Marriage Request Approved

014

Ten minutes later, in the guest room of the Governor's Mansion.

"Arthur."

Annie hurried in right behind Arthur Kane, nearly jogging to keep up with the towering Alpha.

"Going to the Sunrise Ancient Temple is no small matter—both of our movements require approval," she said. "But you can't just—"

The man walking ahead stopped dead in his tracks.

He halted without warning, and Annie, unable to brake in time, ran straight into the Alpha's lower back.

That hurt!

Annie lost her balance and stumbled backward. Arthur reached out expressionlessly, catching her slender arm.

His blue eyes swept over her, still wary and guarded: "Cut the nonsense."

Annie: "..."

What a waste of kindness—meddling in a dog's business!

Charles Lang's move was vicious—forcing a victim to marry at the very site where his parents were slaughtered.

But Arthur's attitude snuffed out whatever flicker of sympathy Annie had mustered.

Fine. Business as usual.

Agreeing to Charles Lang was obviously the best choice. To pry out the next intel on the genetic weapon, they had to get in touch with Twilight.

Still, she needed to notify Meridian.

Just as Annie was mulling over how to broach the subject with Arthur without setting off the mad dog again, the closed guest room door swung open once more.

"—I will take charge of Miss Annie's full wedding attire."

The Alpha's body immediately tensed.

Before Annie could turn around, Arthur yanked her behind him. She looked up hastily to see Madam Hado gliding in.

"And rest assured, you two," Madam Hado said, ignoring Arthur's hostility entirely as she cut straight to the point, "the checkpoint has already let people through. Whoever the Resistance brought back has been escorted safely to the Dreamlight Hotel. The situation is dire for you, Mr. Kane—Twilight has long since infiltrated the Federation's logistics department. Every agent who came to New Thebes has been under surveillance—"

The rest of her words were cut off as Arthur lunged straight for her.

Annie gasped: "Arthur!"

She grabbed at him, desperately prying at Arthur Kane's thumb to keep him from snapping Madam Hado's neck with that terrifying strength.

The governor's wife hadn't expected him to try to kill her right here on someone else's turf!

Madam Hado, who had been watching coldly all day, finally showed a flicker of panic. She retreated half a step, and it was only when Annie raised her wristband again that Arthur shifted targets.

The Alpha grabbed Annie's hand in a firm grip.

"If she wanted to attack us," Annie rushed out, "she could just have her guards shoot us! Why meet us alone? Are you insane?"

Arthur's blue eyes remained locked on Madam Hado: "Which side are you on?"

Madam Hado steadied herself, taking a deep breath.

"Headquarters already has the communication codes of every Federation agent—except one who went offline abruptly, whose identity they couldn't confirm. Charles Lang has been suspicious it's you, but he has no proof. I haven't told him that you two worked with the Resistance. Doesn't that prove my sincerity?" Madam Hado said.

"That only proves you're playing both sides," Arthur shot back without hesitation. "Nobles never put all their eggs in one basket."

"Call it playing both sides if you like, but I can help you bypass Twilight and reach the Federation's logistics department," Madam Hado said. "Come with me, Mr. Kane. This is your only chance."

Arthur's expression tightened.

He wasn't foolish enough to think Madam Hado was an enemy—but she wasn't a friend either.

With a Galactic Empire background and ties to Twilight—and since arriving at the Governor's Mansion, he hadn't seen the governor himself once. Now he suspected the governor might not even be capable of managing his own affairs.

A mere Omega who had accomplished so much on New Thebes—she must be slippery enough to wriggle out of an oil drum if the terrorists threw her in.

He couldn't trust her. At least not fully.

So Arthur turned to Annie and held out his hand: "Give it to me."

Annie blinked: "What?"

"That taser thing of yours." Arthur said impatiently. "And the access."

"..."

Annie understood.

New Thebes required Omegas to cover every part of their body, not exposing a single curve—even the wedding dress was a loose white robe, which conveniently gave her space to hide various gadgets.

She reached beneath the robe, pulled a shock button from the tool pouch at her waist, and unlocked the safety.

Arthur took the shock button and, without another word, stepped forward and pressed it directly behind Madam Hado's ear.

"Let's go," he said coldly. "If you're lying, I'll kill you in front of the Governor's Mansion guards and Twilight soldiers."

As he spoke, Annie distinctly caught a flash of fear in Madam Hado's composed face.

She had to admit... the mad dog was useful at a time like this.

If it were Annie, she wouldn't risk her own life, so Madam Hado would be confident Annie wouldn't go for the kill.

But Arthur Kane clearly didn't care about his life, willing to drag her down with him even in death.

Someone who played both sides had everything to lose—and that gave Arthur a hold over her.

Madam Hado's eyes flickered, but she eventually maintained her calm facade.

"...Understood," she said quietly. "Please wait outside, Mr. Kane. I'll take Miss Annie's measurements."

Arthur glanced at Annie, then gave a cold snort and left.

The door opened and closed.

A soft click, and the room fell into momentary silence.

Annie watched as Madam Hado walked to the headboard of the guest room bed and pulled out a spare sewing kit.

The thirty-year-old woman was refined and elegant, and with her veil removed, she had a gentle, obedient face. This was the stereotypical image of an Omega.

"You can say whatever you need to say now." Annie broke the silence.

Madam Hado stepped forward with a measuring tape.

She smiled, as if the fear she'd shown moments ago had never existed.

The older Omega gently measured Annie's dress size as she spoke softly: "On New Thebes, a traditional wedding requires you and your husband to pass many trials and earn the blessing of the true gods before he is permitted to mark you and complete the ceremony."

Sounded like a hassle.

Annie tilted her head: "So?"

"So."

Madam Hado looked up, staring intently at Annie, "Whatever your reasons for hitching your wagon to him... an Alpha will always hold you back, Miss Annie. Sunrise Temple is your best chance to kill him—or to take control of him."

The two fell silent again.

"That should do it."

After measuring the final shoulder width, Madam Hado straightened Annie's rumpled white robe with satisfaction: "I wish you a happy wedding, Miss Annie."

Annie lowered her eyes: "Thank you, madam."

Madam Hado nodded and turned to leave.

The moment she closed the door behind her, Annie activated her personal terminal.

Charles Lang had specifically called out Annie's glasses, so she'd had to endure dry eyes and switched to contact lenses.

It was afternoon, and Spica was on a workday.

After connecting, Meridian's baritone voice soon crackled through.

"Good day, Agent Annie," he said, his pace steady as ever. "You've initiated an emergency communication. What's the situation?"

"Long story short—a lot has happened." Annie spoke quickly.

She rapidly relayed the Resistance's rescue of the scientist developing the antidote to Meridian.

Her original plan had been to wait until the Federation cleaned up their mole, then sit down with Arthur for a joint meeting under the Resistance's watch.

But reality was always more unpredictable than plans.

Would Arthur Kane contact the Federation on his own? Of course he would! Annie couldn't withhold the antidote information.

"Also, look into the governor's wife's background," Annie said. "She studied in the Empire."

"Madam Hado? One moment."

A moment later, a virtual screen lit up in Annie's vision, scrolling through lines of data.

Sabiha Nkosi, graduated from the Galactic Empire University with a degree in Interstellar Relations and Trade.

Her family was prominent in the City of the Radiant Sun—an old noble house spanning centuries. And Sabiha—Madam Hado—was one of the many insignificant daughters of the household.

Twenty years ago, the Nkosi family's political stance wavered, and after Twilight rose to power, they were brutally suppressed.

That changed five years ago, when Sabiha, merely a proper lady, married Governor Hado of the City of the Radiant Sun, becoming his third wife.

According to data from the Empire, it was because the governor doted on his new wife that the Nkosi family got a chance to rebuild.

But in reality, Annie and Arthur hadn't seen the governor once since arriving.

What was backing her was likely Twilight and the Resistance.

"Perfect."

Annie let out a long sigh. "She has a weakness."

People who danced between two sides—the fear was them having no weakness. If she had a whole family behind her, it was actually easier.

She could work with that.

"Check if Madam Hado's mother is still alive, or if she has any younger siblings," Annie said.

"No problem. Agent Annie, I've received your request and intel," Meridian said with no shortage of praise. "This is important. You're definitely cut out for fieldwork. But is there anything else? Does the governor's wife tie into other leads?"

"Well... there's one more thing that needs approval."

Annie forced a few dry laughs, then relayed Charles Lang's ambush feast to Meridian.

She kept it concise, narrating in the third person as much as possible, then said flatly, "So... I'm about to hold a wedding with Arthur Kane. A real one. I'm requesting your approval for this, Meridian."

Meridian: "..."

The all-capable royal logistics handler on the other end let out an audible sigh.

It was rare to hear Meridian show personal emotion, and Annie couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Other agents have gotten married and divorced multiple times during missions," she ventured carefully. "It's not that strange, right?"

"They are them, and you are you, Annie."

Meridian sounded deeply exasperated. "Only Royal Agent No. 11 is my personal protégé. Ugh—even if he's a partner and not an enemy, Arthur Kane is still a handful."

Annie: "Meridian?"

"Marriage request approved," Meridian said. "But Agent Annie, because of the critical intel you've provided, I'm updating your primary mission objective."

"Yes." Annie tensed.

"Obtain the antidote formula, or bring the scientist back to Spica. If necessary, permission granted to kill Arthur Kane." Meridian's voice was cold.

...

...

At the same time, in the Governor's Mansion's communication room.

After days, Arthur Kane had finally connected to the Interstellar Federation's communications.

The logistics coordinator was the AI "Star of Peace," and the machine's synthesized female voice was gentle and fluid.

"The communications have indeed been monitored. You were right to go offline at the first sign and stay low—well done, Arthur. I've alerted all New Thebes personnel to activate emergency protocols. You can use your personal terminal from now on."

The AI paused briefly before continuing.

"The intel you provided is vital. I'm issuing you a new mission, Arthur." Star of Peace announced calmly. "Once the scientist's safety is confirmed, kill Royal Agent Annie."

Author's Note:

Meridian: Your kid disappears for two days and then hits me with a request like this?! Is that even acceptable?!

Also Meridian: Fine, request approved, but you better become a widow immediately.