Several diplomats from the Alliance exchanged meaningful glances behind Jiang Yun.
Even Cheng Chi, who was on his very first mission, could feel it clearly, the Olin delegation was more anxious than the Alliance.
For the Alliance, no matter how important Colonel Lu had been, he was now nothing more than a body but for Olin, Wickliffe was a living noble. Every day of delay meant one more day their young lord remained in Alliance hands, one more day of danger.
The enemy’s impatience was their own greatest advantage.
Cheng Chi was certain that the foreign minister, Jiang Yun, knew this as well. Yet perhaps because Jiang Yun himself wished to retrieve Colonel Lu’s body as soon as possible, he made no objection.
Before the eyes of the crowd, Jiang Yun nodded lightly beneath his black umbrella. “All right.”
“Splendid, truly splendid! I can already sense this will be a most pleasant and fair exchange.” Ian’s smile seemed sincere, his tone cheerful. “Then, as agreed, would you please bring Wickliffe out to meet us? As long as our prince can personally confirm that his son is safe and unharmed, I will immediately take you to see Colonel Lu’s remains. How does that sound?”
Jiang Yun sent a look to Morris.
Maurice raised his communicator. “Bring him out.”
Politt had been standing in the snow for quite some time and his strength was nearly spent.
He cursed under his breath about how diplomats always had so much nonsense to say, while using his cane to barely keep himself upright. His gaze never left the hatch of the Rescue.
The moment his son’s figure appeared, Politt hurried forward with the help of his cane, almost stumbling in the snow. “Wickliffe!”
Ian steadied him with one hand, his red eyes narrowing slightly as they swept over Wickliffe’s body through the thick snow. “Your Highness, Prince Wickliffe appears uninjured. Please, don’t worry too much. Mind your composure as a prince of the Empire.”
“And who are you to lecture me? Get out of my way, you gutter-born commoner!” Politt shook off Ian’s hand, grabbing at his hat before the wind could blow it away. With his other hand, he pointed his cane furiously at the two Alliance captains holding his son. “Let go of Wickliffe! Now!”
Ian wisely stepped aside, watching the reunion between father and son with cold amusement. From where Politt could not see, he let out a quiet, mocking laugh.
Empire, monarchy, noble blood… how ridiculous that lineage required no proof at all.
Unfortunately, Wickliffe’s feelings toward his father were nowhere near as deep as his father’s for him.
When he heard his name being called, Wickliffe merely looked at his father with detached calm.
He was utterly composed, almost unnaturally so. Even though he had returned to imperial territory, even though he stood before his father, there was not the faintest spark of joy in his eyes.
Those who knew the vampire Wickliffe well were aware, there was only one thing that could stir excitement in him. Beautiful, delicate Omegas.
His gaze swept quickly over the assembled Alphas and Betas. When it passed over Zhong Man and Lin Zhen, a faint interest flickered there. But when it landed on Jiang Yun, that faint glimmer burst into flame. The calm in his eyes was instantly replaced by madness.
Ah, we meet again, my beautiful one.
The corners of Wickliffe’s lips twitched, the tip of his tongue sliding slowly over his sharp teeth like a starving wolf eyeing his long-awaited prey.
Cheng Chi watched as Colonel Maurice once again placed himself protectively between Jiang Yun and Wickliffe and he felt a wave of helplessness rise inside him.
At that moment, he finally understood why the minister had once told him not to learn from Colonel Maurice.
What use was that kind of chivalry? It would be far more useful to find a way to get Wickliffe as far away from Jiang Yun as possible.
He looked at the foreign minister’s back, took a deep breath, his chest and head burning with sudden heat and before he could think better of it, he spoke, his first time speaking up in a diplomatic meeting.
“You’ve confirmed your man. Now, can we go to the research facility to receive Colonel Lu’s remains?”
No one seemed to notice what a bold step that was for a young diplomat on his first mission. No one even realized the speaker was a newcomer.
Only Jiang Yun turned his head slightly, giving Cheng Chi a faint sidelong glance.
That small acknowledgement sent a rush of fire through Cheng Chi’s veins.
“Of course, of course.” Ian snapped his fingers and several vehicles bearing the Olin Empire’s crest rolled to a stop in front of Jiang Yun.
He opened the door of one car and gestured with exaggerated politeness. “Minister Jiang, gentlemen and His Highness Wickliffe. Please, step inside.”
The moment the words left his mouth, the Alliance diplomats all changed color. Cheng Chi froze.
Wickliffe was invited to board?
What did that mean?
Eli Ze raised his brows, the faintest sneer curling his lips. “I see your old sickness has returned, Ian the Fool.”
Ian blinked, feigning confusion. “I’m afraid I don’t understand, Mr. Eli Ze.”
“According to the agreement, you have no right to take Wickliffe Lu,” Zhong Man said coldly. “Are you planning to break the terms again, Lord Ian?”
“No, no, Miss Zhong, you misunderstand me.” Ian raised both hands in mock surrender, his tone mild and smiling. “We have no intention of taking His Highness Wickliffe away. He remains your prisoner. However…”
He turned a glance toward Politt. “Our prince only wishes to see his son a little longer, just for the short trip from the harbor to the research institute.”
Before the Alliance diplomats could retort, Ian went on cheerfully, “During this time, you may of course keep His Highness in restraints and under Colonel Morris’s personal guard. I only ask that he and Prince Politt share a car. Surely that is acceptable, Minister Jiang?”
Politt had finally managed to steady his hat, standing firm again in the snow. His voice was coarse and impatient. “Surely you won’t deny me that small courtesy, Minister Jiang?”
Jiang Yun seemed to have expected this little trick all along. He didn’t even bother arguing the finer points of the agreement.
He lifted his eyes slightly, his tone mild but sharp. “Oh? Do you truly need a favor from me?”
“…” Politt’s face turned red with anger. He was about to lash out but Ian quickly cut in.
“Perhaps you’d like to think it over once more, Minister Jiang?” Ian’s voice softened, full of false sincerity. “You are only one step away from seeing your late husband’s body. It would be a pity to delay further. Of course, we could sit down and renegotiate everything, though that would cost more time. It’s entirely your decision, Minister.”
Eli Ze leaned closer and said in a low voice behind Jiang Yun, “Minister, they’ve confirmed Wickliffe. Now they’re just stalling for time.”
The Alliance’s military power was more than enough to stand their ground if they wanted to turn this into a confrontation. But doing so would plunge both sides into a deadlock and the recovery of Colonel Lu’s body would be delayed again and again.
Yet if they simply agreed to Ian’s terms, it would be humiliating and worse, Olin might take advantage to push for even more.
The younger diplomats stood silently behind Jiang Yun. They all knew this was not their time to speak. All they had to do was wait for their minister’s decision.
Jiang Yun was known for his decisiveness, he either agreed or refused outright, never lingering.
But this time, he did not answer immediately. He laughed softly instead. “Any other demands? Why not lay them all out at once?”
Politt’s expression froze. He glanced toward Ian, seeking support but Ian did not meet his eyes.
The red-haired Alpha kept his polite smile. “What do you mean, Minister?”
“Let me guess,” Jiang Yun said slowly. “If I agree to this, your prince will probably ask me to give him another favor, invite me to share a car with the two of them.”
Politt’s face darkened completely.
“So much scheming,” Jiang Yun said, turning slightly, his brow sharp as a blade and his lips curved in a faint, cold smile as he looked at Wickliffe. “All just to be near me for a moment?”
That smile pushed the gleam in Wickliffe’s eyes to its extreme. His eyelids trembled faster and the feverish light within him burned hotter.
Of course he liked it. How could he not?
How could any Alpha resist an Omega like this one?
“Enough!” Maurice snapped, his voice cutting like ice. “We will never agree to such a disgusting request.”
The Omegas present all showed visible disgust.
Just being under Wickliffe’s sickening, predatory gaze was nauseating enough and his foul, metallic scent made it worse. To be trapped in the same enclosed space with him, no Omega could bear it.
Lu Chao’s face had gone dark as stone. The fury twisting his features stripped him of his youthful softness; his maturing Alpha frame radiated cold, dangerous power.
He wanted nothing more than to grab dagger and drive it straight into those lustful eyes that dared look at his father that way.
If not for his pale-faced older brother gripping his wrist and forcing him to stay calm, he would have done it, no, he certainly would have done it.
Cheng Chi opened his mouth, ready to express his outrage but when he caught sight of Colonel Maurice’s rigid figure out of the corner of his eye, he immediately closed it again.
He must not imitate Maurice. The minister did not need useless outbursts.
But then what could he do? How could he protect the minister?
Who could he learn from, if not Maurice?
The young diplomat did not yet know that ever since seventeen years ago, Jiang Yun had never needed any Alpha to protect him.
Jiang Yun raised a hand, signaling everyone to stay where they were. Then, he stepped forward alone.
Wickliffe was a man addicted to danger.
A life of noble ease had long dulled his senses. Born to comfort, he had everything he could ever want, except meaning. He craved excitement, chaos, the edge between life and death.
So he defied his family and became a spy in the Alliance’s capital, seeking the thrill of constant peril.
Yet even during those years of intrigue and risk, he had never felt the same fevered exhilaration as now.
Come closer, he thought, his pulse quickening. Come closer, beautiful Omega. I can hardly wait to taste you.
Outside the umbrella, snow dusted Jiang Yun’s hair. His cloak rippled in the wind over his straight suit. His gaze was pure contempt, like two scalpels slicing into the Alpha again and again.
“Do you think I fear your pheromones?” Jiang Yun said casually, walking toward him. Behind him, the snow collapsed evenly beneath his feet. “Do you think your pheromones could ever affect me?”
“Even the faint trace my husband released when he was annoyed could crush you instantly.” Jiang Yun stopped in front of him, lifting his nearly black eyes with calm disdain. “Pathetic.”
Wickliffe did not grow angry. Instead, he trembled with excitement. “To compare me with your beloved late husband, ah, you sound almost jealous on his behalf.” His voice shook with thrill. “May I take it, then, that I, too, have managed to stir your calm heart, even just a little?”
Jiang Yun looked at him as though at a corpse already bleeding out, his eyes devoid of warmth.
“What’s the matter, my beauty?” Wickliffe licked his lips, intoxicated. “Does your silence mean you agree?”
Jiang Yun spoke softly, his tone colder than the wind. “You’re courting death.”
“Death? Indeed.” Wickliffe laughed wildly, then leaned closer, his voice dropping to a hoarse whisper meant only for them. “I’ve been waiting for you to kill me. Why have you kept me waiting? I’m dying to see how you’ll play the role of the exquisite death goddess, how you’ll reach into my chest and take my heart out with those lovely hands.”
Jiang Yun listened impassively, as if to the prattle of a clown desperate for attention. In his calm, there was even a trace of pity.
After all, in just a few days, this Alpha would be nothing but a corpse anyway.
His silence, mistaken for submission, only made Wickliffe more delirious. His grin widened, his emotions spiraling toward mania.
“Do you remember my warning? Find a way to kill me soon, or when your body is covered in blood, you’ll start wondering, ”
Just a few more days, Jiang Yun told himself. Just a few more days.
He lowered his gaze, ready to turn away. But suddenly, his chest tightened.
Between Wickliffe’s brows, a tiny red dot had appeared, so small it was nearly invisible.
Like a pinpoint of crimson ink upon white paper, it marked him perfectly.
Wickliffe didn’t notice. He was still talking, still lost in his feverish fantasy. “You’ll wonder whether the blood covering you is yours or mine, ”
The rest of his words vanished in a violent burst of red.
There had been no warning, no hesitation.
So effortless. So absolute.
Wickliffe’s expression froze on his last proud smirk.
The red mist carved a vivid arc through the snow-filled air. A moment ago he had been alive, arrogant, smiling and the next, his skull exploded into fragments of bone and brain. The feverish light in his eyes went out, leaving only two hollow pits of terror.
The filthy blood spread through the snow like an ugly flower, its roots crawling forward until they stopped just short of Jiang Yun’s black cloak.
He stood over Wickliffe Lu’s shattered head, his suit, his shirt, his tie, his cloak, all spotless, untouched by even a drop of blood.
No trace of Wickliffe’s scent, no hint of any Alpha’s pheromone.
Only soft, cool snowflakes drifting down from the distant sky, settling upon his shoulders one by one.
Each flake brushed him gently, tenderly, like the long-awaited kiss of someone who had finally come home.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Who can compare to Colonel Lu?Chapter 2 · He should be deadChapter 3 · How were we born?Chapter 4 · That’s where Colonel died..Chapter 5 · No one knows my pheromone than Colonel LuChapter 6 · Colonel Lu’s remainsChapter 7 · Heat is approachingChapter 8 · CheckmateChapter 9 · A dream liked married lifeChapter 10 · What might be his pregnancy be like?Chapter 11 · He thought he would be the father of two childrenChapter 12 · So we just hang Colonel Lu on the wall?Chapter 13 · Finally, I have something to say to my wifeChapter 14 · Why doesn’t Colonel Lu understandChapter 15 · He doesn’t Love MeChapter 16 · You’ll see him soonChapter 17 · So casual, so carelessChapter 18 Part 1 · He.. He’s looking at meChapter 18 Part 2 · He..He’s looking at meChapter 19 · Lu Huai is still aliveChapter 20 · Wait until I bring back your zombie Alpha dadChapter 21 · Long time no see, Jiang YunChapter 22 · I still have that qualificationChapter 23 · It still tastes sweet when you kiss itChapter 24 · He seems to have forgotten how to act cuteChapter 25 · The two unfortunate children were completely terrifiedChapter 26 · Please make yourself at home.Chapter 27 · Hello, UncleChapter 28 · Am I not your deceased husband?Chapter 29 · Don’t you love me anymore?Chapter 30 · Our home is No. 5, Qianshui RoadChapter 31 · Is he… here to keep him company?Chapter 32 · What exactly did Alpha bring me?Chapter 33 · Thanks a lot, brothers!Chapter 34 · Hi?Chapter 35 · I only let you take care of the child for one dayChapter 36 · Did you have thoughts when you ‘died’?Chapter 37 · Put a double bed in your homeChapter 38 · They both suffered heavy lossesChapter 39 · Welcome back to the Alphas’ arena.Chapter 40 · Why should I lower myself?Chapter 41 · I have learned that Colonel Lu Huai is still aliveChapter 42 · They are sensitive and vulnerableChapter 43 · He would also feel regret.Chapter 44 · When a child is quiet, they’re definitely up to somethingChapter 45 · Dad, you have such a good eye for choosing a husband!Chapter 46 · Who made it wear a colonel’s uniform?Chapter 47 · I love him very muchChapter 48 · Okay, I believe youChapter 49 · I remember you went pretty hard on him at the end.Chapter 50 · Colonel Lu, don’t be too fierceChapter 51 · To…make up for the regretChapter 52 · A perfect match!Chapter 53 · Colonel Lu, let’s get married!Chapter 54 · When will you finally learn to stop talking nonsense?Chapter 55 · My darlings, we’re homeChapter 56 · Babies, please stopChapter 57 · I’m about to enter my heat cycle, not my due dateChapter 58 · Is he complaining to his wife?Chapter 59 · The only lieChapter 60 · Colonel Lu, the babies are all crying.Chapter 61 · Dad, Colonel Lu bullied me.Chapter 62 · A large number of foreign ministersChapter 63 · Jiang Mu definitely likes handsome guys tooChapter 64 · First time bringing a partner to a major diplomatic occasionChapter 65 · You’re still as handsome as you were back thenChapter 66 · Bedtime Strategic PartnerChapter 67 · How can you be so good at threatening people?Chapter 68 · I’m waiting for youChapter 69 · I’ll stay by your side, from beginning to endChapter 70 · Can you handle Lu Chao’s… educational session for me?Chapter 71 · The First SpringChapter 72 · Extra 1Chapter 73 · Extra 2Chapter 74 · Extra 3Chapter 75 · Extra 4Chapter 76 · Extra 5Chapter 77 · Extra 6Chapter 78 · Extra 7Chapter 79 · Extra 8Chapter 80 · Extra 9