Chapter 043: Identity
Lin Yuan undoubtedly knew that with Caesar's personality, it was impossible for him to stage this kind of senseless joke. However, what Caesar had said, he was utterly incapable of believing those words!
In his eighteen years of life, he had always been very sure that he was a Beta. Ever since he was a child, his biggest dream was to become an outstanding soldier, give his mother and sister a better life, and to find a gentle and kindhearted Beta girl to marry and have children with. Get married, have kids, and just all around live in peace and work happily!
But now, Caesar actually said that he is an Omega? Is this really not a joke?
Lin Yuan has lived on the barren and desolate planet of Rennes ever since he was a child. He had been entirely surrounded by Beta. For him, Omegas are a totally alien existence. He only knows that at the time of birth, Omegas must be registered in the Omega Association. Starting at the age of fourteen, all Omegas are arranged to go to a city and will be sent to the capital star to study under a specialized school. Before their first estrus at eighteen arrives, they are given a genetically matched Alpha assigned by the Omega Association and from then on, they stay at home to focus on bearing children for the later generation!
- How can I be an Omega?
- An Omega who is capable of giving birth to a child? An Omega that has irregular estruses every year? An Omega that needs to do nothing and only needs to be confined at home to serve an Alpha and bear offspring?
Lin Yuan looked at Caesar questioningly and repeated: "Caesar, you must have made a mistake. How could I be an Omega? I have been a Beta for the past 18 years."
Dr. Fornt had looked after him ever since he was a child. He understands his body the most thoroughly. He is a very talented doctor, he had even opened a private hospital on the planet of Rennes. He said that he had an innate immune system defect that would cause problems. It was certainly unlikely for it to be a mistake!
Maybe the situation just resembled an Omega's love-making period? And so Caesar misunderstood it?
How could Caesar be so stupid......?
He had clearly explained it to him, yet he still mistook him as an Omega, but to also to mark him? What the hell was he thinking?
Caesar saw that his frame of mind was very complicated when he received Lin Yuan's "look at this fool" expression.
Lin Yuan had always thought of himself as a Beta......
Obviously, in the environment that he grew up in, as well as his family, it had already instilled in him long ago this kind of "you are a Beta" notion. This belief had been deeply rooted in his heart, even over the past eighteen years everything that he had done had been done under that prerequisite.
He had thought that he was Beta, so he gained entry into the military school of St. Romia believing that he could become a soldier; He had thought that he was Beta, so he could calmly become friends with those Alphas Karl, Caesar, and Brian; He had thought that he was Beta, so he went on to participate in a major mech competition and with great effort, out of the entire school and with a great performance record, he became the runner up.
He didn't even know that he was an Omega and he didn't even know that the medicine he had been taking was an inhibitor!
Who is deliberately hiding this from him? Why would they hide it from him?
Looking at Lin Yuan's both surprised and confused appearance, Caesar suddenly felt distressed.
Letting him know the truth must be a major blow to him.
If in the past 18 years, he had earnestly worked hard to build up a dream from the bottom of his heart, then his identity as a Beta is the foundation of that dream.
Now to tell him that he is actually not a Beta but an Omega, his entire world would collapse.
All his efforts through these years have been entirely in vain......
He originally thought that Lin Yuan's had a reason to sneak into the military academy. Caesar did not expect him to be unaware of the whole matter.
This kind of situation unexpectantly made Caesar feel even more pained.
Facing Lin Yuan's eyes filled with bewilderment, and Caesar found himself somewhat reluctant to steel his heart to further continue.
However, as an Omega, Lin Yuan must know the truth and always be on guard to stay and attend school under the cover of Caesar. If someone discovers his identity, the consequences will absolutely be even more grave.
Caesar does not want in the slightest to keep Lin Yuan in the dark from this crucial problem.
Caesar took a deep breath and gently put his hand on Lin Yuan's shoulder. Looking at Lin Yuan's eyes, with a gentle tone, he softly said: "Lin Yuan, I haven't lied to you, you are really an Omega, the medicine you have always been taking before is not a medicine to control your immune system, but a kind of pheromone inhibitor that can disguise you as a Beta."
Lin Yuan: "......"
Caesar said: "Back when your body was feverish, I had White Feather give you an examination. White Feather found Omega pheromones in your blood, the concentration rose at one point to 8.5mg / L., when the concentration of Omega pheromone is higher than 9, you would enter your estrus cycle. In order to control your pheromone fluctuations, I injected you with an inhibitor and temporarily marked you."
Lin Yuan: "......"
Coming into contact with Caesar's serious gaze, Lin Yuan's thoughts were suddenly swept away leaving only a blank space in his mind.
Just now when his head grew feverish and dizzy, he ended up losing his consciousness. Anything that happened afterward has already become too unclear in his memory, but the imprint on the back of his neck is still there. Obviously, Caesar did not lie, Caesar truly marked him.
............how could this be?
............how did he suddenly become an Omega?
Lin Yuan stared blankly and in a low voice, he refuted: "But, Dr. Fornt said that it was a problem with my immune system. It was like this since I was a child. Could he have been lying to me?" Lin Yuan stopped and lightly tightened his fingers, doubtfully saying: "My mother is also a Beta, ah, if the mother is Beta, then they cannot give birth to an Omega son, right??"
Lin Yuan had two questions, Caesar was simply incapable of answering.
This is also what Caesar wants to ask.
- That Dr. Fornt and Lin Yuan's mother, why should they lie to him?
Presumably after marking his Omega, it will give rise to having an intense desire to wish to hold and protect them. Looking at his Omega tightly gripping his fingers and his helpless face, Caesar feels very distressed.
Strongly resisting the urge to force him into his arms, Caesar handed the communication device over in front of Lin Yuan and softened his voice as he said, "Lin Yuan, wouldn't it be better for you to ask them personally?"
Lin Yuan nodded. He took the communication device from Caesar and dialed his home number.
***
In front of the immersive projection screen, the scene of the home's kitchen appears.
His mother and sister are bustling around the kitchen, his sister is making a cake, the sweet smell of cream seems to be floating through the air and the familiar and comfortable scene makes Lin Yuan's heart unable to help himself feel a burst of bitterness.
"Xiao Yuan?" Mrs. Lin smiled and looked at her son who had just appeared on the screen.
(TN: Nickname kinda thing for people you're close to, means small or little.)
Lin Yuan is sitting on a bed in a bedroom, the bedroom is very large and the furnishings also give the impression of being high quality.
Mrs. Lin couldn't help but ask: "Where are you? Hotel?"
"En." Lin Yuan paused. "I am in the capital star representing the school to participate in the National Finals."
Lin Yao immediately came closer and gave him a thumbs up: "Xiao Yuan, I heard you got second place in the end, I still don't dare believe it! You are too amazing! Oh! That's right, I am right in the middle of making your favorite pastry when it's done I will mail it to the school to give it to you!" "
Lin Yuan scratched his head and smiled as he said: "Big Sis', no need, I can buy anything I want to eat at school. It is too much trouble to send food over with StarCraft and it's costly too......"
Lin Yao hurridly interrupted him. "It's not the same. I can certainly make it tastier myself and better than the storebought one. So, I will send it to you tomorrow. The vacuum sealed packaging will make sure it won't go bad. You can save it up and eat it slowly!"
Lin Yao finished talking and turned around to continue to toss around her pastries.
Lin Yuan was silent for a while before he said: "Mom, are you free now? I have something I want to say to you."
"Alright." Mrs. Lin untied her apron and explained a few words to her daughter. She grabbed the communication device and took it with her to the inside of her bedroom, her eyes tenderly looked at her son. "What's wrong? Xiao Yuan?"
Lin Yuan: "......"
Confronted with the gentle woman who had faced every torment to bring him up, Lin Yuan's voice lingered in his throat. He was actually momentarily incapable of asking anything...... Are you my biological mother? Why am I an Omega? Have you been lying to me from the beginning?
Lin Yuan took a deep breath and said: "Mom, the medicine you gave me, I accidentally lost it and my body suddenly had a problem......"
Mrs. Lin's face immediately became deathly pale, "Xiao Yuan, you, are you alright now? Where are you? Are there any Alphas nearby? My God...... Why are you so careless!"
Lin Yuan saw her face and his heart suddenly grew cold.
It seems to be true......
After an awfully long period of silence, Lin Yuan only quietly said, "Mom, I'm fine, a fellow student discovered my issue in time and injected me with an inhibitor."
Mrs. Lin: "......"
Lin Yuan looked at her and said: "In fact, I am Omega right? Even now, you still refused to tell me the truth?"
The rim of Mrs. Lin's eyes immediately became red, she began choking with sobs as she said: "I'm sorry, so sorry Xiao Yuan...... Mother didn't have the heart to tell you, That's why I hid it from you...... Actually...... Actually, I'm not your biological mother......"
Mrs. Lin sorted through her disordered emotional state as she recalled the circumstances during that time and disjointedly explained it to Lin Yuan -
"Fourteen years ago, my husband Lin Weicheng unexpectantly brought back a little four-year-old boy from a battlefield. He said that it was the son of his comrade-in-arms. His comrades-in-arms sacrificed himself on the front line and gave him the kindness of saving his life. He asked me to take care of the child as if he were a biological son...... He also told me that this child was an Omega born on an uninhabited planet, so he never went to the Omega Association to register him. The child was injected with an inhibitor at birth because his father wanted him to become Beta."
"In those years there was an underground organization that was secretly carrying out a gender-changing experiment, as long as the inhibitor was injected from an early age, after getting through estrus between the ages of 18 and 20 for three years, the Omega would completely lose fertility and become Beta......"
"You had thought that you were a Beta since childhood and you had also been very happy as a Beta. I didn't expect you to enter the examination for the military academy...... After I discussed it with Dr. Fornt, a bottle of inhibitor tablets was made for you to take to school. Mother lied about it being medicine to regulate your immune system defect...... I really couldn't dare tell you...... I had thought that as long as you took the medicine on time, you could completely become a Beta. I didn't expect such an accident to occur...... Sorry, Xiao Yuan, I'm so sorry...... Mother is so sorry for you......"
Looking at the woman in front of him with her face covered in tears, the rims of Lin Yuan's eyes also become slightly red.
Her health has always been bad and her personality has also always been so delicate. In fact, if she told him the truth earlier, he would have absolutely properly treasured that bottle of medicine and taken the medicine on time in order to become a Beta.
He would have been able to bear that kind of truth despite her not thinking that he could......
Even if he knew the truth about his biological parents dying in the war, even if he knew that she was only his adoptive mother, then what about it? For Lin Yuan, she and Lin Yao had always been his closest relatives in this world......
However, Mrs. Lin's inability steel her heart and hiding it has now instead led to an irreparable situation.
Lin Yuan asked: "That so-called gender-changing experiment, is it possible to continuously take the medicine until the age of 20 years old?"
Mrs. Lin said softly: "That's right, even if you accidentally stop taking the medicine, as long as you inject an inhibitor in time and completely control the estrus period."
Lin Yuan paused. "If...... if I was marked by an Alpha?"
Mrs. Lin was shocked and said: "Mark? You, you're not saying...... didn't your classmate give you an inhibitor?"
Lin Yuan was silent for a moment. "Because at the time, the pheromones in my body were rising chaotically, in order to suppress the pheremones in my body, he just temporarily...... temporarily...... marked me......"
Seeing his mother's deathly pale face, Lin Yuan was uneasily said: "......you can't then?"
Mrs. Lin: "......"
Lin Yuan continued speaking: "My estrus is really controlled by the inhibitor. Can I continue to take the medicine and still become a Beta?"
Mrs. Lin said nothing for a moment before she choked out with sobs: "You cannot, Xiao Yuan...... You have been marked, your Omega gland will be completely activated, even if you continue to inject more inhibitors, you can only control the estrus period and nothing else...... You can't become a Beta......"
Lin Yuan: ".............................."
After a long time being lost for words, Lin Yuan could only softly say: "That is to say, in the future, I have no other choice than to become an Omega? "
Mrs. Lin's burning red eyes did not answer.
Lin Yuan was silent for a moment. "Then, my biological parents should be an Alpha and an Omega, right? Who are they?"
Mrs. Lin said: "Back when Wei Cheng brought you back, he only said that you are the child of his savior. Your parents have already sacrificed their lives......"
Lin Yuan asked: "What about their names?"
Mrs. Lin sadly hung her head down and said: "I don't know that either."
Lin Yuan was silent for a very long time, he eventually took in a deep breath and smiled as he said: "Well, mother, don't feel so pained...... You have been raising me for so many years like this, in my heart, you will always be my mother...... take proper care of your body and wait for your son to come back to see you during vacation!"
Mrs. Lin's face was streaming with tears as she nodded her head as hard as she could manage. "Xiao Yuan, take care of yourself at school. I will have Dr. Fornt give you a batch of inhibitor pills later and express deliver it along with your sister's pastries......"
Lin Yuan nodded. "Okay......"
After hanging up the call, Lin Yuan's smile faded away and his head somewhat fell down towards the ground.
- It turns out that I am truly an Omega, a fatherless and motherless Omega born on an uninhabited planet.
In that dream, the man who said "You just become a Beta, okay?" should be his biological father. He already died in battle? So him saying to "Become a Beta" turned out to mean injecting inhibitors to change his gender then?
Finally, he had learned the truth. Lin Yuan nevertheless felt that his heart was blanketed in a cold sheet of ice.
Everything that he originally worked hard for seems to have suddenly lost its meaning.
His entire world was turned completely upside down, he doesn't even know what should be done next.
Caesar saw that he was hanging his head and not talking, his heart couldn't help but burst into deep pain.
Lin Yuan is obviously terribly sad from the bottom of his heart. Just a moment ago, he had unexpectantly even assumed a smiling face to instead turn to comfort his adoptive mother...... He had undoubtedly just suffered such a heavy blow, he was only pretending to calmly say: Come back to see you during vacation......
Just now, if the speech of his adoptive mother was given to others in his place, perhaps they would simply be unable to accept it. Under their broken heart, they couldn't help but blame their adoptive mother. Lin Yuan, however, accepted it very quickly. He didn't even show a thread nor hair of blame towards the adoptive mother who had left him in the dark for so many years......
This little guy is too strong, strong enough to make people feel an ache in their hearts.
Caesar finally couldn't help but step forward and with every ounce of his strength, tightly pull his Omega into his embrace.
Lin Yuan's body suddenly stiffened.
Strangely enough, Caesar's hug does not make him feel disgusted in the slightest, probably because of Caesar's mark...... Lin Yuan instead feels that this hug is incomparably warm, warm enough to make his nose feel painful, nearly shedding tears.
Caesar tightened his embrace around Lin Yuan and gently caressed and stroked that mark on Lin Yuan's nape.
It was precisely this mark that changed everything, it made it so that Lin Yuan could no longer complete the gender reconstruction project and completely turn into a Beta......
Under a freak combination of factors, his mistake had changed the fate of Lin Yuan by his own hand......
But, Caesar did not regret it. At that time, he could only do so, otherwise, the consequences would only be even more serious.
Caesar tightened his arms around him feeling some distress and said softly: "Xiao Yuan, don't be sad, even if you are an Omega, it doesn't matter. I have already helped you deal with everything so far. As long as you are willing, you can continue to have a Beta identity while studying at school, you can also become a soldier as you like and live your life. I will support you and let you get the most freedom......"
Lin Yuan's stiff body gradually relaxed under Caesar's placations.
He didn't even notice the alteration of Caesar's address. He called him "Xiao Yuan" and only his closest relatives would address him like that.
After a good while, Lin Yuan just then hesitantly extended his arms and gently returned Caesar's hug, burying his face in Caesar's embrace.
The shirt on Caesar's chest was immediately soaked in tears.
The little guy who had always been strong and optimistic unexpectantly wept......?
With a pained heart, Caesar immediately further tightened his embrace and gently moved along his back over and over with his right hand.
(TN: Yeaahhhh his other hand is still pretty messed up apparently.)
In Caesar's warm embrace, even if it is someone as strong as Lin Yuan, there was no way no matter how strong he was to continue to hold on in the end.
- Eighteen years of belief has thoroughly collapsed.
- The dream he had been striving to build was completely shattered.
- The ordinary and happy Beta suddenly became a motherless and fatherless Omega and his world was almost completely subverted.
He desperately needed to vent his innermost feelings of going crazy in despair rushing forth and Caesar's embrace finally gave him an opening to unburden himself. Strong unwillingness, frustration and a sense of loss, all kinds of emotions mixed together, converging into the kind of tears that uncontrollably bubbled forth from the rims of his eyes.
Between Alphas and Omegas, there has always been a strong attraction by nature. Let alone, Caesar has already marked Lin Yuan. Lin Yuan can't help but lay down his guard in front of Caesar and have a sense of dependence. This belongs to the nature of an Omega.
Lin Yuan did not know if the reason he was dependent on Caesar was because of the mark or not.
All he knows is that at this moment, Caesar, who gave him a hug, is the only bit warmth left in his world that has been subverted.
Lin Yuan outstretched both of his hands and as if he had grasped onto his last hope as he tightly returned Caesar's embrace.
***
The next morning, after eating a simple breakfast early in the morning, Caesar found Lin Yuan a new set of clothes to change into.
Because they were still required to participate in the pre-match training, Caesar did not look for excessively formal clothing for Lin Yuan but instead had him put on a set of relatively more casual clothes. The clean and neat white casual clothes made Lin Yuan look very energetic.
Although he didn't sleep well last night, he probably had a lot of things on his mind. After he got up in the morning, his expression quickly returned to normal. No longer was he at a loss over the issue of his Omega identity, he ate the delicious food from the inside of the Imperial Palace and even showed a cheerful smile.
Lin Yuan soon swept the plate clean in front of him, after eating his fill, he wiped his mouth off and then said with a smile: "Caesar, your home is truly very nice, do you live in this room by yourself?"
The size of this bedroom is practically almost comparable to that of the quadruple suite in the school.
Caesar sheepishly touched his nose and somewhat awkwardly explained: "Cough, actually, I am a Prince, this is the Empire's Imperial Palace."
Lin Yuan: "......"
Could there possibly be even more alarming news?
After waking up yesterday, Caesar said: "Actually, you are an Omega, I had no choice but to mark you because of it."
After waking up today, Caesar said: "Actually, I am a Prince, this is the Empire's Imperial Palace."
In just the short span of two days time, Lin Yuan suddenly felt that his brain was entirely not fast enough to use.
At this moment, Caesar said: "My Royal Father wants to meet you......"
"Your Royal Father?" Lin Yuan looked at Caesar in shock, "You mean...... His Majesty, Trent?"
Caesar nodded his head, "When I took you back to the Imperial Palace yesterday, Father became aware of everything. If by any chance your identity as an Omega leaks out, it will stir up great troubles. But you can rest assured, I have already come to an agreement with my Father, my Father will help you with anything for as long as you'd like, you can continue to study in school as a Beta until graduation."
"Can I?" Lin Yuan said incredulously, "His Majesty...... he will really help me?"
Caesar smiled and said: "Do not worry, it's going to be alright."
Even though Caesar had said as much, Lin Yuan still felt a bit overwhelmed from receiving such a huge favor.
Along with Caesar, they walked together to His Majesty, Trent's Palace, looking at the white buildings constructed inside of the Imperial Palace. Furthermore, inside such a big Palace were red carpets and the delicate and exquisite carvings on the roof. Lin Yuan even had the illusion of being in the middle of a dream.
This is the Imperial Palace after all?
He is actually standing in the Imperial Palace and was immediately going to see His Majesty of the Empire?
Just as Lin Yuan is still in shock, His Majesty Trent and Queen Anna walk inside the room together.
Caesar immediately bows to make his salutations as he says: "Royal Father, Royal Mother,"
Lin Yuan: "............"
Lin Yuan stared blankly for a moment, before hurridly imitating the appearance of Caesar's bow and salutations, "His Majesty............ Queen............"
My God, is he really seeing His Majesty and the Queen?
Lin Yuan's heart was curious to death and wanted to raise his head to see what the King and Queen really looked like in real life, but he was afraid by doing so would make him look like he had no manners, so he was forced to obediently hang his head and not dare to move about.
At this time, the calm voice of a middle-aged man sounded at the top of his head, his manner of speaking seemed to be carrying a smile: "Lin Yuan, come over here and take a seat."
Lin Yuan immediately saluted: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Caesar took Lin Yuan to the opposite seat and sat down, moving closer to Lin Yuan's ear, he said, "Don't be nervous, this is my Royal Mother's Palace. Today is a private meeting. My Father's temper is very good."
(TN: I know earlier it said they were walking to Trent's, but what do I know? Change of plans? Connected Palaces?)
Only then did Lin Yuan get the courage to raise his head and it just so happened that he locked his gaze with His Majesty, Trent's.
His Majesty's gaze is very gentle, there is not the slightest sense of oppression at all, that is, this gentleness is the same one that the elders use to look upon the younger generation. The Queen's eyes were even more gentle, just like...... his mother at home?
Queen Anna's gentle gaze towards him only made Lin Yuan grow embarrassed.
Trent started to open his mouth to speak: "Lin Yuan, your matter has already been talked over with me and Caesar. You can rest assured that your secret as an Omega and will not leak out. You can continue to attend school......" Trent paused and then smiled as he said, "If you are good enough, you can serve in the best legion after graduation. In the future, you can even become a General of the Empire."
Trent's words incessantly shock Lin Yuan and left him unable to respond, even Caesar looked back at his Father entirely in awe.