The entire laboratory remained in a jubilant atmosphere for several days. Many had, as mentioned before, applied for an extended leave to travel to other galaxies.
Outside the window, the night had grown deep, and the spacious laboratory echoed only with the subtle sounds of the computing instruments, creating a lonely ambiance.
“Your Highness.” Orwell stood at the doorway, his golden hair emitting a faint luster under the light. His expression seemed conflicted, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated to speak.
“Orwell?” Iger turned to glance at him, as if inquiring if there was something on his mind.
In the laboratory, now deserted by others, only the two of them remained.
Suddenly, Orwell felt as if his heart was filled with a thick bitterness, and the other’s expression seemed to have a layer of frost. Only a pair of light brown pupils appeared as if washed by the night, resembling cold glass under the lamplight.
Even on a day like today, which excited everyone immensely, there was no clear indication of joy or anger on his face.
Orwell watched as he stood up, the black shirt accentuating a sharp and seemingly indifferent expression. “Your Highness.”
Without waiting for a response, Orwell continued, “Perhaps, I mean… I don’t mind if you treat me as General Osbourne. I think, I’ve… I’ve fallen for Your Highness.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Orwell’s entire face flushed, his heart feeling both scorching and icy, yet strangely empty. However, as soon as the words were spoken, the heart that had been hanging in uncertainty seemed to find its place at last.
If things were undecided, it was better to take a gamble—a lesson his father had taught him before.
Iger raised his eyes abruptly to look at him. “Do you know what you’re saying? If everything I did before has caused you trouble, then I apologize.”
Meeting his shocked gaze, Orwell smiled slightly, finally nodding with certainty. “Your Highness, I am confident that I am not inferior to General Osbourne. Besides, you are now single. I believe I have the right to pursue you.”
Iger’s elegant eyebrows twisted fiercely, but before he could say anything, Orwell walked up to him. “Your Highness, if this relationship has caused you pain, why not forget about him?”
He heard his own voice saying, “Seeing you torment yourself like this makes me uncomfortable.”
The night was lonely, and Iger stood at the door, turning around to look at Orwell. His expression, nearly indifferent in the darkness, spoke, “Orwell, you still have time to leave.”
Orwell, hands in his pockets, looked up at the moon hanging in the sky, shook his head, and addressed Iger, “Your Highness, please have some confidence in me.”
Iger stared at him for a moment, silent.
The central security system recognized the facial features, and the door opened. Iger walked in without a word, and Orwell followed, rubbing his reddened ears. After some internal pep talk, he swallowed and stood at the entrance of the dressing room, saying, “Your Highness, I’ll, um, go take a shower first.”
Iger glanced at him without a word, throwing a set of sleeping robes at him before entering the bedroom.
Orwell stood in place, holding the soft sleeping robes for a while. His thoughts were chaotic. Finally, he heard Iger turning back and saying, “Brand new.”
Orwell hesitated for a moment before turning to take a shower in the adjacent bathroom. The faint scent of the shower gel lingered in the air, reminiscent of the fresh and embracing forest pheromones on Iger.
Despite both being Alphas, their pheromones didn’t naturally attract each other. However, lying on the bed and seeing Iger with wet hair and damp eyes, Orwell’s heart raced uncontrollably, even though Iger hadn’t done anything.
Iger initially lowered his head and kissed Orwell’s eyes. In response, Orwell couldn’t help but shiver, his hands instinctively wrapping around Iger’s neck. However, Iger stopped, his gaze clear and firm, “Orwell, you see, we are both Alphas; it’s not possible.”
Feeling the withdrawal of warmth, Orwell sat up and, looking at the bright lights, slowly said, “Then, Your Highness, I’ll go to the guest room to sleep. If there’s anywhere you want to go, I can accompany you.”
Iger took two glasses from the nearby liquor cabinet, poured two glasses of wine, and handed one to Orwell while taking the other himself. He said, “Orwell, do you know which aspect of you is most similar to him?”
Orwell looked into his eyes, devoid of any emotion, and hesitated to answer the question. Nonetheless, he spoke softly, “The eyes.”
The eyes, a shade of blue like the sea.
“It’s not the eyes; it’s the gaze.” Iger downed a glass of clear liquid and poured another, drinking it as well. ThThene settled back onto the bed, looking at Orwell. “Do you understand?”
He chuckled, reclining with closed eyes, and murmured almost inaudibly, “You won’t understand.”
Orwell’s heart tightened, a deep sense of powerlessness enveloping him. “Your Highness.”
“Go to sleep.”
Orwell sat in silence for a while, only hearing the faint voice from Iger. It took him a moment to realize that Iger hadn’t actually fallen asleep.
The next morning, as soon as Orwell opened his eyes, he was momentarily disoriented by the surroundings. Turning his gaze, he saw Iger still peacefully sleeping.
After a while, Iger finally opened his eyes, squinting lazily at Orwell. “Orwell.”
“Your Highness.”
Orwell felt his tense and dry throat as he said, “Your Highness.”
He watched Iger finish washing up and changing clothes before heading to the kitchen. Only then did Orwell start to feel a sense of awakening. After finishing, he immediately followed Iger to the kitchen. Luckily, the kitchen was spacious enough. He watched Iger skillfully prepare a sandwich that looked quite appealing and asked, “Your Highness, can I help you?”
Iger seemed to think of something, furrowing his brows sharply. “No need.”
Despite the rejection, Orwell didn’t feel upset. Instead, he felt a bit pleased. When Iger made two portions, he couldn’t help but express his surprise, “Is this for me, Your Highness?”
Iger neither confirmed nor denied, coolly saying, “Or what? Do you expect me to rely on you?”
Orwell seemed oblivious to any sarcasm, maintaining a faintly foolish smile on his face.
During breakfast, the living room was silent. Orwell occasionally looked up at Iger. Iger ate quietly, his eyes lowered. Despite the delicious food, his demeanor didn’t convey any enjoyment of the meal.
Even Orwell, who usually enjoyed his meals, found the taste of the food in his hands strangely bland.
At that moment, the robotic cleaner, which had been cleaning quietly, reached the door. After a series of beeps, the mechanical voice of the robot sounded, “Your Highness Iger, General Osbourne has returned.”
Orwell paused, immediately turning to Iger. He noticed that Iger’s movements only hesitated briefly before returning to normal. Iger calmly said, “Xiaozhi, who told you to open the door without permission?”
“General Osbourne isn’t someone else.”
Orwell was astonished by the intelligence of this robotic assistant, who possessed such a strong sense of subjectivity. It was truly remarkable.
Osbourne crouched down and patted Xiaozhi on the head. His gaze then shifted to the person at the dining table. He knew this person. After returning last time, he had figured out the relationship between the two. The person was his subordinate and was currently working with Iger at the Imperial Research Institute.
However…
His gaze turned sharp, landing on the pajamas the person was wearing. His heart tightened for a moment. However, in an instant, recalling his purpose for coming, he quickly suppressed those emotions.
Iger remained focused, “What is General Osbourne coming here for? I believe I made myself clear the last time.”
“So, Your Highness, have you been avoiding me these days?”
Iger didn’t respond but instead turned around and pierced a cherry tomato from his plate, handing it to Orwell with a smile. “General Iger, didn’t you realize you’re interrupting the breakfast of me and my boyfriend?”
Orwell recalled what had just happened, then looked at the plump cherry tomato in front of him. Unable to resist, he leaned forward, biting into the tomato. His teeth broke through the skin, instantly filling his mouth with a sweet and tangy flavor. Even in this situation, Orwell felt his ears heating up. There was an indescribable tension in the air between the two.
As the tightly wound nerves suddenly snapped, anger consumed all of Orwell’s rationality. Unable to restrain himself any longer, Osbourne finally lost control. He stepped forward, grabbed Orwell’s pajama collar, and fiercely delivered a punch to his face.
It was an unrelenting blow. General Osbourne had never used such violence against his own compatriots. With a loud bang, Orwell was knocked to the ground, his body hitting the floor with a resounding impact.
After throwing the punch, Osbourne instinctively glanced at Iger, recognizing the coldness and disdain in his eyes. Stunned for a moment, Osbourne then walked over to Orwell, who was being helped up by Iger. “How is he?”
Orwell tugged at the corner of his mouth and even managed a smile. “I’m fine.”
But with that smile, a broken tooth stained with blood came out.
Iger’s expression changed. “This is not fine. We need to go to the hospital.”
This scene was painfully vivid. In an instant, Osbourne felt like his heart had been torn open, a wide gash exposed to the winds from all directions.
At this moment, more than ever, he realized a stark truth: perhaps he and His Highness were truly beyond reconciliation. Aside from the numerous grievances and misunderstandings between them, there was a single reason—he had to face the possibility that His Highness was right, that he could genuinely move on from this relationship.
However, Osbourne couldn’t achieve that. The emotions in his chest were boiling, hot, and tangy, a constant reminder that whether in the past life or this one, he couldn’t let go.
If this life is still the same as the previous one, then what’s the point of his rebirth?
Osbourne looked at Iger indifferently, with emotions that seemed bottomless in his eyes. “Your Highness, I’m pregnant.”
Iger suddenly raised his eyes, and his lips trembled involuntarily. His face even turned pale. “What did you say?”
Osbourne didn’t know how to interpret His Highness’s reaction at the moment. He continued calmly, lowering his gaze, “According to the Imperial Marriage Law, if both parties engage in sexual activity and conceive during the divorce litigation period, I have the right to unilaterally withdraw the divorce lawsuit.”
“Your Highness, the litigation period in the Imperial Marriage Law is six months. In other words, our divorce agreement cannot take effect.”
This provision was introduced by the Empire to protect Omegas. After all, Omegas were very rare in the Empire, and pregnant Omegas were even more precious. Moreover, the Marriage Law stipulated that once an Omega withdrew a divorce lawsuit and the Omega had no fault in the marriage, the other party would be deprived of the right to file for divorce within five years.
After all, Omegas were in a very vulnerable position in every aspect. Many irresponsible Alphas who were not committed to marriage and relationships would completely ruin an Omega.
Orwell looked at Osbourne in astonishment, as if what he said was some kind of fantasy. He dryly said, “General Osbourne, are you joking? You’re clearly a Beta, how could…”
Osbourne’s expression remained unchanged, as if the outburst just now was an illusion. He looked at Iger, his heart aching. “Your Highness, I’m sorry.”
Orwell also gradually realized. Of course, it was possible. To increase the birth rate, the Empire developed this kind of drug a year ago. After all, Omegas were so rare, but few people actually chose to inject them. Omega’s physical and mental strength were the weakest among the three genders.
Moreover, there was a high risk involved. Couples with a good relationship would not take such a life-threatening risk. Now, over forty percent of families in the Empire choose not to have children.
Orwell had too many uncertainties, but at this moment, he felt that the joy from last night seemed like a dream.
“A child?” Iger seemed to find it absurd, questioning with cold eyes, “Do you think we should have a child between us?!”
His reaction was expected, yet Osbourne still felt like his heart was being twisted by a knife. His face remained calm, and his voice was resolute, “Your Highness, I will keep him.”
Iger stared at him for a while before speaking with a hoarse and trembling voice, “Do you think what you’re doing, sacrificing like this, is noble?”
“Even if you keep him, I won’t acknowledge him, and I certainly won’t love him.”
Osbourne fell silent. He didn’t want to force him this way, but he couldn’t bear it anymore. He forgot that he would have to live like this with another person, which would be more painful than death.
He was just grateful that they still had a last connection, preventing him from completely losing this person.
“Your Highness, I hope you can forgive me.” After saying this, he glanced at Orwell beside him, lingered for a moment, and then left.
*
The newly developed database by the Research Institute established coverage over the entire central network control of the Empire in just one week. The first system to establish contact with the central network was the healthcare system, directly related to the lives of the Empire’s citizens.
M City, the central city of the Empire, was the first city to be established. Upon its launch, it received countless cheers. As the population center and political-economic hub of the Empire, M City faced concentration of people and shortages in social and public resources and facilities. Through the central network, it could more effectively utilize surrounding cities to address this issue, stimulating the development of surrounding cities and providing practical assistance to the people of the Empire.
This nation-benefiting initiative received unanimous praise from the people of the Empire. Director Noah’s explanatory video about the central network quickly spread throughout the entire Empire.
However, the video became controversial due to Director Noah’s revelation that the project, from proposal to implementation, took a total of five years, with actual implementation occurring in just one year. The breakthrough progress was achieved in a mere two months.
The project’s core, a completely revolutionary algorithm, is the reason for this swift development. Details of this algorithm will be released to the Empire free of charge in the coming month.
—”Iger Algorithm”? What? What is this? Is it the Iger I’m thinking of?
—I didn’t pay attention when I saw the project’s signature before. I can’t believe it’s true! No wonder Director Noah personally endorsed it.
—Oh my, Iger is amazing! So, according to Director Noah, our Iger has truly done something beneficial for the nation and the people. Look at the neighboring Henny Star system, still bragging about their third-generation network center controller. Let’s compare and see if they dare to show off after we punch them in the face. Our controller is now ahead of theirs by eight hundred years!
—By the way, after finishing this discussion, make sure to check the neighboring area. It’s hot news that Prince Iger and General Osbourne are getting remarried… You might not believe it when I say it.
Palace.
In the study of His Majesty the King, Iger leaned back on the luxurious European-style sofa, appearing seemingly indifferent. However, there was an indescribable restlessness between his brows, like a blend of calmness and impulsiveness, as if he were already on the edge.
Osbourne poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of him, remaining silent.
Although he understood that the King’s decision had long been firm and would not waver no matter what happened, seeing him like this still saddened Osbourne.
In the quiet space, Iger seemed unable to endure it, standing up and walking to the window.
Osbourne wanted to say something to comfort him, but he had no idea what to say. Regardless, he wouldn’t back down today.
At last, after an unknown amount of time, the door to the study was pushed open by a servant.
Behind the king, who leaned on a magnificent cane with a lion’s head, there was also his father, Colonel Beaumont.
The king had just learned everything from Colonel Beaumont, and there was a complex expression in his eyes as he looked at Osbourne. He never expected the other party to go to such lengths.
A distinguished Imperial Marshal was willing to pay such a significant price for Iger. It was hard to say whether it was ignorance or impulsiveness.
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