This Alpha Had to Go

A few simple words struck like a thunderclap.

Shen Que remained outwardly composed, but inside, towering waves were already surging.

This production line was vital to the Imperial Fleet's survival.

Throughout the empire, from royalty and nobles to Council officials and lords great and small, everyone wanted a connection to it.

When the Icarus Empire was unified, First Emperor I had signed an agreement with White Sand Star's first lord to secure that crucial territory:

The empire would never interfere with any of White Sand Star's mineral production lines, on the condition that all sand gold extracted there would be supplied exclusively to the Imperial Fleet.

Three hundred years had passed.

The line had remained under White Sand Star's control all that time.

A people raised amid wind and sand were born warriors.

During the previous emperor's reign, his cowardice and incompetence had thrown the Imperial Court into chaos.

Some lords plotting rebellion had tried to invade White Sand Star, seize its sand gold, and secretly build high-tier Mecha to fight the empire, only to be nearly blasted to pieces by Pei Li's private fleet.

After that, no one had dared harbor any designs on the sand gold again.

"You don't need to be so nervous."

Seemingly pleased with Shen Que's outward composure, Ai Fan continued.

"White Sand Star's General Affairs Office has dedicated departments for mining, production, and security. Management of the entire production line is already very well established. All you really need to do is sign some papers and collect the money."

"Of course, you'll also have to make some important decisions. If you're unsure, you can discuss them with the other people in charge."

Shen Que nodded. "Was this part of the business originally managed by the lord?"

Ai Fan interlaced her fingers in her lap, a faint, ambiguous smile on her face.

"No, I managed it."

"So if there's anything you don't know how to handle, you can ask me too."

After saying that, she watched Shen Que's reaction with interest.

Unfortunately, the young Omega had lowered his eyes, his long lashes concealing every trace of emotion.

As a former supreme commander, remaining calm and revealing nothing in the face of any situation was an instinct that ran in his blood.

After a brief silence, Shen Que asked calmly, "Mother, I have a question."

Ai Fan propped up her head. "Go ahead."

Shen Que looked at Ai Fan. "Why me?"

It wasn't fear or apprehension, just simple confusion.

The Omega before her was confident and perceptive.

An almost imperceptible smile curved Ai Fan's lips.

She coughed softly.

"Ah, it's very simple."

"This business was actually supposed to go to Pei Ji. To familiarize him with it beforehand, I even had him manage it temporarily."

A bad feeling rose in Shen Que's heart.

Shen Que said, "So... the General..."

Ai Fan gave Shen Que a somber look.

"Forty million."

"One month."

"A business that hadn't lost money in a hundred years lost forty million in a single month in Pei Ji's hands."

Ai Fan enunciated every word.

"I cannot understand it."

Shen Que: "..."

Ai Fan said, "Shoulder your responsibility, Commander Shen. If you want to blame someone, blame that good-for-nothing Alpha of yours."

When Shen Que returned to the bedroom, he found the leaf-shaped lamp he had left on still glowing.

Pei Ji hadn't returned.

To his surprise, Anya, the personal maid who had been following him everywhere, was absent too.

The plate of little cookies was still on the table.

Shen Que took one and discovered it was warm. It must have come out of the oven not long ago.

The Little Maid had returned, replaced the cookies, and left again.

Sitting on the bed, Shen Que nibbled at the cookie and carefully went over every moment of dinner, confirming that he hadn't done anything inappropriate.

After replaying the scenes in his mind, he finally relaxed little by little, curling up under the covers and waiting for the chill in his body to fade.

Pei Ji hadn't returned to First Oasis in many years, and the room held none of his scent.

Shen Que let his eyes drift half closed, still considering the meaning behind every word the Lord's Wife had said.

He was, in fact, grateful to Ai Fan.

If she hadn't spoken up at the wedding and told them to continue, he might have finally lost the strength to hold on, making that farce even harder to bring to an end.

But after their conversation just now, he realized that the Lord's Wife wasn't as gentle and serene as she appeared.

Her initial probing, the kindness that followed, and finally bringing up Pei Ji had left him unable to refuse.

It was like a trap prepared especially for him.

And his only choice was to step into it.

Although he didn't know what White Sand Star's Lord's Wife hoped to gain from him, Shen Que disliked running away, and he certainly wouldn't be afraid.

Yet there was still a lingering concern he couldn't shake.

What... would Pei Ji think?

The mineral business, the sand gold production line.

The heavy responsibility originally meant for him had now fallen to his Omega.

Could that arrogant, competitive Alpha really accept it?

Or would he get angry and feel he'd lost face...?

The Terminal he had left on the table kept flashing.

By now, the banquet at Green Mo Garden should have ended.

Pei Ji still hadn't returned.

Had something happened?

With a trace of worry, Shen Que gathered himself and put the Terminal back on his wrist.

The instant he opened it, his newly settled heart gave a violent jolt.

A flood of kissing stickers flashed across the screen.

It was practically mental contamination.

The latest message read-

Pei Ji: [Wifey, baby, kisses~~ I miss you so much I can barely stand it~]

Shen Que's eyes widened in shock.

He abruptly sat up.

It took him quite a while to process it and calm down.

Honestly, Pei Ji might talk shamelessly, but he wasn't usually nauseating.

This message went way too far. It was absolutely not normal.

Shen Que took a deep breath and scrolled up through Pei Ji's messages, trying to figure out what kind of madness had seized his Alpha.

Pei Ji: [Wifey, is my bed comfy? Does it smell like me~~]

Pei Ji: [Baby, you kissed me after you fell asleep yesterday~~]

Pei Ji: [I want more kisses ( ˘ ³˘)]

Shen Que snapped the Terminal shut. A moment later, he opened it again and decided to start with the earliest message.

Fortunately, the first few were fairly normal:

Pei Ji: [I won't be having dinner with you.]

Pei Ji: [Dad arranged a small banquet at Green Mo Garden.]

Pei Ji: [Remember to take your medicine.]

Then they grew increasingly strange.

There was [A little Omega just tried to chat me up, but I turned them down. Aren't I good?]

And [My head hurts so much. I need my sweet-smelling wife to soothe me.]

Until he reached one message:

[Madam, this is Demi. Eighteen bastards just got the General drunk.]

[To protect you from mental contamination, please delete any messages you receive after this. I'll delete the ones on the General's Terminal for him.]

[PS: If you accidentally see them, please don't let the General know (praying hands)]

Mystery solved.

Shen Que let out a long breath.

The mental and emotional strain of those few short minutes had been worse than commanding the Combined Fleet.

Frowning, he scrolled through the messages again.

So gross...

This Alpha had to go.

Shen Que raised his hand to delete them, only to suddenly pause.

As though compelled by some unseen force, he slid his fingertip across the screen and uploaded a backup of those messages to his Private Cloud.

Only then did he destroy the evidence.

Once he had finished, Shen Que settled his inexplicably racing heart and picked up another little cookie.

He took a bite.

...It was very sweet.