Chapter 71: Leaving tomorrow.

Lorcan’s expression suddenly became serious.

The original novel had never clearly explained how the story ended. Most of it focused on the protagonist’s suffering, leaving many things unanswered. Even Oisín’s death had never been properly explained. Lorcan had no idea what had happened to him or why he had died.

However, Oisín immediately noticed the change in his expression.

The general sat up on the bed and knelt beside him. The blanket slipped from his shoulders as he reached out to touch Lorcan’s forehead.

"Your Highness?"

Lorcan was startled. "...It’s nothing."

They had only just been intimate, and faint kiss marks were still visible on their necks.

Feeling uneasy, Lorcan caught Oisín’s wrist and lowered his eyes.

"Why the 21st?"

Oisín looked confused. "What?"

"Why must you wait until the 21st of the month after next to visit the graves?"

Why did it have to be the same date as the general’s death in the original novel?

Lorcan couldn’t hide his worry. His voice carried more emotion than he intended.

Oisín was surprised by his question before breaking into a smile.

"Cathal has already used up his annual leave. He won’t be able to take another break until the month after next. Besides, I’ve officially been declared unfit for duty, so I can’t operate a ship anymore. I want Cathal to accompany me."

"..."

His explanation made sense, but Lorcan still couldn’t shake his doubts.

He was a shooting game streamer, and his instincts were usually quite reliable. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find anything wrong with Oisín’s explanation.

He stared at the general.

"What if I refuse to let you go?"

His voice was unusually calm.

"If I say no, then as my attendant, you have no right to leave the prince’s residence without my permission. You certainly can’t travel to a deserted planet with Cathal to visit the graves."

Oisín went quiet.

Since moving into the prince’s residence, this was the first time Lorcan had spoken to him so firmly.

The usually arrogant Third Prince sat stiffly with his back straight. Although he was the one giving orders, he seemed even more nervous than Oisín.

He tried to look calm, but the slight trembling of his eyelashes exposed his feelings.

Oisín looked at him with his blue eyes, which held many unspoken emotions.

He gently took Lorcan’s hand, moved closer, and rested his chin on the prince’s shoulder.

"If you really won’t let me go, then..."

Lorcan became even more tense.

He knew Oisín had something important to accomplish. There were things the general couldn’t simply abandon, and Lorcan understood that if he truly wanted to leave, there was little he could do to stop him.

In the original novel, the general had been pushed close to breaking point by his pheromone condition. Even then, the Third Prince hadn’t been able to keep him by his side.

If Lorcan refused, Oisín would probably leave without saying anything. They would eventually go their separate ways and become strangers, just as they had in the original story.

However, while Lorcan remained silent, Oisín sighed softly and kissed his earlobe.

Beneath the warm blanket, the usually decisive general spoke in a gentle voice.

"...Then I’ll just have to beg you."

"Please, Your Highness."

He kissed Lorcan again.

"I have something important to do. That’s why I must go."

For a moment, Lorcan felt as though he were dealing with a golden retriever that knew exactly how to escape trouble.

Oisín was always using sweet words and affectionate gestures to persuade him.

Lorcan wanted to push him away, but Oisín caught his wrist and pulled him into a tighter embrace.

In the end, he could only surrender.

"Fine."

He tried to hide the nervousness in his voice.

"If you need anything, just tell me. I can help. My mother commands the First and Seventh Armies. If you need their assistance..."

"All right."

Oisín leaned closer and kissed him.

"Don’t worry, Little Prince."

His voice was barely audible.

"I’ll bring you the final victory."

Lorcan frowned. "What did you say?"

Oisín didn’t answer. Instead, he gently pushed him back onto the bed.

"I said I’m leaving tomorrow. Let me stay with you a little longer."

Lorcan said nothing more. He simply wrapped his arms around the general and held him tightly.

The following day, before the court officials arrived, Oisín injected another dose of the substitute drug into his arm.

The pale blue liquid entered his bloodstream. His muscles immediately tightened before slowly relaxing.

Lorcan stood nearby, watching with his lips pressed together. Although he clearly disliked what was happening, he didn’t stop him.

Oisín explained, "I’ll be kept in prison before the trial. I need everyone to believe that I’ve become dependent on an addictive substance. Otherwise, it’ll be difficult to deceive them."

By now, the substitute drug’s side effects had become its main purpose.

Oisín gradually became sleepy and developed a fever. His body grew weak, and he needed support just to remain standing. His pheromones also began spreading uncontrollably, making it appear as though his condition was becoming increasingly unstable.

To anyone watching, he looked exactly like someone suffering from pheromone addiction.

Lorcan reached out and touched his arm. Only then did he notice the numerous tiny needle marks covering his skin.

Injections involving pheromones usually left wounds that took longer to heal than ordinary injuries. The liquid triggered a rejection response in the body, causing marks to remain on the skin.

Oisín noticed his expression and smiled.

"Don’t look so upset, Little Prince. I was a major general, after all. A few injections are nothing."

Lorcan frowned.

"What does being a major general have to do with anything? Anyone would feel uncomfortable going through this."

Being able to endure pain didn’t mean someone couldn’t feel it.

He leaned forward and kissed Oisín, sharing his pheromones to make him feel better.

When the court officials arrived at the Third Prince’s residence, the two immediately changed their behaviour.

Oisín looked weak and dishevelled. He knelt on the floor with his chin resting against Lorcan’s leg, appearing completely obedient and humiliated.

Meanwhile, Lorcan sat properly in the middle of the hall. His expression was cold and distant, and his entire appearance gave off the impression of an arrogant prince who looked down on everyone.

The officials bowed to him, signed the trial documents, and completed the necessary procedures.

Afterward, they bowed again.

"Your Highness, we will now take Major General Oisín away."

They helped Oisín stand.

Throughout the process, the general remained calm and showed no resistance. He appeared to have completely accepted his situation.

However, when the officials prepared to put chains around his wrists, Lorcan suddenly spoke.

He tapped his fingers against the table and looked at them coldly.

"Gentlemen, I’m only handing him over to you temporarily. I don’t want to see any marks on my property that I didn’t leave myself. When you return him, he must be exactly as he is now. Do you understand?"

He deliberately emphasized the words ’my property’ and ’any marks’.

The officials quickly agreed and promised to follow his instructions.

Ever since his coming-of-age ceremony, everyone in the capital had learned about the Third Prince’s unusual temper and possessive nature.

He hated other people touching his belongings.

Even Colm Gallagher, the man Major General Oisín had supposedly harmed, had been kicked by the Third Prince himself.

These officials were merely ordinary soldiers. They certainly didn’t want to offend someone of Lorcan’s position.

Oisín smiled at him.

The general wasn’t worried at all. Even while being held by two officials, he still found the opportunity to tease Lorcan.

He silently mouthed, ’Your property?’

Lorcan glared at him.

The officials didn’t dare remain at the Third Prince’s residence any longer. They quickly escorted Oisín away and headed for the court.

As soon as they left, Lorcan found an opportunity to slip away from everyone.

He boarded an ordinary servant’s ship that carried no royal symbols or markings identifying it as part of the prince’s household.

Then he hurried straight to the Admiral’s residence.

He needed to make arrangements at the court prison. Otherwise, if everything happened as it had in the original novel, he might completely lose his mind by the time Oisín was released.

Although Lorcan was a prince, the original owner had only recently come of age. He had always been carefree and more interested in enjoying himself than dealing with serious matters.

He had almost no influence of his own and depended entirely on the Admiral.

Admiral Doherty seemed to have expected him.

She was sitting in the front hall, calmly drinking tea.

"Do you want me to arrange for someone to look after Oisín?"

Lorcan immediately went over to her.

He obediently moved around her, refilling her cup and pouring more tea before nodding eagerly.

"Yes!"

The Admiral hadn’t seen her child behave so obediently in a long time.

For some reason, she suddenly felt as though someone else’s child had come along and stolen hers away.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Is he really that important to you?"

"..."

Lorcan moved behind her and began massaging her shoulders.

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"It has to be him."

Since her child had already made up his mind, what else could the Admiral say?

For a moment, she was overwhelmed by her emotions and didn’t know what to think.

Her marriage to the former Emperor had been nothing more than a political arrangement. Although they had a child together, they rarely met, let alone developed any affection for each other.

During the early years, when her pheromones were unstable, she had suffered greatly.

She had never imagined that the child from that marriage would grow into someone so special.

Although Oisín wasn’t one of her subordinates, the Admiral had known about his achievements for a long time.

He had worked his way up through the military ranks and eventually become a major general. The hardships he had endured along the way were beyond what most people could imagine.

The Admiral felt a certain connection with someone who had struggled so hard to reach such a position.

Since Lorcan had personally asked for her assistance, she was more than willing to help him.