Cannon Fodder Scum Gong Ending
The Second Prince of the Empire has encountered a mysterious car accident. The Royal Guard has been mobilized, but the exact truth has not yet been determined.
—Perhaps some rumors have caused a stir, but I’m not interested in the accident. By the way, when will General Osbourne’s divorce notice with the Second Prince come out? I’ll be the first to set off fireworks in celebration.
—To be blunt, the Second Prince’s recent actions have made me nauseous. He actually refuses to divorce. Doesn’t he have any remorse for what he has done?
—General Osbourne, in the future, be careful when choosing a lover. Don’t be deceived by someone who is indecisive and unrepentant. In plain terms, the Second Prince probably has never genuinely liked General Osbourne. If the Second Prince were more straightforward during the divorce, maybe I wouldn’t look down on him as I do now.
Countless people sympathize with General Osbourne, as if they were personally involved. They feel a deep sense of indignation and genuine emotion. After all, during their marriage, the Second Prince was involved in numerous scandals, and his attitude towards marriage seemed very casual, lacking any sense of responsibility and loyalty.
And now, shamelessly leveraging the privileges of the royal family, the Second Prince is dragging General Osbourne along. His behavior can be described as utterly shameless.
In the corridors of the Imperial Hospital, the military boots made a faint sound, but in the spacious hallway, it seemed exceptionally quiet.
The guard at the door, upon seeing the newcomer, performed a standard military salute. “General.”
Osbourne nodded slightly but inquired, “What are you doing here?”
The subordinate at the door immediately explained, “The Second Prince said he wanted to rest, so he kicked all of us out.”
Osbourne fell silent for a moment. His brow remained tightly furrowed, whether because of his subordinate’s words or something else, it seemed that during this time, no matter what he did, it was wrong. He didn’t even know what kind of outcome he truly wanted.
He didn’t need any further involvement with Iger, and he shouldn’t interfere in this matter anymore. It could be left entirely to the Royal Guard to handle.
His gaze fixed on the tightly closed door for a while before he lowered his eyes, pushed open the door, and entered the hospital room.
However, as soon as he entered, his eyes swept around the room only to find the person who should have been obediently lying in bed to recover was casually leaning on the balcony, seemingly unconcerned, watching the scenery as if nothing had happened. The guards from the opposite building were diligently patrolling and investigating, creating a tense atmosphere everywhere. Yet this person seemed to dismiss the situation entirely, almost indifferent to what had happened during the dangerous car accident a few nights ago.
This was also what made him hesitate. In his previous life, there was no such car accident. Did this mean that many things were different now?
Osbourne withdrew his gaze and bent down to pick up the scattered slippers on the floor, placing them back in their original positions. Only then did he straighten up and stare at the figure’s back, his gaze descending from the top to finally settle on the person’s left leg.
It seemed that the other person noticed the movement on this side. When he turned to see Osbourne approaching, he even smiled and said, “General Osbourne, how come you have the time to come over? It’s quite a surprise.”
Although his smile appeared genuine, the tone and words used were quite ambiguous. Osbourne furrowed his brows, and his discomfort became even more apparent.
So, compared to Iger’s casual and seemingly familiar attitude, Osbourne’s expression was notably cold, and his tone showed no change whatsoever. “There’s no obstruction on the balcony. Once there’s any negligence, Your Highness will completely expose yourself to danger. Has Sir Sylle not instructed Your Highness not to go there?”
“No, I just felt a bit suffocated staying in the hospital room.” After being reprimanded by Osbourne, Iger was a bit unhappy. He couldn’t help but offer a small explanation for himself before slowly walking back. His pace was slow, indicating that his injuries had not fully recovered.
As he walked towards the bed, he said, “But I did notice that there was something wrong with the car that hit me. You must catch the culprit. I have full confidence in you.”
Osbourne remained in place, unmoving, watching as he returned to the bed. His gaze shifted slightly. After a moment, he said, “Your Highness, do you really have no leads, such as having offended someone or…”
He subtly paused at this point, but the sarcasm in his tone was undisguised. “Or perhaps, Your Highness, in your leniency, have you provoked someone to seek revenge?”
Iger remained stunned for quite a while after hearing his words. Osbourne, on the other hand, quickly realized that his remark was unexpectedly harsh. It wasn’t like him to speak in such a manner, and saying these words didn’t bring him any sense of satisfaction.
A heavy and unspoken atmosphere lingered in the air. Eventually, Osbourne broke the silence, saying, “Furthermore, Your Highness, it would be best for you to be more discreet during this time. Your recent scandals have been too numerous. Our divorce statement hasn’t been released yet. Your actions not only affect your reputation but also cause me considerable trouble.”
Iger, upon hearing this, changed his previous silence and chuckled sarcastically. “You’re divorcing me, and yet you’re still concerned about all this? I haven’t complained about how your affair with Ian has been troubling me. Anyway, we’re each doing our own thing. What grievances do you have?”
“But don’t think it’s as simple as you and Ian living happily ever after because I will never agree to it.”
He said this purely to retaliate, and it was meant to provoke Osbourne. Indeed, after hearing these words, Osbourne’s face turned pale, as if he had been deeply insulted.
“You…” Osbourne’s expression became even more unpleasant, appearing angry but trying hard to restrain himself. “There is absolutely no relationship between me and the Crown Prince. Your Highness, just because you’re unfaithful in your own relationships, don’t assume the whole world is like you.”
Iger, quite adept at adapting to situations, coldly chuckled, “I might have overestimated you. General, condescendingly sending someone to protect me. I shouldn’t have thought that way, and I appreciate it.”
To be honest, if Chu Yan were in his shoes, he wouldn’t bother with the life or death of this shameless ex-husband. Only the male protagonist could have such a broad-minded attitude.
After hearing this, Osbourne didn’t know whether Iger was being sarcastic or speaking sincerely. His originally furrowed brows deepened even further. “It’s just a matter of duty. Your Highness, as long as you cooperate, it will be fine.”
Iger closed his mouth, and for a while, neither of them spoke. The hospital room once again fell into silence.
Osbourne recalled the rumors circulating on StarNet, mostly criticizing this person. He didn’t understand why he felt so angry. Clearly, no one knew better than himself that those rumors were all true, whether in the previous life or this one. Iger had never changed. However, the person involved seemed completely indifferent to the negative comments on StarNet.
Just then, a voice came from the door of the hospital room, saying, “Your Highness.”
The door opened as Ian entered. Iger turned to look at the entrance and found his brother, Crown Prince Ian. When Ian saw Osbourne standing in the room, his expression briefly showed surprise, but he quickly turned to Iger and said, “I heard you were injured, Iger. I came to check on you.”
Iger rested his chin on his hand, nodding as he replied, “Really? What a coincidence. General Osbourne happened to come today. Did you plan this?”
Faced with such a sarcastic remark, Ian seemed unfazed. He remained remarkably tolerant, perhaps reflecting an indifferent attitude toward failure. In reality, even though Ian held the best cards in hand, his actions were tantamount to digging his own grave. The current situation was entirely of his own making.
“No, it’s just a coincidence,” Ian replied calmly.
After saying that, Ian turned to Osbourne with a smile, “But this matter is indeed very serious, it concerns Iger’s safety. So, General, I appreciate your extra attention to this.”
Osbourne responded in a businesslike manner, although his tone was not as stern and unfriendly as before, “Your Highness is too kind. It’s just part of my duty.”
“Iger has a bad temper, and sometimes his words aren’t pleasant. Don’t take it to heart,” Ian added.
Osbourne glanced at the person sitting nearby and noticed that he seemed annoyed. “Hey! I’m not dead yet, and the divorce isn’t finalized. Do you two need to be so obvious with your expressions in front of me?”
In frustration, Iger’s tone turned cold. He grabbed a pillow and threw it at Ian. With a dull thud, the soft and white feathers inside the pillow floated out, and a few strands comically stuck to Ian’s well-groomed hair, creating a somewhat ludicrous sight.
Iger raised an eyebrow and smiled, “You said it, my temper isn’t good.”
It was a portrayal that was both foolish and malicious, depicting the antagonist vividly.
Ian, however, stood still for a moment, showing no signs of anger. After a while, he sighed slightly, tidied up the feathers on him, and awkwardly smiled at Osbourne before turning and leaving without saying a word.
“You too, get out,” Iger said, sitting on the bed with his arms crossed. He looked at Osbourne and continued, “I don’t need your protection.”
Instead of leaving, Osboure approached Iger, his upright posture and imposing presence giving off a hint of oppression. “Iger, is this what you really want, or is it deliberate? I don’t understand what you consider our marriage. A game you play when you feel like it and stop when you don’t?”
“But even if you disagree, it doesn’t affect me at all.”
Iger sat there, feeling a bit overwhelmed, but his voice remained cold. “You, just like Ian, make me dislike you. Hypocritical and extremely fake! He likes you, so I won’t divorce you. It’ll infuriate him.”
After hearing this, Osbourne’s expression remained unchanged, and he even smiled. “And what about Your Highness? How about yourself? If it weren’t for your status, how many people do you think would like and respect you? During these days when you were injured, besides me and the supposedly hypocritical Ian, did anyone else come to see you?”
Sometimes, people only realize how hurtful their words are when they hear similar words in return.
Indeed, the other person clearly didn’t expect him to say such things, and their expression changed.
Osbourne couldn’t describe the feeling he had when he uttered those words. There was no sense of satisfaction; instead, his chest felt a dull ache.
In his original plan, the worst-case scenario was that they would become strangers afterward. However, Iger seemed determined to deplete his last ounce of patience and affection.
Perhaps he was always like this, akin to a hedgehog covered in spines. Anyone who got close to him would be indiscriminately attacked and hurt by him. But people weren’t ignorant or oblivious. After a while, when others were left battered and bruised, disheartened, and cold, they would start to resist, using equally sharp spines to sting him. It was only then that he would finally understand how painful it could be.
But Iger was only momentarily choked by his words. Soon, he coldly smiled and said, “Who says there isn’t? Weren’t you infatuated with me before? The moment you heard I was in danger, didn’t you come rushing to protect me? Don’t you admit that there are unresolved feelings on your part?”
Osbourne’s demeanor seemed unaffected, and there was even a faint coldness in his sea-blue eyes. His tone remained indifferent, “Your Highness, you are correct. However, as you mentioned, that was in the past. Regarding this matter, I’ll leave it entirely to Vice Admiral Sylle. Also, the divorce agreement, whether you sign it or not, doesn’t matter. In any case, constantly enduring criticism is only for you. It won’t affect me in the slightest.”
Iger had never known that the other party could be so articulate and eloquent. It seemed like he truly couldn’t outwit him. Iger grabbed another pillow from the bed, preparing to throw it at Osbourne just like before. However, at that moment, Osbourne effortlessly pressed it back down, preventing Iger from carrying out his plan.
His grip was exceptionally strong, and Iger felt like his wrist was being crushed. After struggling for a while, he angrily bit down, forcing himself to release his hand.
Swearing wouldn’t help, and it felt like a futile struggle. Unable to win a fight and easily overpowered, Iger could only stare at him with resentment.
His light brown eyes were filled with indignant anger, and the Second Prince, once so intimate, now found himself in such an embarrassing situation, leaving Osbourne feeling desolate.
Osbourne finally withdrew his hand, only to see Iger turn his face away fiercely. “Get out, I want to sleep!”
As promised, Osbourne refrained from interfering with the work of the Royal Guard. After all, this was an internal matter of the royal family, and he, in the end, was just an external general. Given the strained relationship between him and Ig, he neither had the qualifications nor the reason to get involved.
Moreover, the time for the previous assassination attempt had long passed, and the cause of the car accident had been identified. It was indeed a case of someone trying to stir up trouble by provoking a bad romance.
Unexpectedly, after half a month, Iger took the initiative to sign the divorce agreement. Osbourne received the news through his subordinates, and he didn’t even see Iger in person.
As he wished, the two of them had very little interaction thereafter.
Osbourne neatly kept the divorce agreement, but instead of feeling relieved, he experienced a sense of emptiness, as if something crucial was missing. The time since Iger’s attempted assassination in the previous life had long passed, and Osbourne began to intentionally or unintentionally ignore any news related to Iger.
However, even with this approach, Iger seemed to still infiltrate his life seamlessly. Iger and the King had never gotten along. They frequently argued, and the king sometimes punished Iger severely, even resorting to imprisoning him.
However, Iger seemed completely indifferent. Once the punishment period ended, he continued to act without restraint.
One day, after concluding discussions with his father at the military and political offices, Osbourne walked towards the elevator. From a distance, he saw Iger’s face, and the corners of his mouth were swollen and red. On his fair complexion, it looked especially conspicuous. Iger was pressing the elevator button with an extremely unpleasant expression.
However, upon noticing Osbourne walking towards him, there was a momentary freeze in Iger’s eyes. But soon, he nonchalantly entered the elevator as if nothing had happened.
Osbourne remained silent, standing tall on the other side of the elevator, not even shifting his gaze.
Colonel Beaumont couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness, what happened?”
Iger didn’t respond. He impatiently glanced at the elevator’s floor indicator. When the elevator dinged, signaling its arrival, he hastily walked out, seemingly unwilling to spend an extra moment.
Osbourne involuntarily took a step towards him but abruptly stopped, a sudden realization flashing in his mind. He stood still in his tracks. Colonel Beaumont shook his head and sighed, “His Highness Iger is really…”
After that brief encounter, Osbourne hadn’t seen him for six months. However, he still slept poorly, haunted by dreams. In each dream, Iger’s cold gaze seemed capable of freezing him to the core, leaving him with a profound sense of desolation.
Osbourne got up and walked to the living room, pouring himself a glass of cold water. Despite drinking it, the despair and palpitations from those dreams hadn’t diminished one bit.
Osbourne was met with an unsettling silence in the living room, where the bright lights seemed almost blinding.
Suddenly, breaking the quietness, a jarring beep from a communication device echoed, indicating a new message.
Osbourne walked over to check and found it was from his subordinate. As he opened the message, a chilling sensation ran through his body upon reading the contents.
—His Highness Iger has been attacked. He was shot three times in the chest. The assailant has been apprehended on the spot. General, please come to the military headquarters immediately upon receiving this message. The King, Queen Mother, and Crown Prince are already present.
In this message, there was no information about Iger’s situation. However, by avoiding mentioning it, Osbourne’s last trace of hope was taken away.
At three in the morning, the entrance of the Imperial Hospital was brightly lit. Numerous guards and military hovercars with the royal emblem were parked at the entrance, creating a tightly sealed scene. When Osbourne arrived, he only saw the king and queen standing at the entrance.
The king seemed to have aged significantly overnight. Despite past differences, the notion of losing his own son was difficult to accept. “You’ve arrived just in time. See him one last time. Although Iger has indeed done wrong before, but… sigh, in any case, go and see him.”
One last time?
Osbourne seemed completely oblivious to what the king had said, his mind blank. He stood still for several seconds before finally reacting, only prompted by a concerned reminder from his subordinate, “General.”
It was as if something had sharply pricked his brain, and his entire body seemed to ache. His ears were ringing, and he finally walked towards the emergency room. In reality, Iger had already lost all vital signs on the way, with the three bullets piercing through his chest, leaving no room for survival.
Iger’s skin was icy cold, drenched in crimson blood. However, his expression was peaceful, devoid of any signs of pain, as if he were peacefully asleep.
Osbourne suddenly couldn’t distinguish which nightmare was more terrifying, the one from the previous life or this one.
It seemed like nothing he did was right. If starting over was only for this kind of ending, he couldn’t understand why he had been given a second chance, just to wake up from one nightmare and step into another.
Osbourne couldn’t help but choke back a sob. He finally reached out and held the other person’s hand, feeling the icy temperature. His breath even trembled as he spoke, “Your Highness.”
The words he once used to mock himself have unexpectedly come true. No matter how this little hedgehog pierced and hurt him with its spines, he still loved it. Even though this little hedgehog was full of flaws, he still loved it.
He wasn’t really trying to prove himself or win in this relationship. The things he had been reluctant to admit seemed unnecessary at this moment. Everything seemed unimportant now because nothing had any meaning.
This nightmare was just too long—so long that he didn’t know when it would finally end…
The news of the Second Imperial Prince’s assassination spread throughout the empire the next day, causing a profound shock. The Second Prince had been at the center of attention for the past year, and his sudden death naturally drew widespread concern. The only consolation was that the murderer had been caught on the spot. The specific reasons were still under investigation, but it was likely due to personal grievances.
On the day of the funeral, a light rain fell from the sky. Osbourne, dressed in an all-black suit with a black veil wrapped around his arm, remained standing in place after everyone else had left, resembling a cold sculpture.
Colonel Beaumont sighed and came over to pat his shoulder. “The deceased has passed away. Everything is predetermined in the greater scheme of things, Osbourne. You don’t need to blame yourself.”
Osbourne looked at him as he lifted the umbrella slightly, revealing a pale yet sharp jawline. “Father, if His Highness knew the whole truth, he might never forgive me.”
After uttering those words, Osbourne didn’t leave but stood silently in place. Colonel Beaumont sighed lightly, understanding that Osbourne might need time to accept this harsh reality. Therefore, he reluctantly left, giving Osbourne some solitary space to spend his final moments with the late prince.
Fortunately, Osbourne returned to normalcy after the funeral, and everything seemed unchanged from before.
Until a year later, when neighboring star systems initiated a war, Osbourne once again led his forces into battle, and, true to his reputation, his legion achieved victory in just six months, repelling invaders from other star systems.
However, during the return journey, Osbourne’s starship encountered an unexpected accident. It crashed in the Eastern Ocean of Yadi, succumbing to powerful atmospheric fluctuations.
Regarding this seemingly inexplicable accident, countless imperial citizens speculated whether there was some conspiracy behind it. However, in the end, no conclusive evidence was found.
The loss of a loyal and invincible general has left the people of the empire in inconsolable grief.
Within just a year, the empire has undergone changes that far exceed those of the past decade.
After all, with numerous outstanding military achievements, it was only fitting to recover the general’s remains. Regardless of how impossible it seemed, the empire spared no effort or resources in salvage operations. After nearly half a month, the wreckage of the starship was finally detected. Unfortunately, there were no remains, and it is highly likely that they are forever buried in the vast depths of the sea.
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