Sleeping Together?

Yumian fell silent, drew back his neck, and muttered, "Big Brother doesn't eat breakfast at home every day."

Lindsay, beside him, seemed thoughtful.

Elaine did not have much time. He ate with elegant movements, yet very quickly, and before long, he rose to leave for the Imperial Palace.

"Head of the family." Lindsay hurriedly stood and followed him. "May I go with you? You can just drop me off at the Biological Research Institute on the way."

[Huh, Lindsay was already working at the Biological Research Institute at this point?]

Hearing his own name, Lindsay paused mid-step.

[Doesn't that mean it won't be long before he gets himself killed...]

As soon as those words rang out, the three Carlos brothers all looked toward Shi Sheng.

Shi Sheng had already been sneaking glances at Elaine. This time, he met the Alpha's gaze directly.

His hand trembled, and he hurriedly lowered his head. He looked as though Elaine's gaze had frightened him, but in truth—

[We made eye contact, we made eye contact! Elaine's eyes are so beautiful!]

[He's leaving already? We only just met. I wonder if he'll come back tonight?]

[He didn't even ask why I can't speak. Does he not care at all?]

[Sigh... If only I could rightfully become Elaine's Omega.]

[Brother, Brother, you absolutely must not come back.]

"..." After listening for so long, Lindsay even began to suspect that hearing his own name earlier had been an illusion.

Inside the aircraft, Lindsay did not sit beside Elaine. Instead, he went to the front row.

He hesitated for a long time. Seeing that they were nearly at the research institute, he finally said to Elaine, "Head of the family, you were away before, so I didn't get the chance to report on my genetic research..."

Elaine gave him a calm glance. "Go ahead with it. You do not need to worry about outside interference."

"I know," Lindsay said. "When I began this research, I never expected the royal family to support me. I also know that Carlos will protect both me and my experiment. What I wanted to say today is..."

He fell silent for a moment. "Just as you predicted, it has not gone very smoothly. Although I will do everything I can to remedy it, given the current situation, I am not optimistic about my original goal of developing the relevant genetic medicine within ten years. At the very least... I will not be able to finish before Yumian starts a family."

"Lindsay." Elaine's expression did not change because of the bad news. His gaze fell outside the window, almost absent-minded.

"When Mother took you in, she only hoped you would grow up safely. Nothing more."

"You have no obligation to sacrifice your life for a group of monsters born with defects."

Lindsay opened his mouth, yet found himself unable to speak.

The research he was conducting concerned a secret of the Carlos family that no one knew. If it succeeded, everything would be turned upside down.

For that very reason, the royal family would not merely refuse to support it. Once what he was doing was exposed, they would certainly do everything possible to stop him.

The aircraft stopped at the entrance to the research institute.

Only then did Lindsay realize that his hands were trembling. He let out a breath, turned back, and said gently,

"Head of the family, I will still do my utmost. Not only for Yumian and Izel—"

He smiled faintly. "But also for Mother, for you, and for the future of the entire Carlos family."

He thought perhaps it was also for that Omega who had entered the Carlos family without fear, and was even full of excitement.

After arriving at the Imperial Palace, Elaine did not immediately get up. He only disembarked after a guard came to remind him.

Elaine was not entirely unmoved by the research Lindsay was conducting.

For instance, at times—

The image of the red-haired youth's bright, puppy-like eyes surfaced in his mind, and a trace of complicated emotion flashed through Elaine's icy golden eyes.

An innocent and fragile Omega like Shi Sheng needed a normal Alpha.

"Marshal." A cautious voice spoke. "Please surrender your sidearm."

Elaine was stopped when he reached the entrance.

He said nothing, merely lowered his eyes to look at the guard who had spoken.

Without even releasing his high-grade pheromones, his height alone was enough to create an oppressive presence.

The guard could not help shivering.

The captain of the guard rushed over and pulled the guard away. "Idiot, what are you doing?!"

"My apologies, Marshal! This boy is new. Please forgive him!" The captain apologized repeatedly and made way for Elaine. "Please, go in."

Yet Elaine did not step forward immediately. Instead, he removed the sidearm from his waist and handed it to someone nearby.

The Emperor of the Empire received Elaine in the council chamber.

Orito VI was already an elderly Alpha, yet his eyes remained sharp.

Elaine placed his right hand over his left chest and bowed slightly. "Your Majesty."

"Did you go home and see your new wife?"

Rather than reprimanding Elaine for being late, the Emperor asked about his marriage with a smile. "Well? Are you satisfied with that child?"

Elaine's tone was calm. "Your Majesty's bestowed marriage is naturally excellent."

The Emperor studied him without revealing anything. "I have liked that child from the Shi family since he was little. Lively and full of vitality, and more importantly, mentally sound—wouldn't you agree, Elaine?"

Elaine said, "He is a fine Omega."

"You really are..." The Emperor watched his expression for a while, then shook his head with a smile. "Always so indifferent. Getting you to like anything is truly difficult."

Resting his head against his hand as though pondering something, he continued, "A month ago, A-Zhao left the Imperial Palace. The people following him reported that he went to see your Yumian. Oh, Elaine, would you happen to know anything about that?"

Elaine replied lightly, "Your Majesty seems to have forgotten that I was still at the border a month ago."

"Oh, look at my memory." The Emperor tapped his own head and said casually, "Yumian would make a fine candidate for Crown Princess, though I do wonder whether he can control his temper."

"Elaine, what do you think? Does the royal family need the bloodline of the Carlos family?"

The supreme ruler of the Empire asked that question with a smiling face.

Not far from him, the Empire's invincible Marshal slowly raised his head, his gaze calm beneath those golden eyes.

"Your Majesty, I have always respected Yumian's choices."

"Just as I do with the Galaxy Knights."

The Emperor's expression shifted slightly.

Sunlight streamed into the cold hall as the two most powerful men in the Empire faced each other in silence.

After returning to the aircraft, Elaine changed his originally planned route home to the Military Department.

His expression had remained normal when he left the Imperial Palace, but after sitting down and pouring himself a glass of water, the glass shattered in his bare hand with a crack.

A trace of crimson gradually appeared in his golden eyes. Elaine expressionlessly allowed blood and water to run over his hand until the murderous urge rising within him was slowly suppressed.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eye color had returned to normal.

But he was still not in a state fit to return home. He would frighten his new wife.

So Elaine stayed at the Military Department until nightfall. Only after handling the mountain of accumulated work did he return to Carlos Manor.

Lights had already come on in every small building, but the one containing his room was noticeably darker.

The moment Elaine stepped into the corridor, he heard Shi Sheng's voice.

[It's already dark. Elaine still hasn't come back?]

[Is the Military Department really that busy? Could he be staying out tonight?]

[Or has he already come back, just not here? We're married already. Can't we sleep in the same room...?]

[Sigh... Forget it, forget it. Though just thinking about sleeping together with Elaine makes me nervous too.]

Hearing that, Elaine stopped outside the bedroom door.

[But I'm looking forward to it too. After all, it's Elaine!]

[If I fall asleep, maybe I'll be able to smell his pheromones. I'm really so curious.]

[Ah—! I don't want to hug a pillow. I want to sleep while hugging Elaine.]

[But he probably doesn't like people touching him, right?]

[We barely spoke today. After all these years, does he still remember me? Can he recognize me?]

[Forget it. My identity now is my brother's. It's better if he doesn't recognize me. Let me stay by his side a little longer...]

The voice grew weaker and weaker, as though Shi Sheng had fallen asleep while thinking.

Elaine began walking again. The bedroom door opened soundlessly on its own. Shi Sheng had not even drawn the curtains, and beneath the moonlight, the figure on the bed was clearly visible.

The room was temperature-controlled. Shi Sheng slept on his side while hugging a pillow, without a blanket over him. He wore fluffy white pajamas and looked like a little lamb.

Elaine stood beside the bed and watched Shi Sheng's sleeping face for a while. The restless turmoil in his blood, which had lasted all day, miraculously calmed.

Shi Sheng's skin was very fair, and his face looked soft. Elaine bent down, but before his hand could touch Shi Sheng's cheek, the Omega suddenly woke up and sat upright, dodging away.

Elaine's hand froze in midair. "It's me," he said softly.

Shi Sheng was still hugging the pillow. The tension in his face eased only after he heard Elaine's voice, and he opened his mouth blankly.

Then he remembered that he could not speak. Flustered, he rummaged through the bedside table for his voice device.

"You, are, back."

He quickly pressed the buttons with his head lowered, then cautiously glanced at Elaine.

"Sorry. I thought, you, were, a, bad, person."

"There are no bad people in this house." Elaine sat at the edge of the bed and looked at Shi Sheng's voice device. "What happened to your voice?"

Shi Sheng pressed his lips together and typed, "A, small, problem."

Then he quickly smiled at Elaine, as though afraid he would be angry.

He looked a little like a red-haired puppy wagging its tail.

Thinking that, Elaine reminded himself that he should be gentler with Shi Sheng.

Yet a man capable of anything did not know how to chat with his own Omega.

Shi Sheng hugged his pillow and looked at him, while Elaine could not hear the voice in his heart.

For a moment, the room was so quiet that only someone's heartbeat could be heard.

"...Get some rest." Elaine could only say, "I'll take a shower."

Shi Sheng nodded without much expression and watched Elaine enter the bathroom.

Once the bathroom door blocked off the gaze behind him, Elaine rarely rubbed at his brow.

He had thought that bringing Shi Sheng home as his wife would be enough. Only now did he realize that getting along with an Omega was a discipline in itself. Perhaps he should ask Izel for advice.

At the very least, he should not make Shi Sheng face a silent, cold, stiff Alpha.

Fortunately, Shi Sheng's inner thoughts were far more uninhibited than his outward appearance.