The background of the photo was blurry, indicating it was taken in a bar. However, Iger’s face was exceptionally clear, and he was surrounded by a group of boldly dressed Beta. As for why they were Beta, it was because the Empire prohibited Omegas from engaging in the sex industry, making it illegal.
The bar had dim, alluring lights, and the atmosphere was ambiguous. Although there was no expression on his face, Iger was just drinking in the photo. However, the suggestive setting easily led one’s imagination to countless indescribable scenarios.
The comments below were overwhelmingly one-sided. After all, Osbourne had fought for the Empire for over a decade, becoming a hero in the hearts of the Empire’s people. Moreover, with his noble background and handsome appearance, when the news of General Osbourne marrying the Second Prince of the Empire came out, numerous citizens expressed strong dissatisfaction. Some even felt that the royal family was too arrogant. Given General Osbourne’s status, what qualifications did the Second Prince, who had no real power, have?
In the end, Osbourne personally stepped forward, expressing that he had found his true love for life and hoped everyone could offer their blessings.
—Ah, the house has collapsed! This is the attitude of Prince Iger, who has been married for only half a year. It’s really disgusting! I can’t believe I genuinely supported IgOs back then. Unexpectedly, there’s hidden dirt in the sugar… Sorry, it really disgusts me…
—Were the vows made at the wedding thrown to the dogs? Is everyone in the royal family like this? He was caught in the act, so Prince Iger has always been like this in private, right…
—Can they get a divorce? Is the Empire’s marriage law ineffective for the royal family? Did General Osbourne, who risked his life for the Empire, deserve to endure such humiliation when marrying into their royal family? I can’t take it anymore. The more I read, the angrier I get. I won’t read it anymore. Let me know when they get a divorce. A scumbag has no heart and won’t repent.
The Empire has already entered an era tending towards democracy, and royal authority is not inviolable. The comments under these official media outlets are relatively mild. However, on some entertainment media platforms, he has been completely demonized as the scum of the century.
Of course, there are one or two supporters of Iger in there, weakly shouting. It’s just a photo of going to a bar. Even if it’s not taken in bed, what’s wrong with having a drink? But no one would believe that. If it were a high-class bar, it might be acceptable. However, going to a place like this to just have a drink is not something anyone would easily believe.
[Master, they really misunderstood you…After all, you were just going to have a drink…]
[Yeah, what did I do wrong as a little prince who likes to drink?]
Iger turned off the communicator and brewed a cup of coffee for himself. While sipping it, he continued to send messages to harass Osbourne.
As he was in the midst of sending messages, he suddenly noticed an incoming call on his communicator. It was from his adoptive father in this world. The tone of his voice seemed to suppress anger, and the disgust in his tone almost materialized, instructing Iger to come to the Military and Political Building immediately.
Iger nonchalantly responded, but before he could say anything more, the other party hung up.
[Dad doesn’t love me at all. I’m really so pitiful…]
If it weren’t for the hopeful expression on the master’s face, the system might have almost believed him: […]
The Military and Political Building was located not far from the Imperial Parliament and was built within the court protection zone. Armed officers patrolled at the entrance, and nearby stood the post office and customs building. The massive carved characters on the stone wedge at the entrance could be seen from a distance.
Iger’s private hovercar had the royal emblem on its license plate, and the officers at the entrance, upon seeing it, didn’t stop him and allowed him to pass.
Taking the elevator to the twenty-first floor, Iger saw Osbourne in a gray military uniform as soon as the doors opened.
Osbourne, with his short black hair, looked even more tall and sturdy in the military uniform. When he heard the sound and looked up, there was a hint of surprise in his eyes upon seeing Iger.
Sensing his silent questioning, Iger held the elevator, and once Osbourne entered, he released the button and casually smirked, “Come here and get scolded.”
After saying that, he leaned against the elevator and fell silent. Osbourne instantly understood why Iger had come. The news had caused a stir early in the morning, and the king could not let the media tarnish the royal reputation like this.
Their marriage had never been well-received by the public. Osbourne had already experienced numerous rumors about Iger, and whether they were true or false, he couldn’t discern. In his previous life, initially, Iger would explain when confronted, although those explanations could be described as perfunctory. However, later on, he even disdained to offer any explanations.
Osbourne thought he had become numb to it, but facing it again, he realized that the anger within him was still uncontrollable.
Soon, with a “ding,” the elevator stopped at the top floor.
Iger took the lead in exiting the elevator, and Osbourne stared at his figure for a moment before quickly catching up.
Standing at the entrance was Osbourne’s father, also in a gray military uniform. Both in appearance and aura, he was almost identical to Osbourne several decades later. Despite being in his fifties, he still exuded an undeniable dignity.
Osbourne walked over and whispered, “Father.”
Colonel Beaumont, however, didn’t look at Osbourne but shifted his gaze to Iger, saying, “Prince Iger.”
Colonel Beaumont stared at the young man in front of him. Over the decades, his appearance had become more and more similar to that of General Hobark back then. Even when looking at him, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu.
From the very beginning, Colonel Beaumont was dissatisfied with Osbourne and Iger’s marriage. It wasn’t that he had any grievances against the Second Prince, but merely the special identity of this person was a significant hidden danger.
Colonel Beaumont sighed and respectfully said, “Your Highness, His Majesty asks you to go in first.”
*
The spacious room was empty, and the king stood by the window, holding an ornate scepter with a lion’s head. Upon hearing the sound, his gaze, like that of a hawk, turned towards Iger.
“Father.”
Upon seeing this face, the king felt as if an explosive flame had ignited in his mind. He walked forward with large strides, locking eyes with a pair of light brown pupils, but hadn’t spoken yet.
—Smack.
His palm touched Iger’s cheek, creating a crisp sound. Iger’s face was forcefully turned aside, and soon a fiery, stinging sensation spread across his cheek. His ears were ringing.
“Rascal, you’ve disgraced our royal family’s reputation!”
Seemingly unsatisfied, the king raised his hand for a second slap, but Iger grabbed his wrist.
“Isn’t this enough?”
With a resentful look, the king lowered his hand and walked to the desk, directly throwing the newspaper into Iger’s arms. “Take a good look at what you’ve done. Are your years of mischief not enough?”
“Osbourne is outside; you should apologize for your own mistakes.”
Iger didn’t even look and tossed the newspaper into the trash can, sneering, “Losing face? Father, why don’t you ask yourself? My mother married you for three years before giving birth to me. When did that woman give birth to a four-year-old child?”
The king raised his eyes, looking at Iger in disbelief.
“When my mother was alive, you hated her just because you were incompetent. Now that she’s gone, you hate me because you’re still incompetent.”
The king’s face turned pale with anger, his eyes even reddening. “Shut up!”
In his frustration, he grabbed the ashtray on the desk and hurled it toward Iger’s direction.
The hard ashtray rolled down, making a muffled sound as it hit the floor.
Blood dripped down Iger’s temple, and he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his father looked somewhat panicked. The anger on Iger’s face dissipated instantly, but his expression remained cold. He turned away, seemingly unwilling to look at his father any longer.
“Stop saying these things in the future. Why must a father and son act like enemies when they meet?” Iger’s tone was icy, and he turned his face away as if he didn’t want to see him anymore. “Father, do you even acknowledge having a son like me?”
“Why can’t you just behave as the Second Prince of the Empire? Have you done fewer outrageous things over the years? Osbourne has such a high status; you should cherish the fact that he married you!”
Seeing that Iger remained indifferent, the king couldn’t help but feel a sense of frustration and deep powerlessness. He waved his hand, saying, “Forget it, I can’t control you. Take care of yourself.”
Iger sneered, finding it amusing. “Take care of myself. These are the only words you know how to say after all these years.”
The king was momentarily stunned, turned to look at him, and only heard a loud “bang” as the door was forcefully slammed shut, and Iger had already left.
……
At the end of the corridor, by the window, Colonel Beaumont watched his son with a lost expression. The words he had planned to say were instantly swallowed. He asked with heartfelt concern, “What’s going on with you two? Weren’t you all so eager to be together not long ago? How did your relationship encounter problems so quickly?”
Osbourne shook his head, unable to say anything. How could he explain that perhaps Iger never truly liked him from the beginning and that it was all based on deception and manipulation? This shallow and fragile relationship, easily shattered with a single poke, wasn’t even worth mentioning.
Now, if Iger was still willing to play this game of love with him, it was only because he still had some utility.
“But I heard you spent the night in a hotel. Marriage requires time and effort to maintain. You’re already busy with work, and if you don’t invest more effort, relationships are indeed easy to break,” Beaumont remarked.
Osbourne glanced at his father and said, “No, that’s not the issue at all.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the office door opened, and Iger walked out. Half of his face was smeared with still-wet bloodstains. Osbourne’s heart tightened, and he immediately followed.
“What happened?” Osbourne’s gaze fell on the bloodstains on Iger’s forehead. He was about to reach out to check the wound when Iger raised his hand to block him.
Meeting Iger’s cold, disdainful, light brown eyes, Osbourne recognized the familiar expression of disgust. The time seemed to stretch in that instant, and Osbourne felt his heart spasming with pain. In just a few seconds of his momentary confusion, Iger had already walked away.
…
Bang!
In the spacious shooting range, the overhead lights were dazzling. As the gunshots echoed, the distant target display showed bright red numbers. Clyde removed his earmuffs and looked at the person next to him, noticing that he showed no intention of stopping.
Several consecutive shots and the target display successively revealed several red numbers: 10 rings.
Summoned to the shooting range without a word, Clyde felt like he was just a tool for him to practice shooting.
After an unknown amount of time, so long that Clyde was about to fall asleep in the recliner listening to music, the sound finally stopped.
“Finally willing to stop?”
Iger didn’t say anything, unscrewed a bottle of water, took a sip, and leaned back in the recliner, closing his eyes.
Clyde looked at the conspicuous bandage on his forehead and asked, “Did you get a beating from your partner? I’ve told you before, you need to tone it down. Who is Osbourne? With your arms and legs, he can handle three of you alone.”
Iger opened his eyes, and the light brown eyes reflected a cold light under the bright lights. “Don’t mention him to me; it’s irritating.”
Clyde chuckled, “Our royal highness does get tired of things quickly. It hasn’t been long, and you’re already fed up. If you dare say that in front of his father, Colonel Beaumont, I’ll salute you as a man.”
“I didn’t bring you here to make trouble for me. If there’s a pot that’s not to be opened, don’t mention it, right?”
Seeing that he really seemed angry, Clyde immediately made a shut-up gesture, then changed the subject, “Since you’re not happy, don’t practice shooting here in frustration. How about going for a drink?”
Iger pointed to the wound on his head and said, “The doctor said I can’t drink…”
Clyde nodded, thinking he couldn’t drink. Just as he was considering what activity would make this master happy, he turned his head and saw someone standing outside the shooting range. Due to the glass walls on two sides, everything inside and outside was clear.
“Hey, your lover chased you here. I’ll leave first.”
Iger followed the gaze and indeed saw Osbourne, wearing a gray military uniform, steadily walking in their direction.
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