Chapter 117: Heart-Wrenching

Chapter 117: Heart-Wrenching

Ji Jing didn't know that Antonio Howard's status had changed from Crown Prince to the new emperor, and it seemed that Alté and the others didn't know either.

After Ji Jing asked, he stared intently at Alté's face, whose expression was a mix of complex emotions.

There was nostalgia, anger, hatred, helplessness, and finally, resignation.

"Yes," Alté nodded, "I didn't expect you to know about this. Has it been made public?"

Ji Jing shook his head, "I'm not sure of the details. I was unconscious for a while and just arrived here shortly after waking up. I don't know what the outside situation is now."

Alté fell silent.

In fact, he had been deliberately avoiding inquiring about news from the outside, so he hadn't immediately asked Ji Jing anything. However, hearing Ji Jing's words did leave him feeling somewhat disappointed.

"Never mind, no matter what the outside situation is, it has nothing to do with us," Alté said dejectedly, "We'll never be able to leave this place for the rest of our lives."

Not only could they not leave, but they also didn't dare to.

He couldn't imagine being treated as a freak and put on display, nor could he bear the strange looks and gossip from others.

Before long, the insect meat was roasted, and Alté brought Ji Jing a portion of grilled cloudflower mantis leg, saying to him, "Would you like to try?"

Ji Jing shook his head vigorously, his face full of rejection, "No, no, no, you guys eat. I'm not hungry."

As soon as he finished speaking, his stomach unhelpfully let out a series of "gurgling" sounds.

Ji Jing: "..."

—Claiming he wasn't hungry was a lie. After lying down for months, relying on repair fluid to sustain his vital signs, he had only eaten a couple of sour wild fruits since waking up.

Alté patiently persuaded, "Don't worry, this is really edible and tastes quite good. Supplies are limited here, and there's little to eat. Since you might not be able to leave anytime soon, you can't stay hungry."

Ji Jing struggled internally for a moment, seeing that others had already started feasting on the insect meat and were curiously watching him. He hesitantly accepted the leg, which was almost as big as his head.

The grilled cloudflower mantis leg had a snow-white color, with spices sprinkled on it like a delicate garnish. The meat in his hand was emitting the aroma of cooked meat. At least in terms of color and smell, it passed the test.

Under everyone's gaze, Ji Jing brought the meat to his mouth, opened it wide, but actually only bit off a tiny piece smaller than his little finger, then chewed it carefully.

His performance was similar to that of actresses pretending to eat.

At first, Ji Jing planned not to swallow it, intending to spit it out when the chance arose. But as he kept pretending to eat, he surprisingly found—

Huh? It actually tastes pretty good?

It was somewhat like the snow crab leg he had enjoyed with Luo Ke during a date in Imperial Star, with a sweet and savory flavor enhanced by the unique taste of the spices, offering a distinctive experience.

And then—

Ji Jing stopped pretending and started eating genuinely.

At the same time, the gazes around him were filled with a sense of relief, satisfaction, and happiness.

Ji Jing's mental energy had been quietly observing the surroundings. After some reflection, he realized that the way they looked at him eating was like someone who had finally brought a cute kitten home. Initially nervous and afraid, the kitten finally started eating, bringing a sense of joy and relief to the owner.

Because of this, Ji Jing couldn't help but wonder, was it because he was the only normal person here and, as an attractive Omega, they treated him like a pet?

After the meal, everyone resumed their tasks. Some went to collect water, others were clearing the mountain hollow, and a few, guided by Alté, were digging a new cave next to his for Ji Jing to live in.

Ji Jing didn’t really like the dark and stuffy mountain caves. He proposed going into the forest to find a big tree to build a tree house, but the idea was immediately rejected by Alté.

"No, the chaotic insectoids are still hunting for you everywhere. You're only safe in this mountain hollow."

Ji Jing heard the term "chaotic insectoids" again and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why are they called chaotic insectoids? Are they different from ordinary insectoids?"

Alté paused for a moment before finally explaining the difference to Ji Jing—

In short, the chaotic insectoids were like them, failures of the experiment. But those failures were even more complete, their genes and appearance fully insectoid, and they had lost their human consciousness and reason.

Worried Ji Jing might misunderstand, Alté added, "Don't worry, we only eat regular insectoid meat, not the chaotic insectoids."

Ji Jing: "……So, those chaotic insectoids, they were once… humans?"

Alté nodded gravely.

"Hiss—" Ji Jing couldn't help but curse, "Suddenly, I just want to kill Antonio Howard."

Hearing Ji Jing's words, Alté's expression became complicated again.

Ji Jing didn't miss the change in his expression. Connecting it to previous events and the sense of familiarity Alté gave him, Ji Jing had a sudden realization and smacked his hand—

"Damn, I suddenly recall who you resemble—Prince Luceo Howard!"

Though he had only seen the third prince from afar at his engagement banquet.

But thinking about the gossip he'd heard, Ji Jing's eyes widened in surprise, "So, are you the missing second prince—Alberto Howard?"

What a revelation! Enough to shock the empire's gossips for a whole day?!

Alté—or rather, Alberto Howard—didn't expect to be unmasked so suddenly.

But he didn't try to hide it anymore, because everyone here already knew his identity and that's why they were willing to follow his orders.

"Yes, but now, I prefer you call me Alté. As for Alberto Howard, consider him dead." Alté sighed, his face showing the weariness of time.

Thinking of the dreams about Crown Prince Antonio Howard, Ji Jing felt that the second prince Alberto Howard was a bit unlucky but not entirely wronged.

After all, his mother had conspired with the old emperor to harm the crown prince's mother. Later, they crippled the crown prince, so it was understandable that the crown prince had a dark and twisted heart.

Not content with merely bringing down the queen, he also sent her most beloved son into the experiments she initiated…

Respecting Alté's choice, Ji Jing nodded, "Okay, Alté."

Upon hearing this, Alté showed a small smile and then asked curiously, "Have you met my brother Luceo?"

Just after saying he was Alté, he immediately called someone his "brother," which Ji Jing found a bit contradictory, so he decided to be honest.

"Yeah, I saw him once at the palace engagement banquet. The main characters of the banquet were him and the daughter of the Second Legion Commander."

Alté: "……"

The originally planned marriage candidate had actually been him.

Ji Jing continued, "There was an accident at the time. The emperor was shot in an assassination attempt. After that, his health seemed to decline, and the Imperial Capital grew quite chaotic."

Alté: "……"

Ji Jing knew how to strike a nerve.

"Author's Note"

Thanks to "27066309" for the nutrient fluid!

Thanks to "Gugulu" for the mine!