Runaway Guide Extra 5 — Belated Happiness (2)

Finals are finally over and I have the whole summer to translate, yay 🎉

***

Randy had always hesitated over whether to tell Craig the truth of the matter.

He’d concealed this from Craig back then because if he exposed it, it would lead to the exposure of all the secrets of the Underground Alliance. But now His Majesty had already gotten rid of all the traitors in the military. The Empire had passed new laws for the protection of omegas, and the Underground Alliance had become an organization open to the public. Most of the omegas in the empire were members of the Underground Alliance. Whether he exposed it or not, it wouldn’t affect the general situation.

It was just that those past matters were a thorn buried deeply in his heart. After so many years, he had to dig it up again; it would be heart-piercingly painful.

Seeing the general’s serious expression, Randy said quietly, “Back then, my grandfather was forcing me to marry. I didn’t want to go home and marry that alpha, so I faked my death in the chaos at Ellen Academy that day. I placed samples of my blood in the fragments of corpses there, and let my family believe I was already dead. Afterwards, I used an entirely new identity to come here and start a new life.”

Seeing Randy lower his head, Craig couldn’t help but take his hand in pity.

He’d summarized what had happened in a simple paragraph, but how old had he been back then? As a boy of just eighteen years, he'd had to go through so many twists and turns. It was already painful enough to be marked by a strange alpha because his suppressants had lost effectiveness, but he was also forced to part from his family by faking his death. He came here to start a new life alone, and then he found out that he was pregnant. He gave birth, and his child had a congenital terminal illness…

If it wasn’t for Randy’s tenacious character, exchanged for an ordinary omega, he might’ve had a nervous breakdown long ago.

Craig held his hand tight, and said in a low voice, “And afterwards?”

Randy smiled and said, “With Berg to help me, Aiden and I lived here peacefully for several years. Afterwards, Aiden grew up, you appeared, and I found hope for saving him. You know what happened after that.”

“That’s the reason you didn’t marry me?” Craig put it together quickly. “Because your identity is fake?”

“Yes.” Randy nodded. “There’s no way for me to register with you. The imperial database doesn’t have my background information and genetic information in it. I came up with the name “Randy” myself. As for my true identity, Dean Sherman, he’s long since been declared dead.”

Seeing him say all of this so calmly, Craig felt distressed, and couldn’t help reaching out and holding him tight in his arms.

It turned out he’d been bashing his head into a brick wall, thinking in entirely the wrong direction. It wasn’t that Randy was heartless and didn’t care about him, but that he had unspoken difficulties. No wonder every time he brought up marriage over the years, his face would always pale.

Craig held him for a while, and then stroked his hair and said in a low voice, “It’s alright, no matter what your identity is, I’ll still love you and stay with you.”

Randy was moved enough to reach out and hold his alpha tight.

Craig paused, then asked hesitantly, “And you? What do you feel for me…”

Randy said frankly, “I like you too.”

Craig: “...”

Suddenly confessed to, General Craig was frozen to the spot.

Randy continued, “If I didn’t, why would I stay with you for so many years? If I was just using you, after the children were born, I wouldn’t see you again. It was obviously because I didn’t want you to leave that I let you stay with me. Did you not understand this?”

—Did all alphas have EQs this low? Randy looked at Craig a bit doubtfully.

Craig immediately hugged him tight in excitement.

The two men didn’t kiss, let alone sleep together, and only sat on the side of the bed, holding each other tight. But Craig felt this moment was sweeter and warmer than any of the times in the past.

Because there were no longer any secrets between them, and their hearts were finally one.

***

This was one of the few nights where Craig slept on Randy’s bed and didn’t get pushed down by him. Randy slept quietly at his side, laying his head on his chest for a pillow, and didn’t lay a hand on him.

Craig felt pretty awkward.

Every time he slept on this bed in the past, Randy would start tempting him until he couldn’t control himself, and afterwards they’d do some intense exercise. Today was his first time simply sleeping under the covers.

It felt strange, but he had no choice but to admit that it was pretty warm wrapped up in the blankets…

Craig slept well for the first time in a long time, and didn’t get up until noon the next day. He found Randy had actually gone to the kitchen on his own to cook. The two little ones were up as well, and were holding their spoons in the dining room, waiting for their food.

Randy soon set the table for lunch. He saw Craig coming down the stairs, and couldn’t help but smile and say, “You’re up? Have you been tired out lately? You slept really deeply last night.”

Craig walked over and hugged him from behind. He felt like he was dreaming.

When he woke up in the morning, Randy was in the kitchen making lunch for the kids, and he even asked him if he’d been tired lately. With a scene like this, it was just like Randy had really become his wife…

Suddenly embraced, Randy didn’t resist. He finished laying out the dishes on the table as if nothing had happened, and said, “The food I made isn’t as delicious as yours. Eat a bit first, and then come with me somewhere.”

Seeing the food all laid out, Craig could only let go of him, turn and sit across from him at the dining table. He asked, “Where do you want to go?”

Randy smiled and said, “I’ll tell you when we get there.”

“Daddy, daddy, I want to go too!” The older child waved his spoon and said.

Randy rapped his head lightly. “Don’t make trouble. Stay at home today and study your lessons, and I’ll buy some yummy stuff for you when I come back.”

When she heard “yummy stuff,”’ the younger one’s eyes lit up, and she waved her spoon too: “I want some too, I want some too, buy some more, Daddy!”

The two clowns, one big and one small, amused Craig. He couldn’t resist saying genially, “Alright, I’ll buy you a trunk of snacks, enough for you to eat for a week.”

The two children waved their spoons in excitement. Craig’s heart was full of warmth, and he wished he could stay with Randy and the children forever.

***

After the meal, Randy and Craig went out together. Craig was willing to become his driver, and started the hovercar. Randy entered a destination on the navigation screen, and the car automatically started driving.

Their destination was in the capital planet’s residential area, not too far from here. They arrived before ten minutes had passed.

The two men got out of the car, and found they were in front of a courtyard. Randy went to the door and said to the robot watching it, “Tell your owner that an old friend’s come to see him.”

The robot quickly sent a video message indoors. Not a moment had passed when the door opened, and Randy led Craig in with a calm expression.

Craig was surprised to find that this was General Hooper’s residence.

General Hooper was famous through the entire imperial military for being fond of flowers and plants. His home was full of rare plants, enough to open a botanical exposition.

He followed Randy to the living room with mixed feelings. Hooper turned out to be at home, and he smiled politely at General Craig and said, “So it’s General Craig who paid my house a personal visit to come find me. Is something the matter?”

Craig gave him an embarrassed look. He really wanted to say, “It wasn’t me who was looking for you, but this guy over here.”

Randy looked around, smiled and said, “This kind of vine is more suited for growing on a balcony. Planted indoors, where there’s insufficient light, it’s easy for the leaves to wilt.”

Craig really wanted to cover his face and hide…

Both brothers loved flowers so much, and they both had such a well-educated temperament, he really believed Randy was Hooper’s older brother, his blood brother!

When he heard him mention the vine in the living room, Hooper froze, looked at Randy and said, “How come I feel like this gentleman looks a little familiar?”

Randy asked, “Do you still remember the name ‘Dean Sherman?’”

Hooper said, shocked, “How do you know my older brother’s name?”

Randy said, “Because I am your brother.”

Craig: “...”

Hooper: “......”

Randy saw his little brother’s stupefied expression and realized he got to the subject too bluntly, and didn’t soften the blow enough. So he explained, “I didn’t die that year. Grandpa was forcing me to get married, and I didn’t want to be with that sadistic alpha. Left without any other option, I faked my death. I heard afterwards that you lost your memory, and I never dared to go find you.”

Hooper’s memory had already recovered by now. It was just that the big brother in his memory had already died in the midst of the chaos at Ellen Academy that year. He was sad over this for a while, but then his older brother suddenly came back to life and was standing in front of him. Hooper was dumbstruck for a moment.

Craig gave Hooper a sympathetic look, then turned and sat down on the sofa, minding his own business.

Randy said, “Could it be you’ve forgotten what your big brother looks like?”

“...I haven’t.” Hooper did feel like the man standing in front of him looked a lot like the big brother he remembered, but the fact of his death had already been hammered into his consciousness, so when he saw Randy he only felt he was familiar, and didn’t think more about it.

—He didn’t think that his unreliable older brother had actually faked his death.

Hooper met his eyes and put a hand to his head at last. “You always do things so unreasonably.”

Randy said seriously, “I’m sorry, Hooper, I had no other choice back then. I heard you went through a lot in the past few years, I was actually always worrying about you. Is your memory all back now?”

“Yeah.” Hooper looked at Randy, smiled and said, “Brother, you haven’t really changed. It’s been so many years, and you’re still pretty young.”

Randy smiled and said, “Is that so? I’m already the dad of three children.”

Hooper: “...What?!”

The fine hairs on Craig’s back stood up. He suddenly had a bad feeling.

As it turned out, his feeling wasn’t wrong. Randy very naturally walked over and took up Craig’s hand, then introduced him to Hooper. “This is my alpha, and the father of my three children. I brought him here today to introduce you to him.”

Hooper: “...”

Craig: “...”

The two generals, who met each other long ago and were quite familiar, stared at each other.

After a moment, Hooper looked at Craig with a gaze that seemed like it could kill, and said, “General Craig, if I remember correctly, haven’t you always been the empire’s famous golden bachelor? How are you with my brother?”

Seeing Hooper glaring at Craig, Randy took a step forward and defended his alpha. He explained to his little brother, “When I wasn’t quite eighteen, he accidentally marked me. Afterwards, we got together and had three children.”

Craig: “...”

God, it would be better if you hadn’t explained!

Sure enough, Hooper’s fury bubbled up: “You weren’t even eighteen when he marked you?!”

Craig felt like from now on, whenever he saw General Hooper in the military department, he’d have to duck and hide. This Randy really knew how to cause trouble. What exactly did he bring him here today for?!

Randy smiled and said, “It’s just a mark, it’s not a big deal. Don’t worry so much over your older brother’s affairs. I actually came to find you today so you could help me with something. Let’s go do a DNA test, and you can help me recover the identity of Dean Sherman.”

The corner of Hooper’s mouth twitched for a moment. What do you mean, it’s just a mark, it’s no big deal?

Craig coughed and said to Hooper, “That year, it was an accident, but you can be at ease, I really love him.”

Hooper looked back at Craig and narrowed his eyes slightly. He really wanted to say, “If you dared to not love him, I’d already have chopped you up.”

This general, who loved to plant flowers, seemed refined and courteous on the outside, always wearing a smile, but anyone who managed to become a general in the military definitely had a ruthless character. Randy was his only brother, and after he went missing for years, Hooper had finally met him again. It was normal for him to feel hostility for Craig.

Craig sighed at the bottom of his heart, and said in a low voice, “Hooper, I know it’s hard for you to acknowledge me at the moment. We need time to accept this new relationship.”

“Why would you not acknowledge him? He’s my alpha, and I’m your brother. In the future, he’ll be your brother-in-law.” Randy walked up to Hooper and said earnestly.

Hooper: “...”

Brother-in-law my ass!

His older brother and his brother’s husband suddenly appeared, and they even said they already had three children. Were they playing a joke on him?

Could they give him a little mental preparation?

Speechless, Craig pulled Randy behind him. He coughed and said, “Don’t talk for now.”

Randy could only let go of the topic. He looked at his younger brother seriously and said, “Take some time to do a DNA test with me. I want to get my identity back.”

There was no problem with this request. Back then, their grandfather had tormented the two brothers until one lost his memory, and the other faked his death and fled. Now they’d finally met each other again. He definitely had to help his big brother get his identity back.

Hooper immediately contacted the hospital and said, “Let’s do a test in the afternoon.”

So in the afternoon, the three of them went to the Central Hospital together, and Hooper and Randy did a DNA test to certify their relationship as brothers. Afterwards, on the grounds that the situation at Ellen Academy had been too chaotic back then, and they’d identified the body wrong, he helped Randy officially recover his identity as part of the Sherman family. He re-entered his genetic information into the imperial database.

As they returned, Hooper asked with concern, “Brother, where are you living right now? Maybe you should move back to the old house, there’s no one living there right now. I’ll have somebody clean it up.”

“I have my own house.” Randy smiled and said, “That’s right, after we set the wedding date, come and attend my wedding. You’re the only one left in my family.”

Hooper’s footsteps paused, and he looked back at him. “Wedding?”

Randy nodded. “Yeah. Craig and I have never gotten a certificate. Now that I’ve gotten my identity back, we can receive a certificate and get married. I want to hold a wedding and give him an official status.”

Craig felt like General Hooper’s gaze had already pierced his back as full of holes as a sieve…

However, when he heard Randy saying on his own that he wanted to register and get a certificate, Craig still felt very happy!

After he said goodbye to his brother, Randy got on the hovercar first. Hooper frowned and stopped Craig. “What exactly happened? How do you two have three children without having a certificate?!”

Craig gave him a simple explanation. Hooper felt like his worldview was about to be broken by this older brother of his!

***

They held the wedding half a month later. The guests they invited all had strange expressions, wondering how this could happen.

—Their eldest son, who was already married, was his dad’s best man!

—There were also two cute little children following behind their dad and tossing flowers, one on the left and one on the right!

Was this a wedding? They were already a family with five members in it, and the dad was only getting married now?

His Majesty Trand was astonished when he got the wedding invitation Craig sent him, and almost fell off his throne.

He and Queen Anna had worried themselves to pieces over Craig’s marriage, and had introduced many omegas to him over the years. As it turned out...the two of them had worried in vain, Craig already had three children.

No matter what, they still had to attend his wedding. Not only did His Majesty personally attend, he also gave a lot of face and prepared a generous gift for General Craig. Craig counted as one of the royal family’s people, and they had to support him.

Hooper scowled from start to finish. He sat at the scene of the wedding, exercising his patience.

With a gentle and joyous expression, Randy walked down the red carpet holding Craig’s hand, with two cute darlings tagging along after him.

They had invited Berg, who knew everything from beginning to end. Berg smiled and handed them the rings. The two men looked at each other, put the rings on each other, and then embraced tightly under the audience’s applause.

Even though Craig was extremely happy today, his expression was still as serious as ever. Berg couldn’t resist the impulse to tease him, and said, “Congratulations on becoming an official couple. The groom may now kiss the bride.”

Craig looked at Randy, who had a suit on and looked particularly handsome, and was just about to kiss him when Randy stood up slightly on tiptoe and kissed him on his own.

—Can you stop! I’m the groom, I should be kissing you. What are you being so impatient for!

—Wait, so many people are watching, can we not use...tongue…

  —Dear, this is enough now…

 The onlooking audience had faces that said, “You’ve got it backwards, right?” Aiden looked away. He couldn’t bear to look straight on at his dad taking the initiative.

Knowing Randy’s character, Berg held in his laughter until he almost burst. It was terribly funny seeing Craig’s momentarily shocked expression as he was kissed.

So in the part where the groom kissed the bride, Randy finished kissing Craig on his own, and then said seriously, “You’re mine now. I’ll treat you well in the future.”

Craig gave a rare smile, reached out and rubbed Randy’s head lightly and said, “Same for me.”

The omega stole the alpha’s lines as well. The onlooking audience thought, one after another, that this wedding was really too strange.

Craig, though, didn’t mind at all. After meeting such a bold omega, his ability to adapt had already become quite strong.

In any case, they’d officially gotten their marriage certificate, and their relationship had finally cleared up. They were protected under the laws of the empire. In the future, he could openly walk the streets with Randy, hand in hand, and openly hold his two babies and say they were his and Randy’s children.

What’s more, with such a forthright omega, both their future happiness and their sex life were guaranteed!

***

3 hours and 58 minutes for 3,349 words, or 7.1 minutes for every 100 words. A decrease in rate by 0.7 minutes, yay ✌️

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