Chapter 3
...
While Ella was talking, the aide rapidly tapped on his terminal. When Ella finished speaking, he nodded to Ezar.
Ezar looked at the engine in Ella's hand and complimented, "Your products are good."
Ella was a bit surprised when she looked up at him.
Ezar continued, "This is a Originium-driven engine, a difficult technology. The Solti people are the best at Originium technology."
Ella's lowered gaze flickered briefly, but she quickly concealed her reaction, saying, "Yes, I've heard a little about that."
Ezar didn't continue on that topic. He signaled to his aide, who handed a contract to Ella.
"Regarding the matter of me being an Omega, only very few people know right now, so please keep it confidential until I make it public."
Ella immediately nodded.
Ezar pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, and continued in a calm tone, "You've completely marked me."
The aide looked at Ezar.
Ella also looked up at Ezar. She couldn't help but wonder, what kind of Omega could say that he had been completely marked in such a calm manner! Ella felt like kneeling before him right there.
Ezar looked at the Alpha female in front of him. Suddenly, in his mind, he recalled the moment when her teeth pierced his gland, when a large amount of pheromones had been injected, and it had been painful. Yet, he had also felt like he was enveloped in clouds, experiencing an unprecedented sense of comfort and safety.
Ezar collected his thoughts, and the tips of his ears turned slightly pink. He cleared his throat and continued, "So, I hope you will marry me."
Ella: !!!
A series of heavy bombshells left Ella bewildered. She didn't know how to react.
A handsome guy was proposing to her!
Unfortunately, they were still strangers at this point.
The aide frowned in apparent impatience at Ella's hesitation. In his eyes, and in the eyes of the entire First Legion, their general was practically a super idol for everyone, without parallel. He was the most outstanding man in the entire interstellar empire.
The aide considered speaking up but was stopped by Ezar.
"I'd like to analyze the pros and cons with you," Ezar said as he sat upright on the sofa, his gloved hands resting habitually on his knees, adopting the posture of a typical military man.
"House Yi is the foremost among the Nine Noble Houses of the Empire, and the resources at our disposal are considerable. After marriage, I can support any career path you wish to pursue, be it through funding or connections; I can provide you with all that you need," Ezar's gaze briefly shifted to the engine in Ella's hands.
"Furthermore, I will inherit my father's title, and you will step directly into the ranks of the Empire's nobility."
"Lastly, the number of Omegas in the Empire is extremely limited, and I will voluntarily apply to the Omega Protection Association to be matched with you."
"Of course, while I cannot force Miss Ella to agree, I hope you will take your time to make this decision."
Ezar stared at Ella like a wolf facing its prey.
Ella felt a slight chill down her neck. He was almost intimidating! Truly deserving of being the general of the First Legion, he was calm, authoritative, and assertive.
Ella really didn't want to get herself into trouble. She just wanted to lead a quiet, ordinary life. What should she do? Should she lower her head in front of this formidable force? But he was undeniably attractive! Moreover, he was an 'E' - the same surname as hers.
There was an internal struggle going on in Ella's mind.
She cautiously lifted her head, meeting Ezar's intense gaze, and a shiver ran down her spine. She didn't have the courage to refuse.
"I agree," Ella whispered.
Ezar slid the contract closer to Ella once more.
Ella had no choice but to pick up the pen. She didn't dare read the specifics of the contract and signed her name hastily.
Ezar observed Ella's reaction and a slight smile graced his lips as he picked up the pen to sign, adding his handsome signature next to Ella's large, clumsy one.
"All right, I'll handle all the wedding arrangements. You just need to cooperate as needed. You have one day to inform your family and friends. Afterward, I will send someone to escort you to the Yi residence," Ezar said with an air of formality as he handed the signed contract to his aide and stood up to leave.
Ella noticed that Ezar's movements seemed somewhat stiff as he got up.
"Um..." Ella hesitated.
Ezar turned back, "Do you have any other requests?"
Ella looked at him and said somewhat bashfully, "When you return, please get some good rest."
Ezar paused for a moment, then gave a faint, "Alright."
------
The Little Sun Repair Shop
Ella, who had a meager amount of credits in her purse, spent an hour and a half traveling on three different public shuttles, squeezed among the crowd of passengers, before finally disembarking at a shabby and worn-out bus stop.
The bus stop sign had rusty patches, and some of the letters were chipping off. The back of the sign was plastered with numerous small ads.
Locksmiths, apartment rentals, foot massages, and remedies for various ailments... it was quite a diverse selection.
Ella stood beside the bus stop sign, pretending to scrutinize it for a long while until a passerby who was very understanding about her situation said, "Here, since you've been looking at it for so long, take a couple."
Ella accepted the cards he handed her with a bemused expression. The cards were thin and contained a pretty girl's picture on the front, along with a terminal number. The back displayed a handsome guy and his terminal number.
One had to admit, the services offered were quite comprehensive.
As she noticed that it was already getting dark, Ella felt it was best not to procrastinate further. She turned and headed across the street.
The Ninth Block of the Lower District in the Capital Star was considered a commercial street, or so they said. It was called a commercial street because there were shops lining the entire block, but it was a loose term, as these were mostly small businesses, each minding their own affairs. They sold fried pastries, pancakes, foot massages, and even various forms of treatment.
And then there was Ella, running her little repair shop.
She knew this area well. She could find her way to her small shop even with her eyes closed. That's right, it was half hers, with the other half belonging to Ah Hong.
This store wasn't situated on the main street but rather across a side street in a somewhat dark alleyway, a somewhat remote area with lower rent prices.
A glass door was adorned with sheets of paper advertising various promotions, all handwritten by Ah Hong, whose handwriting was just as bold and ugly as Ella's. Adjacent to it were childish decorations and doodles in various colors, drawn with the sort of markers one would find in an elementary school.
Outside the door, there was a jumble of broken odds and ends to demonstrate that this was a mechanical repair shop that couldn't fix anything else.
The only thing that stood out in this repair shop was the wooden sign. It was a meter long and half a meter wide, bearing a bright yellow sun with a smiling face in the middle. More importantly, next to it, the words "Repair Shop" were written in an impressive manner, a stark contrast to Ella's and Ah Hong's usual scribbles.
Don't ask why a mechanical repair shop had a wooden sign.
Ella took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
The shop's interior was dimly lit, and all around, there were various mechanical components hanging on the walls. Opposite her was a tall glass counter with small parts on display inside.
As Ella entered and the glass door struck the bell hanging on the side, it made a tinkling sound.
A head emerged from behind the counter—a head of untamed, dry, and fluffy brown hair. The person sported oversized black-framed glasses with the lens reflecting the light from a terminal.
"You actually remembered to come back?!" Ah Hong shot Ella a stern look and then went back to her terminal, her voice quite loud, "Where have you been hanging out? You reek of man!"
Nonsense, Ella thought to herself.
She rolled her eyes; she had the beautiful scent of an Omega's exquisite pheromones on her. More importantly, Ah Hong was a female Beta and couldn't even detect pheromones!
"Purely by accident," Ella mumbled and carelessly hung her single-strap bag on the hook by the counter, which was its designated spot.
Ah Hong cast a glance at Ella's bag and asked, "How's the work been going?"
"The wrenches here are of decent quality," Ella responded, seemingly engrossed in examining a rusty wrench.
Ah Hong's voice suddenly became louder, "You've been goofing off for a week, and you haven't done anything?"
"Kind of, sort of," Ella admitted, trying to be vague about what she had been doing.
"Oh my god," Ah Hong suddenly exclaimed.
Ella jumped in surprise.
"Damn, damn..." Ah Hong muttered in amazement.
Ella glanced over to see Ah Hong was looking at her terminal, not talking about her, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Man, Ella, this guy is incredible."
Ella's eyelids twitched when she heard the word "man."
"Our First General of the Imperial Army is actually an Omega! I mean, seriously, it's insane!" Ah Hong continued to express her amazement.
"How do you know?" Ella suddenly raised her head and asked.
"Look at your terminal, there's a trending topic! The news just came out! General Yize of the First Imperial Legion publicly announced his test results, revealing he's an Omega."
Ella quickly opened her terminal and indeed, just ten minutes ago, Yize held a press conference, revealing his test results and openly stating that he was an Omega.
The news had sent the online world into a frenzy.
On one hand, there were the adoring fans.
"Wow, he's so handsome! I'm in love, don't wake me up."
"Oh my god, his looks, my mom asked me why I'm licking my terminal."
"Why would anyone be an Alpha when we have Omegas like him?"
"An Omega with this many military achievements, he's too amazing."
Then there were those who were skeptical.
"I wonder what connections he used to reveal this and look like that."
These comments were quickly countered.
"Link: The head of the Nine Great Families in the Empire, the Yize family, is known for their strong and influential position in the Empire. They don't need any connections."
"Connections? He's a national treasure; he doesn't need connections. Learn some respect!"
"I've just become his fan, and I'm going to learn more about Omegas!"
Ella realized that Yize's revelation was causing quite a stir, and she wondered how this would affect her life.