Chapter 41: The Marriage Partner Part 2

[Early last night, right after Ilias’s death was confirmed, Vanderveel went to the Imperial Palace, while his butler, upon receiving a communication, headed straight to shuttle bay 3 on Capital Star.]

“Picking up someone from their family?”

[Uncertain, but after picking up the person, the butler also went to the Imperial Palace.]

Hearing this, Wei Tingxia tapped his knee thoughtfully.

Vanderveel going to the palace must be about the marriage alliance; after all, Ilias was the only presentable omega in his entire clan. With him dead, he naturally had to give the Old Emperor an explanation.

The butler ordinarily had no right to an audience with the sovereign, unless he brought earth-shattering good news.

Like finding another suitable omega, allowing the agreement to proceed and the alliance to hold.

As this thought solidified in his mind, a private communication request chime rang abruptly, interrupting his train of thought.

The source was marked with the Vanderveel Family crest. Wei Tingxia’s fingertip paused on his knee for a moment before he tapped to accept.

The message was concise yet profoundly meaningful: [The Second Highness was cordially invited to visit this humble abode tonight for a private banquet.]

Wei Tingxia’s gaze swept over those words, and the corner of his mouth tugged into a barely perceptible knowing arc. A new Omega had been found, so as the other party in this marriage, Wei Tingxia naturally wanted to see if he approved.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Wei Tingxia’s fingertip moved lightly.

[It would be my honor.]

Afterward, he stood up and left the balcony.

As nightfall began, the hovercar silently departed from Wei Tingxia’s residence and headed straight for the Vanderveel Family’s estate.

The hovercar passed through the force field barrier and docked at the brightly lit platform of the main house.

Wei Tingxia stepped into the luxurious banquet hall. His gaze swept precisely across the guests in luxurious attire, searching for the new Omega who had been hastily pushed forward.

Yet even until the head of the Vanderveel Family noticed him, Wei Tingxia had found nothing.

“Your Highness is well.” The family head’s voice was low.

Wei Tingxia nodded, his tone carrying just the right degree of detachment and a trace of imperceptible sympathy: “I heard about the recent misfortune in your household. I deeply regret it.”

He pointed it out and stopped there, making no mention of Ilias’s death.

The Vanderveel family head’s eyes flickered slightly, clearly appreciating this unspoken favor.

The distant chatter fell quiet for a moment.

Wei Tingxia’s appearance instantly made him the center of attention. The guests, who had been conversing among themselves, all paused and focused their gazes on him—some probing, some eager. Many were itching to approach and strike up a conversation.

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Vanderveel subtly shifted half a step to block those lines of sight. His voice dropped even lower: “Your Highness, it’s noisy in the hall. Why not move to the inner chamber for a quiet chat? A few familiar friends are inside, and I can introduce them to you.”

He paused, his gaze meaningfully sweeping toward the side corridor. “Additionally, my unworthy youngest son has just returned from travels in an outer star system. When he heard Your Highness would attend the banquet, he was delighted and wishes to speak with you.”

All of Vanderveel’s children were on Capital Star. Where had this extra youngest son come from, returning from outer star systems?

Wei Tingxia’s eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly. Here it came.

“With such hospitality from the family head, how could I refuse?”

He smiled faintly and agreed, his footsteps turning with the other toward the more private side corridor.

The inner chamber was not as lively as Vanderveel had described. The few scattered guests retreated prudently upon meeting Vanderveel’s gaze, and the heavy doors closed silently. In an instant, only Wei Tingxia and Vanderveel remained in the hall.

“Please, have a seat, Your Highness.”

Vanderveel gestured to a wide armchair, his voice echoing clearly in the empty space.

Wei Tingxia did not move. His gaze passed over Vanderveel’s shoulder and fixed on a tightly shut alloy side door deep in the inner chamber. Dead silence came from within the door, but he could feel a faint, tense gaze piercing through the crack, locked dead on him.

Vanderveel followed his line of sight and glanced over, showing no surprise—instead, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief: “Your Highness is indeed perceptive.”

He no longer hid it and sat on the sofa beside Wei Tingxia. Sorrow surfaced on his aged face: “This morning, Il was already buried.”

His regret and grief stemmed more from losing an excellent political asset than from losing his only Omega son. Wei Tingxia watched silently; he could not say this sorrow was not profound.

“I also learned of this news and felt great regret,” he said slowly. “A few days ago, Father Emperor mentioned granting the marriage to me, but since Ilias—”

In this marriage alliance, the Wei imperial clan held the dominant position. Vanderveel might be outstanding, but if they were not suitable, Wei Tingxia could still choose another.

Vanderveel clearly knew this.

As soon as Wei Tingxia hinted at calling off the betrothal, he quickly interjected: “Your Highness! The betrothal only specified Vanderveel—it did not name which child of Vanderveel. Il’s death is regrettable, but the alliance can still proceed!”

“Oh?” Wei Tingxia raised half an eyebrow. “Forgive my bluntness, but does the Vanderveel Family have any other Omegas?”

The air instantly dropped to freezing.

Vanderveel looked up, his gaze cautiously scanning Wei Tingxia’s half-smiling face.

He had not expected Wei Tingxia to say something identical to the Old Emperor.

To be frank, before truly meeting Wei Tingxia, Vanderveel’s impression of this Second Prince was merely that of a handsome Alpha with good luck, carrying imperial blood suitable for forging an alliance.

He had thought that even if Ilias was dead, Wei Tingxia would not refuse Vanderveel.

But now, facts proved him wrong.

The root of that pickiness and sarcasm lay not even in whether Vanderveel could produce an Omega of sufficiently pure and noble bloodline, but in Wei Tingxia beginning to doubt whether an alliance with Vanderveel was truly worthwhile.

This should have been a moment of tension, yet a subtle emotion that Vanderveel could not quite articulate suddenly welled up in his heart.

He said slowly: “So Your Highness is the one most like His Majesty.”

Vanderveel was over a hundred years old and had witnessed the Old Emperor’s youngest and most spirited days. He could naturally see how alike this father and son were.

The previous notion of using Wei Tingxia as a stepping stone for an imperial marriage underwent a subtle shift at this moment.

Wei Tingxia let out a hum of laughter upon hearing this, treating Vanderveel’s words as mere politeness: “Since the family head is so straightforward, I won’t hide it either. I don’t actually care where this youngest son of yours popped out from—after all, it would be nothing special if said aloud. But since I’m the one betrothed to him, I must put the ugly words upfront.”

“Please speak, Your Highness.”

“I have no interest in such lowly Omegas,” Wei Tingxia said outright. “They don’t deserve to appear on my bed, nor do they deserve my respect. I respect Vanderveel, but both the family head and I know exactly how this person came about.”

He pointed at the still-shut small room door, his smile full of disdain.

Yet no offended expression appeared on Vanderveel’s face; he had already tacitly acknowledged that this “youngest son” had dubious origins.

“This child…” He sighed. “He was a seed I carelessly left behind in my youth. I never expected him to still be alive. If Your Highness is willing to give him a bite to eat, I’m already endlessly grateful. As for how to handle things afterward, since Your Highness is his Alpha, how could I interfere?”

In just a few words, he had sealed this Omega’s unfortunate fate. He truly should not have set foot on Capital Star, becoming an innocent sacrifice in this political struggle.

Wei Tingxia smiled in understanding, continuing to play the role of the scoundrel Alpha: “Very good. It seems the family head and I are in agreement. From now on, I will discipline him on behalf of the family head.”

Vanderveel nodded: “Yes. Xiao Feng grew up in the Border Military District, so his temperament is not like ordinary Omegas. Your Highness will have to put in extra effort.”

As the words fell, a certain form of address suddenly seized Wei Tingxia’s attention.

“What did you call him?” he pressed.

“Oh right, I’ve said so much, but Your Highness hasn’t met him yet!” Vanderveel realized suddenly. He clapped his hands twice and called out: “Bring the young master in!”

Before his words finished, the tightly shut side door opened with a response. An extremely familiar figure appeared behind the door.

Wei Tingxia looked up and instantly froze, petrified in place. Vanderveel, however, did not notice his drastic change in expression and continued introducing: “This child… his looks are a bit rough, not very Omega-like. But rest assured, Your Highness—we’ve tested him. He is undoubtedly an Omega.

“Though his rank isn’t as high as Il’s, he won’t disappoint Your Highness either in bed or out…”

Vanderveel’s rambling words revealed his urgency to seal the marriage. Meanwhile, Wei Tingxia’s gaze locked dead on the person walking step by step toward him, his mind blank, utterly at a loss for how to react.

Yan Xinfeng, who should have been investigating the Blue Nail Ship in the Border Military District, now carried the scent of an Omega. He knelt obediently and docilely by Wei Tingxia’s leg. His 1.94-meter frame, like an iron tower, somehow managed to convey a touch of meekness.

“Peace to the Second Highness.” Yan Xinfeng spoke, his warm breath brushing faintly over Wei Tingxia’s thigh, making his heart, liver, and lungs tremble.

“I take my mother’s surname—Yan Feng. Your Highness can call me Xiao Feng.” Yan Xinfeng’s voice was extremely soft, deliberately warm and gentle. “Your Highness is outstanding in bearing; I truly admire you from the heart…”

With that, he lifted his head. In those usually unrestrained and casual eyes, admiration genuinely welled up, just as he claimed.

“…”

Wei Tingxia leaned rigidly in the chair, his Adam’s apple bobbing with difficulty several times, yet he could not utter a sound. Vanderveel, who had been closely watching his reaction, finally sensed the oddity in the atmosphere.

He had delayed showing Yan Xinfeng precisely because the boy looked nothing like an Omega. An ordinary Alpha would frown upon seeing him, let alone mark and bed him.

“Your Highness…”

Vanderveel tried to speak, to ease the stagnant air.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, Wei Tingxia seemed to snap back to his senses and extended a hand.

The back of his fingers brushed intimately over the Omega’s cheek. Wei Tingxia’s lips curved into a playful arc, his tone gentle as if coaxing: “You’re called Xiao Feng?”

With this touch, a faint blush quietly spread beneath his fingertip. Yan Xinfeng nodded silently.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-three.”

Fuck, twenty-three, you old bastard.

“Good child.”

Wei Tingxia withdrew his hand and praised lowly.

When Vanderveel met his eyes, now filled with real intent, the heavy stone in his heart crashed down.

It was done.