Chapter 10
There was a scrape on the outside of her arm, oozing a bit of blood, from her recent fall on the ground.
Yi Ze retrieved a medical spray from a hidden compartment and administered a simple disinfection.
The aircraft quickly returned to the Yi Ze residence, and Yi Ze once again carried Ella horizontally.
"My leg is fine..." Ella quietly protested.
Being held like a princess did nothing to ease the icy atmosphere Yi Ze exuded. She wanted to keep her distance.
Yi Ze paid no attention to her protests and carried her directly to Ella's bedroom, placing her on the bed.
"Take off your clothes," Yi Ze ordered, as if giving a military command.
Ella: Is he being this direct?
Ella tugged at her neckline and softly said, "Isn't that a bit... inappropriate?"
Yi Ze ignored her and went ahead, unzipping the side of Ella's evening dress and pulling it down.
"Oh my!" Ella quickly covered her face with her hands, feigning shyness.
Yi Ze sighed in exasperation, took hold of Ella's injured arm to prevent her from moving erratically, and gently laid her flat on the bed. He began examining her body for any other injuries.
Ella's inner thoughts: I'm still wearing a bra and panties, why didn't you continue???
Ella regretted buying such plain cotton underwear! No lace, no see-through, no patterns!
You get what you pay for!
Yi Ze noticed a large area of bruising on the lower side of Ella's waist, but based on the wound's condition, it was evidently not from her recent injury.
As Yi Ze's fingers brushed Ella's side, she flinched.
"It's itchy..."
Yi Ze was surprised by Ella's intense reaction but quickly regained his composure and asked, "What happened with this injury?"
Ella bit her lip. "Um, I, I got it while fixing the aircraft today, I accidentally fell from the scaffolding."
Yi Ze nodded and retrieved a medical kit.
Ella watched as Yi Ze carefully applied medicine to her arm and wrapped it with a bandage, his movements skilled and efficient.
After tending to her arm, Yi Ze began treating Ella's side. Throughout the process, Ella couldn't help but giggle softly, only stopping when Yi Ze finished applying the gauze.
Yi Ze glanced at her and said, "Rest well," then turned and left.
Ella lay on the bed, sighing at her failed choice of underwear.
Sunlight Kindergarten
A private kindergarten for Soltar migrants.
Yi Ze stared at this introduction on the document, lost in thought.
His aide, noticing Yi Ze's lack of response, reminded him, "General, there's no reason for you to handle such a visit. Should I decline on your behalf with the Imperial Palace Secretary's Office?"
Yi Ze blinked and refocused, "No need. I will participate in this visit. Arrange my schedule."
"Understood." The aide didn't ask further questions; he knew that every decision Yi Ze made had a reason behind it.
But in his heart, the aide couldn't help but sigh.
Why did they have to assign General Yi Ze to visit a kindergarten in the capital? For the sake of caring about the growth of the Empire's children, but why send the top general of the First Legion? Aren't they afraid of scaring the kids? The fierce look Yi Ze had while wielding his blade against the Insectoids on the front lines still gave the aide shivers every time he thought about it.
Yi Ze noticed his aide's expression, which seemed like he had just eaten something terrible.
"It's because I'm an Omega," Yi Ze calmly clarified for his aide.
"Huh? What does being an Omega have to do with this..." The aide began to speak but then stopped. In the eyes of the First Legion, General Yi Ze was a general, whether he was an Alpha or an Omega. That was the result of fighting side by side on the battlefield through countless campaigns.
But for the residents of the capital who were far from the front lines, mentioning Omega still brought to mind images of someone delicate, soft, cute, gentle, and adorable. These were the typical stereotypes associated with Omegas.
Unfortunately, none of these descriptions aligned with Yi Ze.
People always thought that what they were familiar with was the truth.
The aide glanced at Yi Ze, who was focused on handling other documents, and his admiration for the general soared even higher. Although he had already maxed out his admiration for Yi Ze, the upper limit continued to be pushed.
The aide realized that if he were in Yi Ze's current situation, he couldn't maintain the same calm composure.
Yi Ze, their general, truly lived up to his reputation.
***
The so-called visit to the capital's Star Kindergarten involved visiting several high-end royal kindergartens with the accompaniment of department heads. Afterward, they sat in a magnificent theater and watched a play performed by kindergarten children. The play was about the history of the Empire, and it lasted for two hours – there was no other option, given the vast history of the Empire.
This special performance was prepared for the visit, and only the first three rows of the theater were filled, with attendees from relevant departments. The main guest was General Yi Ze, who sat in the front row, center seat, wearing his immaculate military uniform.
Indeed, he was a general. While everyone else struggled to stay awake, Yi Ze remained motionless, attentively watching the children's performance on stage.
"Hey, Empire, I am your sword!" a child shouted while their sword drooped loosely in their hand.
"Soltar people, welcome to your inclusion!" The play briefly mentioned the integration of the Soltar race with the Empire's history and quickly moved on.
Almost all the kindergarten children had their turn on stage, and the performance officially ended.
When it was time for the curtain call, Yi Ze was the first to applaud.
Others woke up from their half-asleep states and quickly joined in the applause.
"General Yi Ze, we truly appreciate your support for our early childhood education amidst your busy schedule," the department head, wearing white gloves, shook Yi Ze's hand and expressed his gratitude using an official tone.
Yi Ze raised an eyebrow, "Is that it?"
The leader replied with a smile, "Yes, General Yi Ze. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, that's all. Thank you, everyone." Yi Ze politely bid farewell to the staff present and boarded his military aircraft.
Once Yi Ze had left, the leader wiped the metaphorical sweat from his forehead and promptly invited everyone to have dinner to relax. General Yi Ze's presence exuded too much authority, and they had mistakenly thought that, being an Omega, he might be more gentle. They couldn't have been more wrong.
He was like a walking weapon – cold, rational, precise, and dangerous. This had led them to cancel the planned games with the kindergarten children.
***
While the leader was struggling with the situation, Yi Ze's aide sat in the co-pilot seat with a headache, still replaying the children's half-hearted lines in his mind.
Yi Ze looked out of the window for a moment and then turned to his aide. He said, "Take us to Sunshine Kindergarten."
The aide was puzzled. He quickly instructed the aircraft's navigator to find the location.
"General, hasn't the visit ended?" the aide inquired cautiously.
"But we only visited the Royal Kindergarten today. I want to see a civilian kindergarten," Yi Ze explained.
The aide was amazed that their general was so concerned about this matter. Indeed, Yi Ze was a very dedicated general.
With a determination to accompany the general no matter what, the aide arrived at "Sunshine Kindergarten."
After disembarking from the aircraft, the aide was taken aback by what he saw.
"Are we at the right place?" the aide asked the pilot.
"Let's go inside," Yi Ze pointed to a very unassuming sign with faded letters that barely spelled "Sunshine Kindergarten."
The contrast with the Royal Kindergarten was stark. Coming from the Royal Kindergarten to this kindergarten, located in a run-down old factory building, was quite a shock.
This old factory building was squeezed between some half-constructed buildings, making it look particularly desolate.
Everything was painted a dull gray, far from the colorful exterior of the Royal Kindergarten. Without the address navigation and that worn-out sign, no one would think this was a kindergarten when viewing it from the outside.
Approaching the area, they finally spotted a few children running and playing inside the iron fence, which was adorned with barbed wire.
Some equally outdated playground equipment was scattered across the aged play area – slides, swings, and see-saws.
The large rusty iron gate to the factory building was tightly closed, resembling a high-security prison.
The aide quickly found the contact information on the documents and called the office.
He called three times before someone finally answered. Upon hearing that General Yi Ze was visiting, they hurriedly said they would open the gate.
The gate was opened relatively quickly, and a middle-aged Beta woman greeted them and led them inside.
"Hello, General Yi Ze. I'm Zhang, the director of Sunshine Kindergarten."
"Hello, Director Zhang," Yi Ze replied, shaking her hand.
The aide began explaining the purpose of their visit, and Director Zhang nodded in understanding, saying, "We are fully cooperating with the commander's work."
Director Zhang was of short stature and had a plump figure. She wore a light-colored knit suit. When she wasn't smiling, she appeared rather serious, but when she did smile, her eyes softened, giving her a warm and nurturing appearance.
Overall, she looked like a typical kindergarten director.
The aide felt relieved, hoping that this wasn't an irregular kindergarten. He glanced at Yi Ze, who was walking ahead with a calm demeanor, thinking that if any violations were discovered today, it would spell trouble.
The children playing on the open ground saw Director Zhang and politely greeted her with soft, sweet voices, saying, "Hello, Director."
Yi Ze's expression only relaxed at that moment.
Upon entering the dull factory building, they were pleasantly surprised to find that the inside was organized and decorated, clearly having undergone renovations. While not as extravagant as the Royal Kindergarten, it had a relatively warm atmosphere.
Laughter of happy children occasionally echoed through the hallways.
Director Zhang led them inside, and it was clear that they had made efforts to create a nurturing environment. The children's classrooms were decorated with colorful artwork, and the classrooms themselves were cozy and inviting.
There were pictures on the walls, toys neatly arranged, and even a small indoor garden with potted plants. It wasn't as grand as the Royal Kindergarten, but it had its charm, and the children seemed genuinely happy.
Yi Ze observed all this with interest, his stern countenance softening slightly. The visit was turning out to be quite different from what they initially expected.