the cold rose petals, but it made Orwell stiffen completely. Finally, after an unknown amount of time, he reacted and pushed him away in irritation, raising his fist and shouting at Iger, “Have you lost your mind?!”
“I’m an Alpha!”
Iger moved the rose away from his eyes, seemingly indifferent, and smiled slightly, “Yes, I know. But you were staring at me so blankly, I couldn’t resist.”
*
The next day, when Orwell arrived at the laboratory, he subconsciously looked towards Iger’s usual spot but found it empty.
A blond boy beside him teased, “Orwell, why do you look so down? Don’t tell me you were so bothered by our Highness yesterday that you couldn’t sleep all night?”
Normally, Orwell was too arrogant, and to be honest, the fact that the Second Prince had made Orwell eat humble pie yesterday delighted them.
To their surprise, Orwell responded calmly, “What’s there to be angry about? He’s naturally formidable. There’s nothing difficult to admit.”
Others, seeing him so nonchalant, stopped their sly remarks, “Do you feel the same? Honestly, I think his brain might be constructed differently from ours, even more powerful than light-brain calculations. It’s truly frightening.”
“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, even if Director Noah told me a thousand times, I wouldn’t believe it.”
Orwell nodded, even though he was staring at the light-brain, not absorbing a single number.
Roses, roses, roses—
How would he face the roses in his garden from now on?
Orwell was on the verge of exploding with anger, but every time he thought of the nonchalant look on the prince’s face, it was like a chimney being blocked, and he suspected he was belatedly angry. Now, he regretted not beating the prince and tossing him into the castle’s lake yesterday.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, you’ve finally come. I happen to have a question for you.”
Orwell rubbed his eyelids, snapping out of the rose-filled daze. When he turned around, he saw the prince walking in from the doorway, backlit by light. Warm, clean sunlight spilled onto his hair tips, casting a faint halo on his light brown hair.
Sensing the sudden acceleration of his heartbeat, Orwell quickly turned his head to look at the light-brain in front of him.
“Sure, please wait a moment.”
Iger walked to Orwell’s position and patted the stiff and straight-backed Orwell on the shoulder, saying, “A cup of coffee, please.”
The others waited for one second, two seconds, three seconds… without witnessing Orwell explode. Instead, they saw him stand up, turn around, and walk into the tea room.
After about two minutes, a fragrant cup of coffee and a plate of delicate cookies were brought out. They even noticed that Orwell had elegantly arranged a beautiful leaf flower.
He could really adapt!
Another blond youth next to him, named Reid, nudged Orwell with his elbow, “Weren’t you sworn enemies with His Highness just yesterday? How did things change so quickly?”
Orwell kept his gaze fixed on the light-brain without blinking, “Who said I was sworn enemies with him? Yesterday was just a small test for him. I, Orwell, can afford to lose.”
“True, now the entire research institute knows about His Highness’s achievements. No one dares to say anything anymore, seeing is believing after all.”
Seeing Orwell seemingly uninterested in the topic, Reid changed the subject, “By the way, are you going to the royal charity banquet tomorrow night? It’s an annual event, and you’ll definitely meet many beautiful noble Omegas there…”
*
[Host, this suit is already very handsome, really!]
Chu Yan changed into the formal attire, adjusted his cuffs and lapels, and sighed lightly, [Tonight is destined to be an extraordinary night!]
[Host, your stage, you shine the brightest! Keep it up!]
[…]
This charity event, in addition to the royal family, had the participation of many others, including the top stars in the Imperial entertainment industry. Therefore, compared to internal royal gatherings, this event garnered more widespread attention.
Of course, there were also more media at the entrance. The royal representatives were the two young princes, and for events that showcased the royal image, it was imperative for the two princes to display a close brotherly relationship. Arriving and leaving together was the standard configuration.
Ian’s mood had become very pleasant lately, thanks to the divorce, and even seeing Iger became much more agreeable. Naturally, he didn’t hesitate to show a bit more brotherly affection to his younger brother, “Iger, you haven’t been home for the recent family banquets. Father actually misses you a lot.”
After all, Ian had never truly regarded his younger brother as a threat because he posed no real challenge.
Iger raised an eyebrow, “Just make sure the three of you eat and drink well at home. Don’t be too polite. If I take it seriously, you might not be able to eat at all when I come back.”
Ian’s smile, usually well-maintained, almost collapsed after hearing this statement.
Iger turned to glance at his distorted expression, couldn’t help but chuckle, and then opened the car door, stepping out.
As the two princes stepped out of the car, the shutters of the nearby media reporters clicked almost continuously. After all, this was the dream of countless Omegas in the Empire—to marry into the royal family and have a century-old dream wedding. As for the competition for the heir to the throne between the two princes, there was simply no suspense.
…
“Brother, I saw Iger, I want to go find him.” Today, Lowell wore a white suit. His sapphire-blue eyes shone like gemstones, and his golden hair complemented his exceptionally fair and flawless skin. Even with many noble Omegas present, none could steal his radiance.
Leicester frowned disapprovingly, “Lowell, as an Omega, you should be more reserved.”
He found it hard to understand where his younger brother’s enthusiastic love for Iger came from. After the last pseudo-heat period, Lowell stayed home for a while. Leicester had thought he would settle down, but unexpectedly, he showed the same fervor at this event.
“Leicester, I have a gift for Iger, I want to see him.”
“Why didn’t I see you put so much effort into giving me a birthday present?” Every year, Iger’s birthday is prepared well in advance, causing Leicester much consternation.
“It’s different. Many people remember your birthday every year, but it’s not the same for Iger.”
Seeing Lowell’s instantly dejected mood, Leicester sighed and said, “Fine, wait until His Highness finishes the interview before you go to him. Don’t disturb His Highness now.”
Lowell nodded, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the person being interviewed in the distance. As he continued to watch, his face couldn’t help but turn red.
Seeing this, Leicester rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He began to deeply ponder why Iger, despite being divorced, remained so popular.
The interview didn’t last long, about ten minutes, and once the reporters left, Lowell took his gift and followed Iger in the direction of the rest area.
He followed to a corner, intending to continue, but unexpectedly bumped into someone. He was pushed back a bit, on the verge of falling, but a strong hand grabbed him.
A cold but pleasant voice sounded, “Lowell, why are you sneaking around following me?”
Lowell cheerfully replied, “I’m not sneaking around, Iger. I just wanted to give you a gift.”
Iger let him go and asked, “A gift?”
Lowell knew he probably forgot again, so he said, “Yeah, it’s in two weeks, but I wanted to give it to you in advance.” Earlier than anyone else!
Iger smiled, “That’s still early.”
But he still extended his hand, “Since that’s the case, show it to me first.”
Lowell hesitated a bit and took a velvet box from his pocket. Instead of immediately handing it to Iger, he repeatedly reminded, “If you don’t like this, you must tell me. I prepared others. Remember, you must tell me.”
Only when he met Iger’s affirmative gaze did Lowell finally put the gift in Iger’s hands with relief.
Iger opened the royal blue velvet box and saw a very lifelike and delicate rose brooch lying inside. The details, down to the patterns on the petals, were remarkably clear, and even the texture felt incredibly real.
Lowell nervously watched Iger’s reaction but noticed a slight change in his expression upon seeing the gift. Lowell thought he didn’t like it and quickly said, “I have many more prepared. If you don’t like it, just say so. It’s okay.”
Although Lowell said this, his expression still looked very sad.
Iger closed the box and asked, “Why did you think of giving me this?”
“Iger, isn’t the rose your favorite flower? You said it yourself. Did you forget?”
Iger smiled slightly, “Did I say that?”
Lowell looked at him in surprise, “Yes, you did. But Iger, you seem to have changed a lot recently…”
Seeing Iger’s puzzled expression, Lowell continued, “You’ve become a bit more cheerful. I actually prefer the current Iggy because you seem happier.”
Iger put away the gift and said, “Alright, the ceremony will start soon. You should go find your brother.”
Lowell grabbed Iger’s hand, “I want to stay with Iger…” But as he said this, he noticed someone standing not far down the corridor behind him. His smile instantly froze.
Iger followed Lowell’s gaze and indeed saw Osbourne standing not far away. His complexion wasn’t great, with neat black short hair that made his aura exceptionally sharp. Looking at him like this, his gaze seemed particularly unfriendly.
The atmosphere stiffened for a moment. In the end, it was Osbourne who spoke first, “Your Highness, long time no see.”
Iger nodded slightly as a sign of greeting, then turned to Lowell beside him, “Shall we go to the lounge?”
Lowell nodded vigorously, and the hand that grabbed Iger’s arm crumpled his suit, “Okay, Iger, did you have dinner? I’ll go get some snacks for you.”
Iger remained noncommittal, turned around, and walked towards the lounge.
Osbourne watched his retreating figure, unconsciously taking a step forward. At that moment, two waiters pushing a dessert cart passed by, blocking his way.
“Your Highness…” When the dessert cart had completely passed, Iger’s back was no longer visible, leaving only an empty and silent corridor.
Osbourne took the box out of his pocket, looked at it for a while, then thought for a moment, and finally put it back in his pocket.
*
In the lounge.
Lowell held a beautifully crafted rainbow cake, frowning tightly in indecision about where to start eating. He turned back to the balcony; since they entered the room, the other person had been standing there smoking. Lowell’s mood, which was still quite good, seemed to have completely plummeted at this moment.
Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he couldn’t help but recognize that the person who could easily affect his Iger was seemingly always the same.
Feeling upset, Lowell picked up the cake and walked to Iger, carefully asking, “Iger, do you want some cake?”
Iger extinguished the cigarette in his hand, looked at the cake in Lowell’s hand, and sighed almost inaudibly, “Lowell, you eat it yourself.”
Lowell obediently sat on the balcony and started to eat his cake slowly because he knew that Iger wouldn’t smoke when he was around.
As he enjoyed his cake, quickly finishing it, Iger watched him for a while. Then he lifted a finger to the corner of his own mouth, a faint, almost imperceptible smile in his eyes.
Lowell quickly and sheepishly lowered his head to wipe the corner of his mouth. When he looked up again, Iger was already at the door.
“Let’s go.”
Lowell immediately followed.
…
Orwell held a glass of red wine, his gaze involuntarily scanning the crowd. Reid, by his side, was chatting happily with a noble Omega. Occasionally, he turned to Orwell and asked, “Could you not look like you’re attending a funeral? You’re scaring away all the beautiful and delicate Omegas.”
Orwell also regretted being here; he despised such occasions. It was as if he had lost his mind.
He cast a disdainful glance at the Omega beside Reid, who seemed overly troubled by eating a piece of cake. “Annoying.”
The Omega obviously heard his words, instantly becoming teary-eyed and aggrieved.
Reid immediately consoled him, pushing more cake in front of him. “There’s plenty more here, sweetheart. Don’t mind him; he’s just crazy.”
Orwell glared fiercely at Reid.
He immediately put down his wine glass, preparing to change his position. However, just as he was about to leave, a commotion erupted at the entrance of the entire hall. He looked in that direction, and his whole body froze. In fact, it wasn’t just him; the gaze of many people in the banquet involuntarily turned towards the entrance.
The young man at the entrance wore a simple black suit, devoid of any unnecessary embellishments. However, when worn on him, it exuded a natural nobility, easily capturing everyone’s attention upon entering.
Orwell was momentarily stunned. Soon, his gaze focused on the Omega standing behind him.
Support me on ko-fi ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ
