The guards at the entrance quickly reacted. The ward door was forcefully kicked open, and the screams of the nurses became even more audible. Osbourne’s gaze swiftly scanned the room, spotting Iger leaning in the corner, his entire arm stained a vivid red with blood, and his complexion extremely pale. Osbourne’s heart shook, ready to approach. However, at that moment, infrared dots swiftly flashed in front of him. A frightened nurse suddenly stood up and rushed out.
“Get down!”
Another extremely sharp sound of breaking the air resounded. Accompanied by the renewed screams of two nurses crouching in the corner and the sound of bullets piercing through the bulletproof glass windows on the side of the ward, a very long crack appeared on the smooth glass, glaringly visible.
The nurse, frightened, collapsed on the floor. Osbourne raised his gun, aiming in the direction of the infrared signal from the opposite building.
—Bang!
The bullet sliced through the air, a sharp noise followed, and the glass of the opposite building shattered into countless pieces, losing its cover. The people on the other side were quickly exposed to the guards.
“Go call the doctor!” Osbourne holstered his gun and immediately went to check on Iger’s injuries. He found that it was just a bullet graze on the arm—no life-threatening danger. A suspended heart finally settled down.
“In the building opposite, Muller, take some men with you.”
His subordinate immediately understood his meaning, leaving some people here for protection while quickly heading to the ward.
The nurse by Iger’s side also had a pale face, shaking uncontrollably with fear. After hearing Osbourne’s words, she finally reacted, looked at Iger beside her, and her eyes turned red.
If His Highness hadn’t shielded her just now, she might have already died. Clearly, protecting His Highness was their duty, but he had taken the bullet for her.
Iger looked at Osbourne, whose face was pale, and raised his other uninjured arm to reach out and hold his hand. Sensing that the other was almost uncontrollably trembling, he smiled slightly, “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Osbourne knew that the situation here was still very dangerous, so he didn’t dare to slack off for a moment. He nodded and said, “Your Highness, let’s leave here.”
“Okay.” Iger raised his eyes, but suddenly his movement froze. He saw two very faint infrared dots flash in front of him.
Osbourne carefully prepared to avoid the wound and picked him up. However, as he was about to stand up, a tremendous force suddenly pushed him away. Because he was afraid of hurting Iger, Osbourne didn’t use much force, so he was unexpectedly pushed away. At that moment, his heart contracted suddenly, followed by a very familiar gunshot. Almost simultaneously, warm liquid splashed in front of him, and a thick mist of blood diffused.
Osbourne froze for a second. Before Iger fell, he instinctively embraced his body. Then he turned around abruptly. His gaze caught a figure swiftly passing by the window of the building next door. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, pulled the trigger, and shot several consecutive bullets at that figure. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. When the guards around him reacted, Osbourne had already thrown away his gun, stood up, and walked quickly toward the door, holding the person in his arms.
In just these few seconds, blood stains on Iger’s chest had quickly spread, staining the thin pajamas into a dark color. Perhaps the bullet grazed his lung lobe. He coughed painfully a few times, and the hand Osbourne used to press the wound was continuously dyed with more fresh blood. Even in such a situation, he remained conscious, with only his body involuntarily trembling.
[Host, you’re going to die!!!]
[??? Well, I still have lines to say. Wait until I finish.]
[…Are you serious? Can’t you see how desperate I am?]
Osbourne’s eyes were bloodshot, and he heard the suppressed coughing in his throat. Blood continuously overflowed from his mouth, and his hand pressing on the wound was stained with more blood. Sensing his intention to speak, knowing that speaking would increase his pain, Osbourne hurriedly stopped him, his voice trembling. “Your Highness, don’t talk. Just wait a moment, just a moment.”
“Your Highness!” The doctors and nurses who rushed over were all shocked and at a loss. No one expected such a sudden turn of events.
Osbourne held him helplessly, the shocking bloodstains before his eyes completely bewildering him. An unprecedented panic seized his mind, as if something was screaming in his mind, tearing apart his insides and leaving them drenched in fresh blood.
Something had changed, why was it different?
Everything had already ended, hadn’t it? But what was different? Why was everything not the same as in the previous life?
He had been so careful, but why did the worst result still happen?
Without a moment’s delay, after the stretcher and emergency equipment arrived, Osbourne immediately placed him on the stretcher. However, with every movement, as he listened to the painful groans from the person in his arms, Osbourne couldn’t control his trembling hands.
Entering the emergency room, Osbourne watched helplessly as so much blood covered everything, even staining the sheets on the bed.
A sea of red, glaring, and cold.
In front of the icy emergency room, Osbourne looked at the blood on his clothes, finding it hard to believe that all of this was real. It was his negligence. Why is everything different now? Could it be that his rebirth had invisibly changed something?
His mind was both confused and clear, but he couldn’t think at all.
With such a severe injury, every thought about it made Osbourne feel like his heart was being stabbed with steel needles. How much pain must his Highness be enduring?
If his rebirth was only to lead to this result, then what meaning does all of this have?
Osbourne didn’t know what to do if something really happened to his lord. Countless times he had been cautious, yet his lord had suffered such severe injuries for him.
Time passed silently in the cold and quiet surroundings. Osbourne stiffly leaned against the emergency room entrance, unaware of how much time had elapsed. The king and queen arrived. The genuine concern and anxiety on the king’s face were evident, while the queen, with her hypocritical anger and seemingly indifferent words of concern, made Osbourne disdain even the perfunctory responses.
At this moment, Osbourne’s subordinate, Muller, came from the empty corridor and whispered to Osbourne, “General, the two attackers on His Highness Iger have been captured.”
Osbourne nodded, subconsciously looking at the queen nearby. However, she still wore an expression of sorrow, as if she were completely indifferent to this news.
“Osbourne, leave this matter to Muller to handle. Osbourne, you need to rest,” said the king with deep sorrow in his expression. Though he understood Osbourne’s current state, Iger’s life hung in the balance. In case of any mishap, Osbourne might be the only bloodline for Iger.
“Your Majesty, I must personally find the culprit who harmed His Highness Iger. Please understand,” Osbourne pleaded.
The king looked at his pale and desolate face. His attempts to console him were rendered speechless. Harming the royal family was a serious crime, and whoever was caught must face severe punishment.
The surgery lasted for a full thirteen hours. Osbourne didn’t even know how long he had waited in the cold and despair. The king and queen had already left for the rest room. The surgery room was now empty except for Os and the stationed guards. At some point, the door to the emergency room finally opened.
Osbourne watched as the doctors and nurses walked out. His vision was blurry, and all he could see were the crimson stains on the doctors’ and nurses’ surgical gowns. Osbourne took two steps forward, and his previously stiff and cold body suddenly experienced a sharp pain from his lower abdomen. Panic surged within him as the pain intensified, causing cold sweat to break out. In a state of near-helplessness, he pressed his hands against his abdomen. The nearby doctor was startled but quickly approached to assist. However, Osbourne couldn’t help but ask, “How is His Highness now?”
“Second Prince, the bullet has been removed from his body. However, due to the bullet grazing the lung, the respiratory system is severely damaged. He hasn’t yet passed the critical period. General Osbourne, please be prepared for the worst. I will inform you truthfully about His Majesty’s condition.”
Osbourne’s heart, already cold and stiff, suddenly experienced a sharp pain. He spoke with a hoarse voice, “Can I go see His Highness now?”
The doctor looked at Osbourne, whose face resembled gold paper, and the bloodstains on his face and body were yet to be cleaned. The wrinkles in his military uniform made him look quite disheveled. “Not now, General. Please rest a bit and have something to eat. I will notify you as soon as His Highness is out of danger.”
Osbourne nodded, understanding that he needed to rest. Even without considering his own condition, he had to think about the child—his and His Highness’s child. He had no right to be reckless. If he couldn’t even protect His Highness’s child, what face would he have to meet His Highness?
Being able to enter the building on the opposite side, which was heavily guarded and armed, suggested collusion with internal personnel. Osbourne had identified a key figure within a short day—Sylle, responsible for inspecting and patrolling the personnel entering and exiting nearby buildings. His file was peculiar, with detailed records of five years of battlefield experience but vague information on other aspects, and some details were incomplete.
And, most importantly, Osbourne discovered through further investigation that Vice Admiral Sylle had once been a member of the current Queen Mother’s family, the House of Lyps. Moreover, the guns in the hands of the two assassins were specialized military weapons. The only people in the entire empire authorized to use these weapons, apart from Osbourne and his father, were the Royal Guards of the King.
Osbourne, upon learning this result, wasn’t entirely surprised. He could even vaguely guess the reasons why the Queen Consort would take such actions. However, he still felt a shock because, having grown up in the military, he understood that while the battlefield was cruel, everyone’s weapons were aimed at the enemy, and no one would point the dark and ominous barrel of a gun at their own people.
The thought of His Highness lying in critical condition in the intensive care unit while the mastermind behind the attack remained at large uncontrollably stirred emotions in Osbourne.
Knock, knock.
Colonel Beaumont knocked on the door. “Osbourne.”
Osbourne detached himself from his complex thoughts and looked up. “Father.”
Colonel Beaumont stood by the desk, observing his son’s expression. In a solemn tone, he said, “Osbourne, you haven’t slept for two days. I don’t want to see you collapse before His Highness wakes up.”
“I won’t.” Osbourne stood up, concealing the profound pain in his eyes. He looked at Colonel Beaumont, unsure if the latter was addressing him or reminding himself. “Father, I will wait until His Highness wakes up.”
Colonel Beaumont’s usually composed expression changed, and he spoke sternly, “Osbourne, haven’t you considered the child? I disapproved of your use of the child as leverage for remarrying His Highness back then, and now you’re treating your and His Highness’s flesh and blood so irresponsibly. It truly disappoints me.”
After hearing this, Osbourne was stunned for a moment. Then he whispered, “Father, if His Highness really…” He didn’t finish his sentence. Following a sudden palpitation, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, as if all the strength in his body had been abruptly drained away.
He had never thought that, as a Beta, he would one day bear a child. It was only because the person he loved was the Empire’s Highness. He didn’t want His Highness to have regrets because of being with him, so he chose this path.
The back of his hand, hanging at his side, was clenched with visible tension. Osbourne collapsed back into the chair, cold sweat dripping from his pale forehead. He immediately reached for the first drawer on his left, grabbed a bottle of medicine, and swallowed two pills without hesitation.
But if His Highness was no longer there, what meaning did the existence of this child hold? He even considered that it might be his and the child’s existence that made the assailant feel threatened, prompting them to take such a risky action to harm His Highness. Before this, His Highness had always been safe because his presence posed no threat to anyone.
Colonel Beaumont was alarmed by his son’s condition. He had never seen Osbourne so weak before and quickly said, “I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Osbourne initially wanted to refuse, but this time was different. Along with the intense pain in his abdomen, there was a strong palpitation. He couldn’t afford to be careless, especially since this was His Highness’s child. He didn’t want anything untoward to happen at this critical time.
After the examination, Osbourne was forcibly ordered to rest in bed. Reluctant, because he had many things to do, he couldn’t explain how these two days felt so incredibly long for him. His Highness hadn’t woken up for a day, and he couldn’t possibly fall asleep.
“Doctor, how is His Highness?” Osbourne stood outside the sterile ward, unable to see His Highness. The days without being able to see him made him feel extremely uneasy, even if it was just for a glance.
He really wanted to see His Highness…
“The situation is not optimistic,” the doctor could only speak the truth, “The bullet pierced almost through the chest. Thanks to His Highness’s young age and good health, otherwise, he might not have held on until now.”
Osbourne, after hearing this, remained unusually silent. Only his cracked, bloodless lips trembled slightly. He didn’t say a word. In fact, he seemed to have a vague premonition of the outcome, but he still refused to accept it.
In the royal palace, in the king’s study:
Smack—
A crisp sound echoed as the queen covered her face, falling onto the carpet. Her well-maintained face showed almost no traces of aging. Tears streamed down, and her teary eyes seemed to carry a pitiful meaning. She bit her lower lip gently, sobbing silently, displaying an extremely pathetic appearance.
The king threw the documents in his hand in front of her. Unlike before, he didn’t pull his fragile wife into his arms to comfort her. His stern face was full of anger, making him appear terrifyingly fierce. “You misused my seal to deploy prohibited weapons, and now you want to argue with me?”
The queen crawled to the king’s feet, hugging one of his legs. She raised her face to look at the king, crying in an extremely weak and humble manner, “I must have been framed. How could I dare? Your Majesty, don’t you understand me?”
“I don’t know anything at all. If Your Majesty really thinks I’m such a malicious woman, then go ahead and execute me. After all, my status is humble. Having received Your Majesty’s favor for so many years, I would have no regrets even if I died.”
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