Annie: "Good boy, so obedient."

The next morning.

Annie retrieved the dress the Resistance had prepared and returned to their room just as Arthur Kane stepped out of the bathroom.

He wore a bathrobe, the sash tied loosely. His short, ear-length hair was still damp, water droplets trailing from the tips, the moisture spreading across his wheat-colored skin and settling into the crevices of his chest muscles.

Tsk, what a show-off!

Arthur was still holding a towel, his shoulder and arm muscles stretching freely, displaying perfect lines.

A single snapshot of him could easily grace the cover of a magazine.

Just one night had passed, and the raw red marks on his wrists had completely vanished—his terrifying recovery rate made Annie inwardly marvel.

"Come here," she said, beckoning with a wave.

"What for?" Arthur looked up, annoyed.

Whatever Annie did, this guy remained suspicious of everything; she was completely used to it.

"We're just about ready," Annie said, hanging the dress on a coat rack. "One last thing. Come here."

Arthur gritted his teeth inwardly.

Her tone was so self-righteous now—what did she take him for, a dog to be summoned at will?

The key point was that Annie always had a legitimate reason. It concerned the future of the Galactic Empire and the Interstellar Federation, so he had no choice but to cooperate.

Thus, the towering Alpha reluctantly trudged forward.

"Turn around," Annie said again. "Crouch down."

"Don't push it," Arthur warned coldly.

"I'm only doing this to complete the mission," Annie said with utmost seriousness. "Please, cooperate?"

Though her words were pleading, her tone remained unchanged.

To complete the mission.

Arthur emphasized to himself: this little Omega was still useful, which was the only reason he kept postponing the thought of snapping her neck.

He endured, then bent his knees and crouched down on the ground.

When her soft fingertips touched his shoulder, Arthur's body tensed abruptly. Then Annie spoke warmly by his ear: "I need your pheromones, Arthur, to blend in and get by. Cooperate with me, okay?"

It was phrased as a question, but Annie gave him no time to react.

Arthur turned his head impatiently, but before a word could leave his mouth, the Omega behind him bent down.

In an instant, searing pain shot from the gland at the back of his neck straight into his skull!

The crouching Alpha's vision went black from the agony, his mind blank for a moment, and he dropped straight to his knees.

Instinct drove Arthur to raise his arm; as usual, his first move would be to elbow the person behind him in the ribs—one strike would be enough to cause internal bleeding.

But the moment he moved, he stopped.

The pain made Arthur breathe heavily; he clenched his fists, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.

Water droplets continued to drip down from his hair and forehead, trailing over his handsome face and landing in his collarbone hollow—whether cold sweat or water, it was hard to tell.

Even so, he didn't move, just knelt and endured.

Annie, who had bitten the Alpha's gland again, let out a soft laugh.

The vibration traveled through her lips to the back of his neck. The scorching metallic scent burst forth wildly, and once her goal was achieved, Annie turned her head, rubbing her cheek and neck against his scent languidly.

Like a cat seeking affection, marking its presence.

It was nearly intimate.

Pain, friction, and skin-to-skin contact tangled into a chaotic mess. A shiver harder to describe than pain crawled down his spine, reaching deeper than his abdomen.

Damn it!

Arthur gritted his teeth.

Fortunately, Annie's movements were quick.

After confirming her pheromones had merged with Arthur's again, she stood and released him.

Not bad!

Annie was quite pleased: this time, she hadn't even needed to tie him up.

Having one's gland bitten was a supreme insult to any Alpha, let alone being bitten by an Omega.

But Arthur hadn't attacked or resisted; he'd obediently let her finish.

It seemed the mad dog, though still insane, was making progress. At least Arthur Kane could tell what mattered most.

This way, even if she left Arthur, his scent would linger on her, enough to confuse others.

She reached out and patted Arthur's dark hair, saying with a beaming smile, "Good boy, so obedient."

Arthur viciously slapped away Annie's hand, his blue eyes turning like blades as he glared: "Say that again, and see what happens."

Annie smiled sweetly and stepped back half a pace.

"Let's go," she said, switching topics. "To the Governor's Mansion."

....

...

By the time they arrived at the Governor's Mansion, the sun had climbed to its zenith.

Annie pushed through the bustling market district and approached the governor's residence; the crowd around thinned considerably. The moment she was spotted wearing a clean, plain white robe made of expensive fabric, the AI at the gate automatically let her through.

Before long, a maid hurried over, looking flustered.

As she drew near, she first frowned slightly at the distinct pheromone scent emanating from Annie, then bowed her head politely.

"Apologies, Miss An."

The maid showed a regretful expression. "Madam Hado sends her apologies. She had arranged a private meeting, but an honored guest arrived today, so she cannot receive you. Madam Hado asked me to inquire if you would be available tomorrow morning."

Annie pressed her lips together beneath her scarf.

The fly had already rescued the scientist, and god knows what dangers awaited outside the city.

The longer this dragged on, the worse it got.

But...

"Come."

On New Thebes, Omegas weren't allowed to reveal their hair or face, which made it extremely convenient for Annie to wear her earpiece.

She'd switched to contact lenses, and Arthur's decisive voice came through the earpiece: "It's Twilight's people."

Annie's heart tightened.

What a coincidence? No... had he already infiltrated the Governor's Mansion?! Annie struggled to resist the urge to look around—the AI at the gate was linked to multiple turrets and infrared sensors. How had Arthur Kane gotten in?

Back in logistics, the Galactic Empire's technology far surpassed that of New Thebes, yet even it couldn't stop Arthur more than a few times. Annie's former colleagues all hated his guts.

Annie steadied herself: "I see. Then tomorrow morning—"

"Hey, you there!"

A male voice from the side cut off Annie's words.

Damn. Annie tensed immediately.

She and the maid both turned to look; three Twilight soldiers had already approached. The one in front crooked a finger at Annie: "The officer said not to let his visit disrupt Madam Hado's affairs. Guests should still be entertained as planned."

Arthur cursed from the earpiece: "You need to move faster."

As if she could've just turned and left before they arrived!

But this was also an opportunity.

Last night, Arthur had said that Governor Hado kept his first two wives as pets—this third one... she was too different.

Not only did she hold some real power, but she could even meet with outside men?

Since she was already here and couldn't leave, she might as well figure out what was going on.

So Annie lowered her eyes, adopting the demure demeanor expected of an Omega, and followed the maid toward the side courtyard.

The Governor's Mansion featured the quintessential New Thebes architectural style—white walls, domed roofs, and long, open corridors. Stepping into the courtyard, the decor and furnishings were even more opulent.

One had to remove their shoes to enter the interior; expensive rugs and cushions piled all the way to the threshold.

It gave off the impression that the governor entered just to lie down and never get up—a veritable den of pleasure.

And now—

A dozen plush cushions embroidered with gold thread were heaped into a small hill, and lounging lazily upon them was a figure in a red hat and red scarf, a red medal pinned to his Twilight uniform.

It was Charles Lang, the one attacked in the streets two days ago.

Annie: "..."

How to put it—she was tired, but not surprised.

When a high-ranking Twilight officer was attacked in broad daylight, the governor had to offer some explanation, even if he held no real power. It made sense for him to be at the Governor's Mansion, just not in Madam Hado's private courtyard.

The Red Medal, codenamed the Butcher, glanced at Annie and immediately turned his head: "Madam, your guest has arrived."

It was only then that Annie noticed, in the corner of the room farthest from Charles Lang, a woman sitting in a guarded posture.

She too was veiled in white robes, but those eyes matched the dossier exactly.

It was Madam Hado.

The two Omegas exchanged a glance, and Annie displayed just the right amount of flustered anxiety. Like every Omega encountering a strange Alpha, she took a fearful step back and lowered her head in a panic.

"You've scared her, Butcher," Madam Hado spoke softly. "This doesn't seem like a suitable setting for a visit. Perhaps you should send her home first."

"Don't be frightened."

Charles Lang rose directly from the cushions.

He was still in his military boots, leaving footprint after footprint across the expensive, luxurious carpet. "I don't eat people, and I don't force Omegas. Haven't seen this one before—where's your friend from?"

Haven't seen her before.

Annie noted in her mind: this wasn't the first time Charles Lang and Madam Hado had met.

Madam Hado's eyes flickered.

"A friend of Boss He's," the governor's wife spoke candidly. "The boss is away, so she's come in their stead."

So, was she an enemy or a friend?

Charles Lang let out an "oh" upon hearing this.

"A friend of Boss He's?" He didn't bother hiding the curiosity on his face as he walked toward Annie. "How does Boss He know so many Omegas? I'm envious... hmm?"

He stopped in front of Annie.

The Butcher studied her for a moment, then suddenly leaned down. Charles Lang's face closed in abruptly, startling Annie.

"Oh, wait," he said, breaking into a grin. "Who is it if not our little bride?!"

He recognized her.

Annie's heart sank to the bottom instantly.

Even with a change of clothes and her face covered, she hadn't escaped Charles Lang's notice. The Red Medal officer even sniffed around her—left, right—his expression growing even more teasing: "He's marked you temporarily? Now you reek of my brother Arthur's scent."

A normal Alpha would have been disgusted and retreated three feet from such a potent pheromone.

But Charles Lang seemed completely unaffected.

"No wonder you said you'd booked the Dreamlight Hotel," Charles Lang rambled on. "So you two knew each other all along. What do you mean 'come in their stead'? What did Boss He want you to do?"

Annie immediately looked to Madam Hado.

The lady remained seated in place, silent, just watching her—neither anxious nor tense.

Either whatever Annie said wouldn't affect her, or she'd already given her hint in advance.

What had Madam Hado said? She'd directly stated that Annie was Boss He's friend.

And in either case, the result was the same.

Annie instantly grasped Madam Hado's meaning.

"Boss He's people need to get a shipment into the city," Annie said, lowering her eyes. "Since she's not here, she entrusted me to ask Madam Hado for approval. And... perhaps my husband and I could use it as well."

The last part was to add a layer of motivation for herself.

Charles Lang blinked, then showed a look of understanding. "I was wondering why Boss He always had such good stock—turns out there's a special channel! Madam Hado, what do you usually ship?"

Madam Hado paused for a moment before answering: "Mostly aphrodisiacs."

Annie almost bit her own tongue off.

She widened her eyes at Madam Hado, her meaning clear as day: she'd said it was something she and her husband needed!

And that shock was perfectly misinterpreted by Charles Lang as embarrassment and indignation.

A beat of silence in the room, then Charles Lang burst into laughter.

"No way?" He laughed so hard he nearly doubled over, tears squeezing from his eyes. "My young brother Arthur—he's actually impotent? Unbelievable! Quick, quick, madam! Approve it for the little bride at once. This is serious business—can't wait a single minute!"

From Annie's earpiece came a crisp, textbook Federation curse from Arthur.

Just endure it!

She felt guilty for two seconds, but at the same time couldn't help but respect Madam Hado a little.

As long as Charles Lang bought it, anything goes!