In the spacious living room, Orwell immediately spotted the person slouched on the sofa, looking extremely uncomfortable. It seemed that the person noticed the movement and reluctantly glanced in Orwell’s direction.
Orwell quickly walked over and crouched down to check on the condition of the prince. He realized that the prince appeared somewhat disoriented, in a semi-conscious state.
Seeing such a dignified prince in this pitiful state, alone and unattended while unwell, softened Orwell’s heart. He walked over and gently nudged him, saying, “Your Highness.”
“Your Highness.”
Orwell called several times before the prince finally opened his eyes. The light brown pupils showed a clear moment of surprise upon seeing Orwell. In the sudden closeness of their gaze, Orwell felt his heartbeat synchronize with the prince’s breath.
In that brief moment of distraction, the prince unexpectedly grabbed Orwell’s arm. The already disarrayed breath of Orwell instantly became heavier, and the scent of pheromones intensified.
“Your Highness, where is the suppressant? I’ll fetch it for you.”
However, as Orwell uttered these words, the prince suddenly turned over. In an instant, a powerful and domineering scent of Alpha pheromones overwhelmed him, chaotic and uncontrollable, spreading throughout the entire living room.
Orwell, with a fixed gaze, realized he was effortlessly pressed onto the sofa by the person who seemed unwell just moments ago. Before he could comprehend what the other intended to do, an ominous shadow descended. His shoulders and waist were firmly gripped, and simultaneously, the soft touch finally reached his eyes. Accompanied by the prince’s warm breath, it delicately kissed his nose, lips, and chin…
Orwell, in a daze, felt as if he were on a roller coaster, experiencing an unreal sensation.
“Os…”
Orwell even noticed that the buttons of his shirt were being undone by the other person. However, when the slightly cool fingers touched his neck, the movement abruptly stopped. Orwell’s heart was pounding rapidly, astonished to find himself strangely affected by these almost insignificant kisses. After the kiss ended, Orwell lifted his gaze, settling on the high bridge of the other’s nose. The hazel eyes were filled with confusion.
“Os…”
Initially lost in the haze caused by the kiss, Orwell’s mind suddenly cleared, and he stared at Iger in disbelief.
Meeting Iger’s eyes, which were clearly filled with a surge of desire, Orwell’s mind conjured a ludicrous idea. The flicker of flame that had ignited in his lower abdomen seemed to be extinguished by a bucket of cold water. Images flashed in his mind—their first encounter and the antagonistic expression of Lowell that night. Orwell’s face gradually turned green, and he stuttered, “Your Highness, you’re not mistaking me for General Os, are you?!”
Damn!
After saying these words, Orwell’s face turned completely green. When Iger heard this statement, he also froze for a moment, his eyes showing a mix of confusion and bewilderment. Orwell could tell from his reaction that his suspicions had been clearly confirmed.
What a melodramatic plot! Orwell wanted to sarcastically comment in his mind, but he found himself unable to utter a word. His heart throbbed painfully, and he suddenly realized one fact: he had just experienced a breakup!
In the past few days, Orwell’s abnormal heartbeat and behavior now seem utterly foolish. After scolding himself harshly, Orwell felt his heart being filled with a faint sense of loss.
However, it seemed that the Crown Prince still hadn’t fully grasped the situation, just staring blankly at Orwell. His body, however, maintained the posture from a moment ago.
Orwell pushed him forcefully, only to see him tumble down from the sofa, hitting the floor with a muffled sound.
“Oh my God!” Orwell exclaimed, immediately rushing to check on the Second Prince. He found him lying on the carpet, eyes half-closed, with only his eyelashes trembling lightly. The entire complexion of his face had a sickly flush, giving the impression of a somewhat severe illness.
Orwell promptly carried him back to the bedroom and, with the guidance of a robot, retrieved a suppressant. Skillfully, he unbuttoned the Second Prince’s sleeve and administered the suppressant with a practiced hand.
His mind was in turmoil as he watched the flush gradually recede from Iger’s face, who appeared to be sleeping soundly. Annoyed, Orwell ran his fingers through his hair, eventually glancing at a photo nearby. It was a wedding picture of the Second Prince and General Osbourne, both looking extremely happy and blissful.
Ignoring the inexplicable soreness in his heart, Orwell took out a mirror and meticulously compared his own face with the person in the photo for a long time. In fact, apart from both having blue eyes, there was really nothing remarkable. Even the hair colors were different.
So how did the Second Prince mistake him for someone else?
No wonder he always felt the Second Prince’s attitude towards him was peculiar, and the eyes always seemed to flicker with emotions he couldn’t discern.
Yet he couldn’t help but think that if just a slightly similar person could evoke such a reaction from the Second Prince, then his feelings for General Osbourne must be quite deep.
If that was the case, why did the two of them end up like this?
*
In the spacious shooting range, Colonel Beaumont stood at the entrance, observing the silent shooting range with the constant echo of bullets breaking the air. His tightly furrowed brows never relaxed.
For a solid five hours since the last time he returned from the banquet, Osbourne seemed to have gone mad, engaging in high-intensity training as if he wanted to channel all his excess energy out.
To be precise, he has been like this since the divorce.
Osbourne didn’t know what he was doing exactly. Perhaps it was because of the decision he made himself that he found it particularly hard to let go. He constantly hinted to himself that the Lord had tried to retain him initially, so maybe this lifetime would be different.
That’s why he kept indulging in fantasies, but despite his continuous probing, he lacked the courage of his previous lifetime.
He couldn’t act the same way as before, boldly offering all his sincerity, even if the Lord treated him with coldness and harsh words. This time, he hesitated.
However, that was his Lord, whom he had loved for nearly two lifetimes. He wanted to restrain himself and knew he should, but he simply couldn’t. He had to admit that, even if he were given another lifetime, he hadn’t made any progress. He was willing for his Lord to sacrifice himself again, even if his Lord didn’t need it at all.
The last bullet was fired, and Osbourne seemed to collapse on the open ground of the shooting range. The bright lights in the spacious shooting range were glaring, and he suddenly remembered the words he had said that day.
Colonel Beaumont, who had witnessed everything, sighed and finally walked to the center of the shooting range. In a deep voice, he said, “Osbourne, how much longer do you want to torment yourself?”
Osbourne sat up, silently looking at the ballistic trajectory. “Father.”
Colonel Beaumont also sat beside him and asked tentatively, “Even if Lord Iger doesn’t care about you, you can’t let go?”
Osbourne turned his head to look at his father, seeming to want to refute something instinctively. Eventually, he said, “Father, do you think I’m useless and not like someone from the Bao’n family?”
Colonel Beaumont shook his head. “No. I just think that if you can’t let go so easily, then your relationship with the Lord must have been very good.”
Osbourne remained silent, his eyes filled with deep pain.
Colonel Beaumont patted his shoulder and stood up, saying, “Let me tell you about what happened eighteen years ago.”
“Father?”
Colonel Beaumont glanced at him. “At that time, I wasn’t the highest commander in the Empire. The Hobek family almost controlled all the military power and mech weapon manufacturing in the Empire. When His Majesty had just ascended to the throne, the royal power was much more centralized than it is now.”
Osbourne nodded. He was well aware of these facts. It was also the reason why Iger, despite being a prince, was not favored and faced numerous challenges within the royal family.
“The Council was just a decoration for royal authority, but the Hobek family, being both a support and a potential threat to His Majesty’s rule, could easily jeopardize their position. In order to win the support of the Hobek family, His Majesty married Lady Lihui, who is Prince Iger’s mother. General Hobark, however, disagreed and arranged another marriage for Lady Lihui. But Lady Lihui, being resolute, claimed to have consummated her marriage with His Majesty, General Hobark had to compromise.”
“However, General Hobark’s ambitions did not stop there. He frequently clashed with His Majesty in the Council. Eventually, in a fit of rage, he mobilized the army and surrounded the palace. Lady Lihui, upon learning about this, immediately intervened, pleaded, and even secretly took away classified documents, delivering them to His Majesty. Using this information, His Majesty traced and exposed General Hobark’s plans, which led to the defection of one of his close subordinates. Through inside and outside cooperation, the plot was dismantled, and General Hobark was captured. Only then, without mercy, did His Majesty reveal the truth about his betrayal of Lady Lihui two years into their marriage and having a child with another person.”
Osbourne only knew about the intense political upheaval at that time but was not aware of these internal details. As his father narrated the story, he had an ominous feeling.
“Lady Lihui was originally a strong-willed person who couldn’t bear such humiliation and betrayal, especially when General Hobark committed suicide in prison after the failed coup. Faced with the double blow, Lady Lihui completely collapsed and chose to end her life within a short month.”
Listening to the gruesome tale, Osbourne could vividly imagine the horror of those times. However, he suddenly caught a crucial point in his father’s words.
Osbourne’s pupils contracted sharply as he looked at Colonel Beaumont. “Wasn’t the close subordinate of General Hobark at that time…?” He had always thought that His Majesty, in his wisdom, had treated the old subordinates of General Hobark leniently, but it seemed that was not the case.
After Beaumont finished his account, he turned to Osbourne. “To protect the Bao’n family from bearing the stain of betrayal, His Majesty has kept this secret well-sealed.”
“But, as with any deed, it cannot remain hidden forever… That’s why Iger eventually learned about all of this, and it’s not surprising at al[.”
*
[Host, Orwell seems really miserable. He looks like he’s been through a breakup.]
[Nonsense! He’s obviously moved by my deep affection. I am truly a person with both emotion and righteousness!]
[I think he’s too scared to move.]
Orwell waited until the prince woke up. Scratching his head, he awkwardly said, “Your Highness, I’ve already injected the suppressant. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
However, Prince Iger looked at him and sighed, his light brown eyes filled with profound apology. “Orwell, I’m sorry.”
Orwell felt a bit embarrassed but quickly reassured, “No need to apologize, Your Highness. I understand.”
“Oh, by the way, I just made something simple. If Your Highness doesn’t mind, you can have it later.”
After saying that, he immediately left the bedroom. However, as soon as he opened the door, he saw someone standing at the doorway. Osbourne was just as shocked as Orwell, both displaying unmistakable expressions of astonishment.
“General Osbourne, welcome home!”
Xiaozhi spun around the entrance but couldn’t leave. In the end, it returned to the bedroom, moving around while saying, “Prince Iger, Prince Iger, General Osbourne is back!”
For a moment, the spacious living room was filled with the mechanical voice of Xiaozhi. However, the tone of the voice alone conveyed a sense of joy and excitement.
Osbourne’s gaze moved from the disheveled hair of Orwell, the red marks on his lips, to the unbuttoned collar of his shirt.
However, as Osbourne looked, his expression grew colder and more ominous. He asked, “Who are you, and how did you end up here?”
Author’s note: Whitewashing countdown.
This is Schrödinger’s resemblance.
Orwell, repeatedly confirming: He doesn’t look like him, where is the resemblance?!
Iger: I say you look like him, so you do.
[Note: The concept of Schrödinger’s resemblance is a playful take on Schrödinger’s cat, suggesting that the resemblance is both there and not there until observed.]
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