I Married A Proud, Beautiful Omega First, Then Fell In Love - Chapter 9

Beads of sweat seeped from Douglas’s forehead, and his breathing grew heavy. This was not because of Elan, but because he was concentrating his mental energy in an attempt to destroy the handcuffs binding his wrists.

A faint cracking sound rang out, and the handcuffs, forged from hard metal, shattered into pieces, scattering across the floor.

Douglas let out a deep breath. Under Elan’s astonished gaze, he flipped over and rose; in a flash, the two swapped positions. Douglas pinned Elan beneath him, his hand gripping the other man’s neck.

His head was dizzy and heavy, yet he subconsciously restrained his strength, only allowing Elan to feel a slight sense of suffocation—uncomfortable, but not fatal.

Gasping for air, Douglas gritted his teeth and questioned, “Why did you do this?”

The man lay there, his long golden hair spreading across the cold floor like a halo. His neck was being throttled and his breathing was labored, yet his lips were incredibly crimson, resembling rose petals soaked in wine.

Elan felt as though his entire body was submerged in a hot spring on a snowy mountain, scorched by the rising heat. Gazing up at Douglas’s stern expression, he smiled softly: “What do you think?”

He assumed Douglas knew.

Douglas’s thoughts became momentarily chaotic upon hearing this question, and his muddled brain began to ponder.

Most nobles of the conservative faction were traditionalists who retained the customs of the old era, placing immense importance on an Omega’s chastity. Having been born into such a family, it was impossible for Elan not to be tainted by such ideas.

Yet today, he had made such a mad move, showing an utter disregard for his own body! The reason that could drive him to this… could it be…?

Douglas felt that not only was Elan insane, but he himself was going mad as well.

Otherwise, why would he think that the habitually caustic Elan might have done this because he liked him?

The gaze Douglas fixed on Elan began to grow complex, his heart filled with a thousand swirling emotions. He thought, if Elan truly felt that way, why did he always behave like a haughty swan in front of him?

Was it a case of love being hard to voice? That must be it; nobles were always subtle in their speech.

Douglas had no prior emotional experience and was not a sensitive person. Though he couldn’t fathom Elan’s behavioral logic, he believed he had connected the cause and effect of the entire matter and guessed the correct answer.

Elan liked him, but was too embarrassed to say it, and could only prove it through his actions and that subtle “What do you think?”

The more Douglas thought about it, the more he felt this was the logic of the situation. He suddenly became ill at ease. Looking at the person on the floor who seemed ready to melt into water, it was as if his heart had been scorched. The hand gripping the other’s neck began to tremble before slowly letting go. He struggled to control his weak body to stand up, only to be dragged back by a force.

Elan’s arm reached around, touching his back. Douglas’s throat bobbed, his gaze avoiding contact.

A thick scent of red wine exploded around them. Elan leaned close to his ear and spoke softly; the airflow from his speech hit Douglas’s ear, causing his body to tremble slightly.

“Since you’ve figured it out, then agree to that deal.”

“…What deal?” Douglas frowned, not reacting immediately.

“The matter of increasing the enrollment quota for the nobility,” Elan said indifferently, brushing the long hair from his eyes behind his back.

Upon hearing those words clearly, Douglas’s face instantly turned ashen, and a surge of fury gathered in his eyes. He violently pushed Elan out of his arms and stood up abruptly.

“You lied to me?”

Elan was shoved down by him, his forehead slamming against the edge of the table. His pale skin broke instantly, and bright red blood flowed down from his temple. As the stinging sensation hit, Elan wiped his cheek and saw the fresh blood on his palm; his eyes widened in utter disbelief.

Elan asked with trembling lips, “What did I lie to you about?”

Douglas stood in the center of the living room, his chest heaving with uncontrollable anger. Looking at the injured Elan, he didn’t feel a shred of heartache; he even thought the injury served him right.

It was impossible for Douglas to tell him what he had hallucinated. Supporting his hollowed-out body, he said coldly, “I hope the pain clears your head.”

“For the sake of your reputation, you could concoct a lie about us being in contact via brain-link for three years! To increase the enrollment quota for nobles and seek profit for your family, you can shamelessly use your body to seduce an Alpha you have no feelings for! Is your body just a tool to be exchanged for profit? For a bit of benefit, you can do such a thing with someone you don’t like? Elan Riemann! You truly stop at nothing! Hypocritical! Selfish!”

Douglas was humiliated and enraged. The more he spoke, the more agitated he became. The pheromones, which surged like seawater within the villa, rolled violently due to their master’s emotions. He picked up his coat from the sofa and, dragging his exhausted body, walked step by step toward the tightly locked main door.

The artificial intelligence’s electronic voice repeated that same phrase: “No access rights.”

Douglas let out a cold sneer, refusing to indulge it. He found strength from somewhere unknown and actually began to smash his fists against the door, blow by blow!

Elan had been lambasted by him so severely that he was stunned. When had he ever heard such foul words? Anger rushed to his cheeks; his lips parted and closed, but for a long time, he couldn’t utter a single word.

The sound of Douglas smashing the door felt as if it were striking his own heart. Mixed with Douglas’s razor-sharp words, agony spread throughout his body. To make matters worse, those wild pheromones seemed to act maliciously, adding to his miserable state.

Emptiness, sadness, pain, bitterness, anger… many emotions were locked within Elan’s body. He slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again after a moment, commanding sharply, “You are not allowed to leave!”

Douglas didn’t hear him. That door finally cracked under his violent assault, eventually splintering and shattering.

The light from the streetlamps crept into the living room through the hole in the door. Douglas walked outside without any intention of looking back. Elan’s rationality finally collapsed; he feebly crawled forward two steps before a wave of intense dizziness hit him, and he fainted on the floor.

Douglas’s condition was not good either. He had overstretched his body to finally smash that door open, and he had been forcing himself to keep going. By the end of the smashing, his consciousness was almost blurred, supported entirely by instinct.

Just as he reached the entrance, his legs gave way, and he collapsed like a withered, broken leaf.

The villa area fell silent for a short while, before the shrill alarm of an electronic voice suddenly rang out:

“Vital signs of the owner of Villa No. 003 are weak! Calling for rescue starship! Calling for rescue starship!”

“Villa No. 003 has suffered an unknown violent attack! Facilities damaged! Calling the Public Security Bureau! Calling the Public Security Bureau!”

Two faint blue signal lights atop the villa lit up, flashing as they sent signal waves to the rescue center and the security bureau.

Douglas woke up amidst the smell of medicine. He opened his eyes to a sight of minimalist white.

Douglas rolled his stiff eyeballs and saw the needle marks on his arm, instantly realizing he was in the hospital.

Watching over him, Pulsifer sprang from his seat the moment he saw Douglas wake up, pressing the call button: “Qin! He’s awake!”

Only after doing this did he remember to mind his decorum, instantly reverting to his elegant persona and stopping Douglas from getting out of bed: “Mr. Douglas, in your current physical state, it’s better to lie in bed a while longer. Wait until Qin performs a routine check on you before you move about freely.”

Douglas lay back down and asked in a raspy voice, “How long was I asleep?”

“A day and a night,” Pulsifer checked the time.

Douglas didn’t speak again after that, instead staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

On the other side, Pulsifer’s expression was somewhat strange; he hesitated to speak and sighed several times.

Seeing Douglas unmoved, he couldn’t hold back and said, “Aren’t you going to see your partner? As an Omega, his physical constitution isn’t as good as yours. He woke up and fainted again, several times over. He still hasn’t woken up yet.”

“I don’t know what you two were doing at home. Last night he suddenly woke up, smashed a vase, and then fainted again. He woke up once this morning; he wasn’t quite as angry then, but he wouldn’t say anything, didn’t eat, and acted like a puppet. He resisted when given nutritional injections and finally fainted from weakness again. He’s been sleeping until now and hasn’t woken up…”

Once he started, he couldn’t stop. Douglas felt his head throbbing as he listened. He shot a cold glance at the incessant talker: “Why do you know his affairs so clearly? One might think you were his partner.”

Pulsifer choked on his words and went silent.

After a moment, he sighed. “Open your brain-link and look at the Star-net.”

Douglas didn’t want to look. Whatever was happening outside had nothing to do with him. Seeing him like this, Pulsifer resignedly found the news page on the light-screen and sent it to Douglas.

The light-screen popped up in front of Douglas. Pulsifer commanded the AI to play the audio broadcast for him.

“According to an insider’s scoop, last night General Douglas Lu and his partner, Mr. Riemann, had a conflict at home. Rescue starships and police starships were seen entering and leaving General Lu’s villa simultaneously. Upon investigation, General Douglas Lu is suspected of domestic violence.”

Douglas’s brow furrowed tightly: “…What the hell is this?”

What kind of unscrupulous, fake reporting.

“The King wants you to apologize,” Pulsifer said, looking seriously into Douglas’s eyes.

“Apologize? For what? To whom?” Douglas found it preposterous. “You don’t actually believe what’s written there, do you?”

“Apologize to your partner, Elan Riemann; apologize to the Riemann family; apologize to the citizens of the Empire,” Pulsifer said. “What matters now isn’t what the truth of last night was, but what the truth is in the eyes of the public. The rumors have already shaken your credibility—your credibility as the Empire’s First Admiral, personally commissioned by King Tansan!”

“Do you know what they’re saying about you on the Star-net? They say you’re a total violent maniac! The security of the Empire cannot be entrusted to someone like you! They are questioning the King’s decision to grant you honor!”

“Impossible.” Douglas refused immediately. He would rather die than apologize.

Pulsifer stared at him. “Why? What exactly happened last night?”

“Last night…” Douglas opened his mouth, a flash of loathing and humiliation crossing his eyes, but he didn’t continue.

Just as Pulsifer was about to continue persuading him, Qin pushed the door open and entered.

Qin glanced at the subtle atmosphere in the ward but ignored it, quickly and rigorously completing Douglas’s physical examination.

“Your physical condition is good, recovery is proceeding well. You may move about freely.”

Someone knocked on the door, and a voice came from outside: “Dr. Qin, Mr. Riemann is awake.”

Qin nodded and replied, “I’ll go see him immediately.”

Douglas took off his hospital gown and put on a black shirt and leather vest. Watching Qin prepare to leave, he asked, “Why are you in charge of him? Aren’t you my primary doctor?”

Qin gave him a flat look and said, “He is your partner. His injury was caused by you.”

Douglas’s movement of pulling on his clothes paused for a second, his mood incredibly irritable.

He thought to himself: Bullshit, Elan’s injury was entirely his own doing.

He had never seen someone dose themselves with an aphrodisiac.

How was it that now, everyone was blaming him?