The rear half of the car hung dangerously in a precarious position along the winding airborne track, and a slight oversight could lead to a complete crash here.
The sound of the wind pierced through the shattered glass windows like a spiderweb. Iger attempted to move, but the dented car door pressed him so firmly that he couldn’t budge an inch.
At that moment, with a deafening roar, an explosion echoed. Towering flames accompanied by thick, black smoke rose, creating a gaping hole in the night sky.
Crackle—
Iger forcefully broke the protruding piece of metal embedded in his leg, disabled the car’s rigid security protocols, and forcefully pushed open the door. The acrid and suffocating smoke instantly filled his nostrils.
The other hovering car that collided with him had already completely crashed and exploded on the first highway. Many branches of the surrounding greenery were scorched, and as the wind blew, scattered sparks continued to spread. Meanwhile, the previously disrupted communication device returned to normal, emitting a series of beeping notification sounds.
[Our lovely and kind Second Prince is really too unlucky. The probability of encountering a natural disaster seems way too high.]
Chu Yan stood by the roadside: [Darling, you really are a naive sweetie.]
[QAQ, I swear I’m not.]
[No need to argue, you definitely are.]
Iger walked down the pedestrian pathway on the other side. At this moment, dozens of imperial floating cars arrived successively at the scene. The entire road sounded the red alarm, and countless vehicles had to choose to either return the way they came or find an alternative route. As soon as Osbourne got out of the car, he saw His Highness standing in the cold night, his clothes and face stained with fresh, undried red blood. The car behind him was almost completely deformed, barely holding on to avoid a total crash.
“Your Highness!”
Just a bit more, and his momentarily paralyzed heart suddenly skipped a beat. He walked over and checked on Iger. Apart from the severe wound on his leg, everything else was minor abrasions.
Seeming to sense his tense nerves, Iger comforted him, saying, “I’m fine.”
Osbourne relaxed a bit, holding his hand and gently guiding him to lean against him, instructing him not to put any pressure on his injured leg. He nodded and then wordlessly carried him back into the car. Fortunately, the interior was spacious and comfortable enough. Osbourne carefully avoided the wound on his leg and placed him on a stretcher bed.
“General Osbourne, please let us check His Highness first.”
Although Osbourne slightly stepped aside at the words, he still held onto Iger’s hand as if thawereas the only way to reassure himself. Seeing the medical personnel mercilessly tear open the wound on his leg, letting the profuse blood flow out, his fingers couldn’t help but tremble.
Emotions churned in Osbourne’s lowered eyes. He hadn’t protected his Highness. From the moment of rebirth, he thought he had prepared for everything, but he still allowed His Highness to fall into such danger again.
After about half an hour, when the wound was cleaned, disinfected, and bandaged, the doctor concluded, “The wound on the leg is more severe, while the others are just superficial injuries. However, it’s still necessary to go to the hospital for further examination to rule out any internal injuries caused by the impact.”
Osbourne nodded, watching the doctor leave before turning to Iger and speaking in a hoarse voice, “Your Highness, this was not an accident.”
He clearly knew in advance but still let His Highness get hurt.
Iger shifted back, leaning against the back of the seat. He looked at Osbourne and said with a pale face, “Perhaps.”
Osbourne tentatively tried to hold his hand gently, feeling the cold sweat in his palm. After realizing that Iger didn’t resist, he tightened his grip a bit. His heart couldn’t help but feel both bitter and painful. He thought that after doing such a thing, His Highness would no longer forgive him, at least not this quickly.
He understood His Highness’s struggle and pain. However, it was this quick acceptance and forgiveness that made his heart ache even more, unable to suppress the warmth he felt for His Highness’s unspoken concern.
“The situation is not yet conclusive, but that car is indeed suspicious. I’m more curious about why you arrived so quickly.”
Osbourne paused for a moment in his movements, then made Iger sit more comfortably against him. Iger didn’t refuse; instead, he hugged Osbourne’s waist and rested his forehead against the nape of Osbourne’s neck.
“Your Highness.” Osbourne cleared his throat, wanting to answer but not knowing how to explain. Fortunately, Iger didn’t press for more. Osbourne was concerned about the injuries to his body, so he cautiously held onto his shoulders.
After an uncertain amount of time, even in this silent atmosphere, Osbourne cherished it immensely.
“I was actually scared in that moment just now. I lied to you before. I want this child. I want to witness his birth. I think maybe I can strive to be a good father.” His voice was soft. He gently touched Osbourne’s abdomen with his hand, paused, and continued, “Osbourne, let’s forget about the past.”
After hearing his words, it was as if a giant whale turned over in Osbourne’s heart, creating a towering wave. He hugged Iger tightly, suppressing the burning warmth in his eyes, and whispered, “Alright.”
“Your Highness…” He couldn’t help it, almost reverently, and placed a gentle kiss on Iger’s wound. This was his Highness, the meaning of his life, and no one could be better than him.
Iger’s eyes flickered, allowing his movements. After a while, he reached out and gently touched Osbourne’s dark short hair, whispering, “I want to eat the food you cook. Others can’t compare.”
Osbourne paused and smiled faintly. On his stern face, it seemed as if ice and snow had cracked, revealing a gentle interior. His blue eyes focused on Iger. “What does Your Highness want to eat?”
The corners of Iger’s lips also curled up. “Let’s talk about it after we go back.”
The armed forces brought by Osbourne quickly sealed off the scene. After about three minutes, the police and ambulances arrived one after another.
The police couldn’t help but feel a bit bewildered at the situation, but, seeing the rows of elite armed forces belonging to the empire, they vaguely speculated that this might not be a simple car accident and could be related to the royal family.
In an era where all information could spread throughout the empire overnight, soon, discussions about the harrowing accident of the Empire’s Second Prince in the northwest L Street of the city last night were all over the star network. The topic was simply too high due to the Second Prince’s inherent popularity.
Due to the intervention of the imperial authorities, the police couldn’t immediately take charge of restoring the scene. The crashed and exploded vehicles caused a complete blockage of the national highway throughout the night.
Meanwhile, the next day, the military and political center announced the activation of a Level 1 security response. In the morning, at 6 a.m., they released a statement claiming that the car accident last night was not accidental and that imperial authorities were already involved in the investigation.
—Is someone trying to harm the Second Prince? By the way, isn’t the Second Prince rarely involved in politics? Could this offend someone?
—The core project of the Empire’s research institute has a significant impact on the Empire. At such a critical moment, the safety of the Second Prince should indeed be taken seriously.
The guards at the entrance of the Imperial Hospital stood ready, surrounding the hospital like an impregnable fortress. Many media reporters were stuck at the entrance, unable to enter. There were even guards stationed in nearby buildings, creating a tense atmosphere everywhere.
After the suturing surgery, the King, Queen Mother, and Crown Prince visited first. After learning that the injuries were not severe, they left in a hurry.
Ian walked to the door, facing Osbourne, who was explaining something to his subordinates. “Osbourne, can we talk alone?”
Since learning the truth of that year and knowing what His Highness suffered because of the Queen Mother and the Crown Prince, Osbourne has developed a dislike for Ian. “What you want to say, you can say it here, Prince Ian.”
Seeing his indifferent attitude, Ian couldn’t help but show a somewhat hurt expression on his face. He approached him, saying, “Osbourne, we grew up together. Why have you always been hostile to me? Did Iger say something to you? You know Iger is always capricious…”
Osbourne, usually calm, finally couldn’t suppress a hint of anger on his face. Considering this was a hospital, he said, “Enough, Your Highness. You have no right to say how His Highness is. If Prince Ian says such words again, I’ll have someone escort you out.”
“You…” Ian’s face turned a bit pale and ugly. No one had ever spoken to him like this. As the Imperial Crown Prince, everyone he met was respectful. Only this person had never shown him any courtesy.
Suddenly, in the corner of his eye, he saw someone not far behind Osbourne. The anger on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by a friendly smile as he spoke to Osbourne, “Since today is inconvenient for you, let’s find another time to meet.”
Osbourne frowned slightly, but he saw Ian walking away after saying this.
“Your Highness, why are you standing here?” Orwell got the news from his father last night, and his heart nearly stopped. However, due to the strict security measures, he couldn’t enter last night. He had to obtain a pass from his father this morning.
“Orwell.”
Osbourne heard the voice, turned around, and saw Iger standing at the door. He immediately walked over and supported him, preventing him from putting too much weight on his legs. He said, “Why did you come out?”
Iger simply shifted his entire weight onto him, his face paler than paper. “What were you talking about with him just now?”
Orwell’s joy at seeing Iger unharmed faded when he realized the intimacy between the two was not something he could intervene in. Had the misunderstandings between them been completely resolved? And, indeed, if His Highness loved this person so deeply, what chance did he have?
But this self-pitying mood didn’t last long; he quickly pulled himself together.
Osbourne was afraid of misunderstandings and tried to explain, but he was not good at words. He was anxious for a long time and didn’t know what to say.
“Never mind. Let’s go in. My leg hurts a lot.”
Osbourne only realized and immediately carried him back into the ward, rolled up his pants, and examined the wound on his leg. As expected, he found that the previously bandaged wound had reopened, and even the thick gauze was soaked with blood.
Orwell watched as Iger obediently let Osbourne, the general, examine his wound. He didn’t even move his eyes away from him, even though he was covered in cold sweat. Besides the bitterness, a strong sense of envy rose in his heart.
Does General Osbourne know that His Highness has such precious feelings for him? If he could have one percent of that, he would probably feel immensely happy.
After re-treating the wound, Iger finally looked at Orwell beside him. His gaze was subtly complex, and he said, “Orwell, why did you come?”
Orwell forced a smile, trying to make his expression look more natural. “Your Highness, I heard you had a car accident and wanted to check on you. Since you’re okay, I’ll leave now.”
Here, he wasn’t needed. Staying here would not only disturb His Highness but also make things difficult for himself.
Orwell left in a somewhat embarrassed manner. Iger turned his gaze to Osbourne. “Why didn’t you ask about my relationship with him?”
Osbourne adjusted his leg’s position so he could lie more comfortably. “I trust Your Highness.”
After going through all this, if he still couldn’t trust His Highness’s feelings for him, even if His Highness could forgive him, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.
Iger’s expression changed slightly after hearing this. “Do you think I don’t trust you enough?”
Osbourne hesitated for a moment, then realized. “No, I’m just afraid of causing misunderstandings with Your Highness. I know Prince Ian has a special status and won’t do anything to make Your Highness unhappy again.”
Iger blinked and then placed a hand on the wide leather belt of Osbourne’s military uniform, which was tightly fastened, outlining his well-built figure. With a narrow waist and long legs, he asked a question, “Wouldn’t the baby feel stuffy like this?”
Osbourne’s ears turned slightly red, and he had never thought about this question. He hadn’t learned anything about Omega’s pre-marital courses. It seemed he needed to study it later. After a moment of thought, he explained, “Your Highness, the baby is still very small. It shouldn’t be an issue.”
Iger seemed to accept his explanation, closed his eyes wearily, and rested his head on Osbourne’s lower abdomen before quickly falling asleep.
The investigation results came out within two hours. The driver of the floating car had been burned to a crisp, making it impossible to identify the person by their facial features. Additionally, the car was equipped with a signal jammer and a timed incendiary device; everything was very cautious, leaving no unnecessary clues.
Osbourne had investigated before, but in his previous life, the incident happened suddenly, and he couldn’t get any clues. This time, the other party had been inactive, making it even more challenging to find leads.
Fortunately, there’s always a flaw in the perfect plan. The identity of the corpse became a clue. In just one day, Osbourne learned the person’s identity—a 35-year-old murderer with only an elderly mother at home.
Given that he was a killer, someone likely used his family to threaten him, forcing him to take on this risky and irreversible mission.
After a day of examining the case files, Osbourne realized it was already late when he looked up. Suddenly, he remembered that Iger mentioned wanting to eat the food he had prepared. Since His Highness had little appetite after the surgery, Osbourne had someone buy fresh ingredients and vegetables, intending to cook for him directly at the hospital.
Wondering what His Highness was doing—whether sleeping, watching movies, reading, or simply lost in thought—Osbourne parked the car at the hospital. His subordinate handed him the groceries, and while briefing Osbourne briefly on the day’s events, they took the elevator to the seventh floor.
Guarded by security at the elevator entrance and stationed guards at each ward, Osbourne finally felt a bit relieved.
And then it happened.
Bang, bang!
Two abrupt gunshots shattered the silence, accompanied by the screams of nurses and the chaotic footsteps of people. The hospital defense system was breached, triggering alarms, and the shrill sound of sirens filled the air.
Osbourne’s heart skipped a beat, and his mind went blank for a moment. The groceries he was carrying fell to the ground as he hurriedly ran towards the ward where Iger was.
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