The Cannon Fodder Became the Empire's Beloved Omega - Chapter 17

Heavens, how could he have made such a sincere prince grieve over someone as cunning and despicable as himself?!

Itu finally felt a deep sense of shame for his previous actions:

How could he have decided how to treat someone based merely on a few words from others? He had nearly harmed such a kind and adorable child because of his prejudice.

This was truly inexcusable!

Guilt surged like weeds in Itu’s heart, causing the slightly aged Beta to cough heavily.

He glared sternly at Zep, whose hair was full of grass: “Do you not watch where you’re walking? You almost injured Prince Yu just now. If anything had happened to him, even taking your own life wouldn’t have absolved you of your sin!”

Zep: “???”

Lord Itu, what kind of act is this now?

He felt his poor brain could no longer comprehend the other’s intentions.

According to the plan, he should have already injured that detestable Omega heir standing nearby. The next step would have been to deal with the palace guards’ questioning. But now…

The person who was supposed to be sent to the hospital was standing perfectly fine beside them, his beautiful sea-blue eyes filled with concern. Meanwhile, he and Itu, the masterminds of the plan, were both battered, bruised, and covered in dust, utterly disheveled.

Could it be that the plan had changed?

Struggling to get up from the ground, Zep tried to decipher the meaning behind Itu’s actions.

But before he could make any sense of it, he noticed the communicator on Itu’s chest flashing: “Guards! Someone here attempted to harm Prince Yu. Take him away and lock him up immediately!”

Zep: “…”

After giving the order, Itu turned to Yu Ruan with concern, his tone heavy with remorse: “Your Highness, were you frightened just now? To think such a thing happened to you in Atlan Palace as the steward in charge, I am deeply at fault.”

Yu Ruan was taken aback and hesitated, “Th-That really isn’t necessary.”

The person didn’t seem to have anything to do with the incident.

There was no need to be so worked up.

Hearing Yu Ruan’s words, Itu felt even more ashamed. Overwhelmed by self-reproach, his eyes grew warm: “Your Highness, I will never betray your kindness!!”

With a wave of his hand, he called out to the rapidly approaching guards: “Guards, it’s this man!”

The impeccably uniformed guards swarmed in, restraining the bewildered Zep. A pair of silver handcuffs clicked shut around his wrists as they apologized, “Our apologies, Prince Yu, for startling you.”

Without heeding Zep’s struggles and protests, they promptly dragged him away.

Yu Ruan: “…”

The efficiency on the Capital Star is truly impressive.

He watched in awe as the guards escorted the man away, their figures quickly shrinking into distant specks. Finally snapping back to reality, he asked sheepishly, “Are you alright?”

The blood from his earlier scrapes had mostly dried. Itu, deeply moved, nodded: “Please don’t worry, Your Highness. I am a Beta, these minor injuries are nothing to me. There’s no need for concern.”

“But the injuries on your face.” They looked quite severe.

“It’s fine!” Itu thumped his chest reassuringly. “I’m strong and healthy, Your Highness need not worry. Let us continue with the introduction to Atlan Palace.”

As he spoke, perhaps due to excessive excitement, the wound on his face split open again.

Yu Ruan: “…”

He had initially intended to offer a few more words of persuasion, but seeing the other’s resolute expression, he abandoned the idea. Instead, he nodded and followed behind Itu, continuing the day’s tour of Atlan Palace.

It seemed the earlier accident had strongly ignited Itu’s work ethic. Yu Ruan could clearly feel the other’s enthusiasm had surged by several percentage points, making it a bit overwhelming for him.

Finally, after they had traversed the entirety of Atlan Palace, Yu Ruan had gained a vague understanding of the place where he would be residing long-term. Itu then led him to the bedchamber he was about to move into.

The luggage he had brought with him had already been packed and transported over. While the two were touring the palace, the attendants had meticulously arranged Yu Ruan’s belongings inside the chamber. As soon as he stepped in, a wave of familiarity washed over him.

The only difference was that his current residence was countless times more luxurious than the one he had on Konan Star.

Yu Ruan walked in with a sense of novelty and noticed that the attendants had thoughtfully draped a layer of translucent pink gauze curtains over his bed. The soft pink hue looked oddly adorable.

Itu coughed lightly and said to him, “Your Highness Yu, next, I will brief you on your upcoming schedule.”

Hearing this, Yu Ruan knew that business was about to begin. He immediately perked up and adopted a serious demeanor. “Please go ahead.”

“There’s no need to be so tense,” Itu quickly reassured him. “It’s just that I heard you were admitted to Nebula University with an exceptionally high score.”

Yu Ruan blinked in confusion: Was that true? How come he didn’t know about it?

Because of the recent incident with Ji Huai, ever since he finished the exam, he hadn’t paid any attention to his results. Even the admission notice had been received by Ye Yizhou on his behalf, he had never even checked his score.

Only after Itu’s reminder did he belatedly open his communicator to take a look at the admission notice sent by Nebula University.

He clicked open the mailbox, followed the link, and three bold, gilded numbers 888 leapt into view, nearly blinding him.

888!

He actually scored 888??

That number was quite auspicious.

It was worth noting that the maximum score for Nebula University’s entrance exam was only 900. Since the university’s founding, very few candidates had ever scored above 800, let alone a score so close to the maximum.

Yu Ruan had initially thought the exam was quite difficult and that he had likely barely passed. But now, seeing his score, he realized he had actually performed quite well.

Itu also saw this exceptionally impressive score and couldn’t help but show deep admiration in his eyes: Every year, countless people aspired to enter Nebula University, yet only a handful succeeded.

As an Omega, a gender inherently disadvantaged compared to Alphas in many aspects for Your Highness Yu Ruan to stand out among so many elites and enter Nebula University as the top scorer was truly remarkable!

He immediately felt a profound respect for the person before him.

Yu Ruan somewhat sheepishly put away his communicator. “It does seem quite high.”

“No, please don’t be modest!” Itu immediately responded. “This is truly an outstanding score. You must not underestimate yourself! You should know that even most Alphas cannot reach such heights.”

Yu Ruan could tell that the old man was about to launch into a lengthy monologue. If this continued, who knew how long it would take to get to the point? So he said, “Grandpa Itu, what were you trying to tell me earlier?”

Hearing this, Itu immediately stopped his rambling. He blushed slightly with embarrassment and said, “It’s like this. Stellaris University currently enforces a boarding system, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

“Mhm, mhm.”

“There’s still some time before the new semester at Stellaris University begins. Until then, please feel free to stay at Atlan Palace. I will do my best to take care of your daily needs. However, once the semester starts, you’ll need to move into the university dormitories.”

Yu Ruan understood: the other party was subtly reminding him not to get too accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle here. Otherwise, he might struggle when he moved to the university later.

He immediately gave Itu a friendly smile. “I understand, thank you for the reminder. But please don’t worry, the conditions at Stellaris University are already excellent. Compared to my time on Kenan Star, it’s a world of difference. I won’t feel hard done by at all.”

These words struck a painful chord in Itu’s heart.

Although Stellaris University’s facilities were considered top-tier across the entire empire, they were still incomparable to the palace. The difference was like that between the heavens and the earth, one high above, the other far below.

The thought that this gentle and amiable young master had endured such a difficult life, to the point where even Stellaris University seemed like a paradise to him, made Itu’s heart ache once more.

How pitiful!

How could he show favoritism to such a poor young master who had been forced to suffer so much in exile?

Itu secretly resolved: once he left this place, he would thoroughly address the situation at Atlan Palace. He must nip all rumors targeting Yu Ruan in the bud, leaving no room for them to harm him in any way.

He wiped the tears welling in the corners of his eyes. “Thank you for your trust. I understand.”

Yu Ruan: “?”

What did he understand?

Yu Ruan stared blankly at Itu’s pained, tearful expression, feeling deeply perplexed.

Itu sniffled and regained his composure. He took out a dark blue velvet box and handed it to Yu Ruan. “This is your personal neural interface. Please keep it safe. If you happen to lose it, be sure to contact me or Lord Xie Zhi.”

Yu Ruan accepted the box and found a beautiful sapphire bracelet nestled inside. He put it on and immediately heard a series of electronic tones, like coded whispers, echoing in his ears.

Soon, the system booted up, and a holographic screen unfolded before his eyes, displaying a welcome message.

Yu Ruan tucked the bracelet away. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Itu bowed to him. “I’m sure you must be quite tired. I won’t disturb your rest any further. If you need anything, just press the call button and someone will come. Please rest well.”

Yu Ruan nodded and waved goodbye.

Watching the gray-haired Beta steward disappear from view, Yu Ruan returned to his room and collapsed onto the bed, utterly exhausted.

Previously, Yu Ruan had to constantly remind himself not to be as casual as he used to be on Kenan Star, all for the sake of maintaining his image. But after a long and exhausting day, he was utterly worn out. Now that he finally had some time alone, he immediately collapsed into the bedding, blissfully hugging a large velvet pillow and rolling around freely on the soft mattress.

So comfortable!

The happiest moments in life truly happen in bed!

Curled up on the cool sheets, Yu Ruan felt like he never wanted to get up again.

Just then, a soft “beep” from the light computer on his wrist caught his attention.

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