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Only then did he notice the sparsely decorated room and the few clothes in the wardrobe. Ernest realized that the young man must be in a dire situation, possibly living in extreme poverty.

Watching the boy cherish and finish the last drop of nutrient fluid, he then walked over, patted the falcon's head, and said with a bright smile, "Mr. Falcon, I'm off to school. I'm sorry I don't have any food to offer you. But you look so formidable, surely you can hunt on your own! The window is open, so you're free to leave. Visit me when you can. By the way, my name is Ying Yan. See you later!"

With that, Ying Yan picked up his bag, opened the door, and left the room. The falcon, upon hearing his words, blinked and flew out of the window.

It silently followed Ying Yan from a distance as he headed to his classroom. Only after ensuring he was safely inside did the falcon turn and fly back to Ernest's mansion.

Upon the falcon's return, Ernest eagerly removed the mini-camera hanging from its neck and uploaded the footage of the young man into his digital brain.

He watched the boy's interactions with the falcon over and over, reminiscing about the earlier experience, even slightly obsessively. Ernest felt a surge of warmth, a tinge of jealousy towards his own spiritual form.

But seeing the boy sip the nutrient fluid, a pang of pain hit Ernest's heart. He quickly initiated communication, contacting his aide and ordered, "Look up a student named Ying Yan in the Imperial Academy for me. I want all the information, and bring it to me immediately."

It was the first time the aide had seen his commander reveal such emotion, making him wonder what was so special about this student named Ying Yan.

The aide saluted promptly and set off to gather the information. Within an hour, he had delivered all the details about Ying Yan to Ernest's digital brain.

The photo in the records showed a boy with thick glasses, hair covering his eyes, looking somewhat gloomy. It was hard for Ernest to reconcile that image with the bright, smiling young man he had met.

While Ying Yan appeared so gentle and warm, the records depicted him as a loner, marginalized by peers at the academy.

Digging deeper, Ernest discovered that Ying Yan was born without glands, an Omega. This led to his father abandoning him. Since childhood, he and his mother had depended solely on each other on a remote planet.

After his mother's death, he endured years alone until the Ying family recognized his talent in potion-making. Only then was he brought back to the main planet to study at the top academy.

Yet, even then, he had to continuously produce large quantities of potions for the Ying family in exchange for his education.

The records detailed the bullying Ying Yan faced since childhood, the exploitation by his father, and the alienation due to his physical condition. Every detail pierced Ernest's heart.

To think such a young boy had endured so much, yet still managed to wear such a genuine and warm smile, it brought tears to Ernest's eyes.

The boy deserved the finest foods, the best clothes, and Ernest felt an overwhelming urge to protect and cherish him.

Somehow, deep down, Ernest believed that the boy was meant to be his. For the first time, the marshal of the empire felt an urge to possess someone.

Throughout his three decades of life, neither the cold indifference of his father nor the brutalities of war ever ruffled his emotions.

Known as the human weapon, Marshal Ernest led a life of indifference, unbothered by any worldly affairs, and fearless even in the face of death.

But today, upon meeting the young boy, for the first time, he felt human desire.

Ernest was never indecisive. Having set his heart on the boy, even if the feelings emerged unexpectedly, he had no intentions of stopping them. Subconsciously, he already considered the young man as someone under his wings.

For some reason he couldn't fathom, he felt that it might not be the right time to reveal himself yet. After all, the young man had endured so much suffering; he needed a gradual process.

He glanced at the falcon, which was intently staring at the boy in the photograph. Ernest frowned but couldn't deny that protecting the boy with his spirit form was the best decision.

Thus, he let the falcon stay by the boy's side to keep a close watch on him. At the same time, he contacted his deputy, ensuring a few trustworthy individuals were guarding the boy, ready for any unexpected events.

While Ernest had dispatched the falcon to shadow Ying Zhao, he wasn't worried about being discovered. After all, to manifest a living spirit form seemed like a fairy tale to most.

He rarely unleashed his spirit form, so only a select few close to him were privy to this secret. Most people would be oblivious to the falcon's origins.

The falcon perched quietly on a tree branch outside the classroom, silently observing Ying Zhao. Meanwhile, Ernest leaned against a bench in the courtyard, eyes closed as if in a light slumber.

But in reality, his entire focus was on the young man before him. As the boy was in class, Ernest gazed at those brilliant eyes obscured by glasses, becoming unintentionally captivated.

At that moment, Ying Zhao inside the classroom was well aware that his man was sneakily watching him. That intense gaze, even through a spiritual form, was incredibly overt.

Rankings.

Book Recommendations.

Shuangwen

Sweet Romance.

Quick-Transmigration Fiction.

Ink Cartridge.