Oser snatched the scroll from Tang De’s hands and brought it to Ling Yi, speaking in a voice that no one else could hear: “There’s another line at the bottom. Read it out loud.”

“……”

Ling Yi lowered his eyes and found the last line of small words: “This will only take effect once the pardoned person has successfully undergone surgery as agreed.”

He raised his eyes: “Your Highness really doesn’t suffer any losses.”

Oser gracefully rolled up the scroll and tossed it back to Tang De: “Naturally. I don’t want to trade this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a corpse.”

Only then did Lu Hulun come out of his shock.

“Y-you are actually using your power of pardon on the murderer who killed your uncle?”

“Your second uncle knelt down and begged you for that pardon, but you ignored him and watched him be executed. What ability does this person have that’s worth you giving up the throne for him?”

Oser’s lips hooked upward: “He promised to give me a child. Did my second uncle have the ability to give me a child?”

Ling Yi looked away, as if this sentence had nothing to do with him.

Lu Hulun wore an expression that was furious yet unsurprised. 

“As expected, you lose your mind when it comes to Omegas. Is having an Omega really that important to you?”

“Of course it’s important. I was born with the curse of your blood, ah.”

Because of that cynical tone, it was difficult to tell whether the words coming out of his mouth were true or false.

“As long as they have a mouth, anyone in the entire empire, regardless of gender, age, wealth, or social status, can tell jokes about His Highness Oser.”

“I don’t want people to talk behind my back anymore, saying that I have your blood in my body and will suffer the retribution you deserve. The evil deeds you’ve sown and the terrible consequences you’ve reaped should be left to your own sons.”

He took two steps forward, then stopped.

“Ah, apologies. I forgot. My uncles can no longer assist you with your troubles and worries, but you’re still strong and healthy – perhaps you can make a miracle happen through hard work.”

Lu Hulun started to say something, but a surge of anger engulfed him, and everyone around could see his body shaking.

He forced himself to swallow the fishy-sweet taste in his throat, and sat down heavily. He seemed ten years older when seated.

Tang De respectfully opened the back door of the exclusive vehicle, waiting for its passengers.

“Get in.” 

Oser was looking at his grandfather when he said this, and Ling Yi took the initiative to do so without speaking a word.

When the car’s owner got in and the door closed, the partition between the front and rear seats rose and the pressure inside the cabin dropped drastically.

Without waiting for Oser to speak, Ling Yi said: “Your Highness, can we go to the northern outskirts first before fulfilling our agreement?”

Oser glanced at him and smiled, saying nothing.

“Lu Hulun set up an ambush at the execution grounds in the northern outskirts. If my family members act irrationally in a fit of impulse—”

He stopped talking abruptly when he felt the concentration of Alpha pheromones in the cabin continue to increase.

Compared to the onslaught that day, this gradual pressure was like torture.

“Ling Yi, you seem to be operating under a misunderstanding.”

“The power of pardon only applies to one person. It doesn’t encompass your family, friends, cats, and dogs.”

He leaned in unhurriedly as he spoke. His unrestrained pheromones permeated every corner of the cabin, and his fierce aura once again stole Ling Yi’s breath.

Ling Yi watched as the other’s hand reached toward him, tense and not daring to move for fear that he would change his mind like he had done the other night.

That hand easily grasped his chin. Ling Yi leaned back hard in his seat, fists shaking from how forcefully he was clenching them.

With that handsome face so close, Ling Yi was like prey holding its breath and pretending to be dead in front of a lion. All while that lion was considering with great interest whether or not to attack.

“Unless…..you would like to make an advance payment on your commitment.”

Ling Yi’s Adam’s apple rolled hard: “If Your Highness will stop casually releasing pheromones, we can still have a pleasant discussion.”

“I traded the throne for you, not for a discussion.”

His eyelids felt heavy and sticky, but Ling Yi dared not close his eyes for fear of provoking the other party’s more dangerous impulses.

“Once the marking is complete, I’ll be unable to resist whatever Your Highness wants to do to me. Is there any need to rush?”

Oser loosened his grip on his chin and gently helped tidy up the strands of hair at his temples that were damp with cold sweat.

“You’ve made me think that an Alpha wouldn’t be bad to have either.”

This casual remark made Ling Yi’s hair stand on end, and he feared he was being serious.

Oser had seen many of his expressions during their brief time together, but only this one could be considered genuine fear.

He would rather undergo sexual reassignment surgery, which had an incredibly low success rate, than be with him as an Alpha.

This little fellow was afraid of death, but even more afraid of his pheromones.

Oser chuckled and retreated back to his seat.

The pheromone pressure lifted, and Ling Yi was like a person who had been rescued from drowning. His breathing was labored, and his thin, sweat-soaked shirt absorbed the lingering chill.

Oser considerately removed his cloak and placed it over Ling Yi’s shoulders, his tone full of doting and pity.

“The top student of Luban Military Academy only has this level of mental strength?”

“It’s time to get out. Be careful not to catch a cold.”

Tang De opened the door from outside. He pretended not to notice Ling Yi’s damp hair and the cloak over his shoulders, but still thought, beast.

Ling Yi was a student and an Alpha, and His Highness still couldn’t wait to make a move on him.

Thinking of the fact that His Highness had been single for thirty-five years, Tang De was suddenly full of sympathy for the young man’s future.

He took the opportunity to walk in the rear so that His Highness Oser couldn’t hear their conversation.

“I know what you’re worried about. Rest at ease, we have people in the northern outskirts, so nothing will happen.”

Ling Yi stole a glance at Oser’s back and asked in a low voice: “Is he always like this?”

“Like what? Saying one thing while meaning another?”

“Using pheromones to bully people.”

Tang De was at a loss for words. From his point of view, he really shouldn’t badmouth His Highness in front of Ling Yi.

It was rare to find an Alpha willing to accept transformation – although it was for the sake of his life. Even if just for the benefit of no longer being tortured by His Highness’s pheromones, Tang De must do his best to promote this marriage.

“His Highness’s situation is rather unique,” he said hesitantly. “You should know that an Alpha usually has other ways to release pheromones.”

“I get it. He has a pheromone disorder.”

Tang De: “……”

He tried to salvage the situation: “In fact, His Highness has many advantages. For example…..”

Ling Yi: “For example?”

“For example, His Highness dispatched additional troops to the northern outskirts in advance to protect your relatives and prevent the prime minister from holding them hostage.”

“After discovering that the vehicle carrying you was actually carrying a substitute, he mobilized all of our spies in the city to search for you posthaste. That’s how we found you.”

“In addition, he’s already arranged—”

Tang De realized that he had almost let out something top secret, and applied the brakes just in time.

Ling Yi saw him shut his mouth mid-sentence, and asked curiously: “What has he arranged?”

“It looks like you two have hit it off right away.”

Oser stopped in front of them, a smile on his face.

“What are you whispering about? Let me hear it too.”

Tang De’s heart trembled, and he hastily distanced himself from Ling Yi.

“The kid was nervous, so I was providing him with psychological counseling.”

“I didn’t know you had psychiatry skills. Should I recommend you for consultations?”

Tang De expressed his loyalty: “Psychological counseling is just a hobby. My first priority is always to ensure your safety, Your Highness.”

The person who came to greet them was wearing a doctor’s uniform, with his hands in his pockets.

“As expected of His Highness’s guard captain. If it were any other Alpha, not to mention how long he’s stayed with you, even if they stayed for half a year, they would have to report to our psychiatric department.”

Ling Yi observed him carefully. The white uniform made him look gentle and refined, like the kind of doctor who was voted the most popular among patients each year.

However, Ling Yi was observant enough to glean that beneath his warm, gentle appearance was a certain careless attitude.

The other person smiled and held out his hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m a researcher and surgeon of the Royal Medical College, as well as a former classmate of His Highness Oser. You can just call me Pat.”

Ling Yi hesitated briefly, then quickly shook his hand and let go.

“It’s not really a pleasure to meet you.”

Pat: “…..”

He attempted a polite yet awkward smile: “Considering your purpose for coming here, I can’t blame you. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to meet me either.”

“I’m not sure how much His Highness Oser has told you about the operation.”

“Although you’re a volunteer, and your courage is commendable, this is a very risky operation that requires strict physical conditions for the patient. It’s not something that can be done right away, nor is it guaranteed to succeed…..”

Pat was halfway through his speech when he caught Oser glaring at him from the corner of his eye, and his words became increasingly vague.

“But since I’m His Highness Oser’s long-time friend, I can’t bear to see him live out his life alone. Even if there are difficulties, I will do everything I can to overcome them.”

In order to prove their close relationship, Pat slung an arm around Oser’s shoulders.

“No surgeon dares to guarantee a one hundred percent success rate for a surgery. Just in case, and I mean just in case—”

Oser: “If you screw it up, you can start to assess your own physical condition to see if you’re suitable for sexual reassignment.”

Pat: “……”

He withdrew his right arm awkwardly, and couldn’t help but sniff his hand, wrinkling his nose in disgust. 

This was the scent of His Highness Oser’s pheromones, which were regarded as a mortal enemy by all Alphas. It was said that even Alpha mosquitos didn’t dare approach this man in the summer.

There was a second half to this joke:

— What about the Omega mosquitos?

— The Omega mosquitos can’t detect his existence.

Pat led the group to the elevator and took out his work ID, waving it in front of the scanner.

The elevator started, but instead of going up, it went down.

“This is the area in the medical college with the most reliable security, and ordinary people can’t gain entrance easily. As for the ground security zone, Captain Tang De takes care of that.”

Tang De assured: “Don’t worry, with me here, not even a mosquito can get inside.”

Why mention mosquitos? If mosquitos were a concern, wouldn’t it be enough to have His Highness Oser stand at the door?

While Pat was wildly poking fun at him in his head, his words were very serious: 

“The medical staff involved in the operation are all young people with clean backgrounds. I carefully selected them, and none of them have ever had dealings with the prime minister.”

Lu Hulun’s influence spanned the entire country, and it was really not easy to find places he couldn’t reach.

A young nurse named Nan Ting received notice about the special surgery and had come down early to make preparations.

The Royal Medical College boasted a wide variety of research directions, some of which should never be attempted on ordinary people. Management uniformly classified them as “special” drug or surgery experiments.

These experiments could only be carried out with the express permission of the individual. Impoverished people readily applied for the drug trials, and the Royal Medical College never spared any funding in this regard.

As for surgery, only terminally ill people with no other options were willing to gamble with their lives.

Occasionally, even death row inmates would apply.

Undergoing surgery wouldn’t spare them from death, but it could prolong their sentence. The living conditions at the medical college were better than in prison, and a large sum of money would be left to their families after they died.

Nan Ting had heard early on that this new volunteer had been transferred from prison.

But when she saw the honorable Crown Prince Oser get off the elevator, followed by the young Alpha who was currently the apple of the public’s eye, she took a couple of steps back in surprise.

“Nan Ting! You came just in time.”

Pat saw her and waved her over.

“This is the volunteer for the operation. Do you recognize him?”

“……” Nan Ting nodded timidly, as if it was a secret she shouldn’t know.

“His affairs here are strictly confidential at the moment. Don’t say anything you shouldn’t say to those outside.”

Just as Nan Ting was about to agree, a cold voice sounded.

“You’re too young to be trusted. You had best not go out until the matter is made public.”

Nan Ting sent a cautious glance toward the speaker.

Once, when Dr. Pat was chatting after dinner, he had said that His Highness Oser was suspicious by nature and didn’t trust anyone easily. It seemed his words were true.

Pat looked as if he had expected this to happen, and helplessly spread his hands toward her.

“I’ll keep your work ID for you. You can stay at the hospital for the next few days so that it’ll be more convenient for you to take care of Ling Yi.”

Nan Ting did as she was told, and Pat casually placed it into his jacket pocket.

“Doctor Pat, would you like me to take him for a physical examination first?”

“There’s no rush for a physical examination. It looks like he didn’t eat well in prison, and the surgery can’t go ahead if he’s malnourished. Take him to clean up, and give him a couple of nutrient injections,” Pat said fussily. 

Oser: “Wait a minute.”

Oser walked over unhurriedly, and Ling Yi remembered that he was still wearing his cloak.

He took it off and returned it: “Your cloak, Your Highness.”

Without even looking at it, Oser took it and tossed it to Tang De as he looked Ling Yi up and down.

Ling Yi had no idea what he was doing, but as long as the other party didn’t release pheromones indiscriminately, he could endure the slight discomfort. 

No wonder Pat had said that any Alpha who stayed at His Highness Oser’s side for long would need to see a psychiatrist.

His large, powerful palm slid down Ling Yi’s chest and felt a few prominent ribs.

Oser lifted up the corner of his prison uniform, revealing a slender waist covered in bruises old and new.

He hadn’t taken off enough clothes that night, so Oser had missed many details.

Oser’s movements were slow and ambiguous, far exceeding the boundaries of contact between ordinary acquaintances.

This certainly should not be the case between a prince and a death row inmate.

Nan Ting subconsciously covered her mouth, as if she now knew another forbidden secret.

Pat gave her a meaningful look, reminding her not to make a fuss and act like someone who had never seen the world.

Although she really hadn’t seen such a world before.

“What did you eat in prison?”

This was a question with a readily available answer.

“Prison food, Your Highness.”

Ling Yi gazed at him with innocent eyes.

“Who did this?”

Oser pointed at the fresh bruises from the thin prison guard that morning.

“He’s dead.”

He gestured toward the old injuries: “What about these?”

“How can I remember?” Ling Yi asked calmly. “You’re asking about the entire list of prison guards in the Imperial Prison.”

“……”

Tang De had followed Oser for many years, and spoke before Oser’s eyes even drifted over to him.

“Your Highness, abuse of prisoners is prohibited by imperial law. I will send people to investigate immediately.”

Only then did Oser lower the corner of Ling Yi’s clothing. When he carefully straightened the collar of his prison uniform, his slender knuckles occasionally brushed against Ling Yi’s collarbone.

Ling Yi allowed him to do as he pleased, so well-behaved that one might think he had ulterior motives.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Oser didn’t even raise his eyes: “I didn’t do anything. Why are you thanking me?”

“For the matter at the execution grounds in the northern outskirts.”

Oser’s hand paused, and he glared at Tang De, blaming him for talking too much.

Tang De pursed his lips and wished he could attach a zipper to them.

“Don’t forget, our deal hasn’t taken effect yet.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I will do my best to cooperate with Doctor Pat and undergo surgery.”

Pat: What is this sudden surge of guilt?

A satisfied smile appeared in Oser’s eyes, and he finally understood why his collar looked so ugly no matter how he fixed it.

“Change out of this outfit. It’s unlucky.”

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Chapter 3 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 5