Chapter 9  

You Mi felt a bit hungry. He grabbed a fig to eat while watching some burrowing competition videos to study in advance.  

Just as he was engrossed in watching, his Optical Brain rang again—this time, a video call invitation from a new account.  

Suspicious, he tapped to answer and once again saw the face from earlier!  

Frowning, You Mi moved to hang up.  

“Wait!” The other party hastily attached his identification documents and a social media account with the same name “Carl,” but this one had an official verification badge. “I’m really not a scammer!” He then hurriedly held up a photo. “Did you encounter this person yesterday?”  

You Mi’s expression shifted slightly.  

The photo showed the monster who had followed him yesterday and even called out his name.  

“Who… are you people?”  

Carl: “This matter involves the royal family and requires an in-person discussion. Please don’t worry. As the Imperial Crown Prince’s Chief Secretary…” Mid-sentence, he suddenly noticed You Mi’s small hand trembling as it moved toward the scam-reporting option and urgently stopped him. “If you’re still uneasy, we’ll come see you right now!”  

With that, the call ended abruptly.  

You Mi was stunned but thought, *Just as I suspected.*  

Thankfully, he had seen through these tricks. The commotion caused by that monster yesterday was loud—it wouldn’t be strange if someone else had caught a glimpse. Maybe these people were using the incident to scam him… If his savings were stolen, he’d be left with nothing.  

After finishing the burrowing videos, his stomach growled even louder. With no work today, You Mi decided to cook for himself.  

He took out a cutting board, washed and chopped vegetables by the door, then set up a small stove to boil noodles.  

This cooking set was something he’d bought at an insider price last week after seeing Vera’s team design a fully functional puppet kitchen for realism in their props.  

You Mi made a small bowl of tomato and egg noodles—hot and delicious. Halfway through eating, a mechanical whirring sound grew louder overhead.  

?  

By the time he looked up, the aircraft had already landed in the clearing ahead.  

The security guard noticed the unusual disturbance before You Mi did. He rushed over, shouting questions, but before he could get close, two rows of black-suited men stepped out, startling him.  

The men showed their credentials to the guard, whose face paled before he retreated to his post almost reverently.  

Meanwhile, You Mi’s hands holding the bowl began to sweat as he observed the credential display.  

He quickly recalled Vera’s words from this morning… Now that he was attracting attention, would his side job at the black market be exposed? Even though Vera said employees wouldn’t be prosecuted, what if…  

His mind buzzed with anxiety. The thought of possibly being imprisoned on an alien planet made him too nervous to eat, and he didn’t dare look their way. But to appear less guilty, he forced himself to keep eating, even though his hands trembled slightly.  

Carl stepped out of the aircraft with steady strides, his gaze quickly locking onto the small, beautiful Sina Star People in front of the wooden cabin.  

The tiny figure sat on the wooden plank, holding a small bowl of noodles. He ate slowly, completely ignoring the commotion, head bowed over his meal.  

Carl paused, momentarily overwhelmed by how adorable the scene was.

This was his first formal meeting with You Mi. As the Crown Prince’s secretary, he suppressed the urge to frantically take photos of the little guy and walked straight up to him, bowing respectfully: “Mr. You Mi, hello! I’m Carl!”

You Mi, lost in thought, found the voice familiar and slowly looked up.

To help him see better, Carl crouched down amiably and said, “Do you believe now that I’m not a bad person?”

You Mi’s mouth fell slightly open.

This man was the same person who had video-called him earlier, claiming to be the Crown Prince’s secretary.

His jaw dropped further.

The security guard’s awed reaction, the black-clad person’s credentials, and the aircraft bearing the empire’s insignia—everything pointed to the same conclusion.

“So you really are the Crown Prince’s secretary,” he put down his bowl, deep in thought. “Are you sure you’ve got the right person?”

Carl glanced at his physique and shook his head. “Others might be mistaken, but not with you.”

“…”

You Mi: “I don’t know any of you.”

“This isn’t the place to talk. Please come with me.”

Suspicious, You Mi followed him into the aircraft, where there was a small conference-like space.

Carl invited him to sit and brewed him some tea.

You Mi took a sip, then set down the cup that could double as a teapot.

Carl apologized, “We came in a hurry and forgot to bring the custom-sized cup for you.”

You Mi smiled and shook his head. “I’m not that small. I can use any cup.”

Carl inhaled, clutched his chest, turned around, and played a video for him.

You Mi was stunned.

The video showed the monster he had encountered yesterday.

But the situation was far more terrifying than before. The creature seemed to have entered a frenzied state in some base, wreaking havoc with terrifying force. Countless Sina Star People in armor, transformed into their monstrous forms, were helpless against it. Only a specially designed iron cage finally subdued it.

The footage, likely captured by a drone, was taken close to the creature, making the sense of oppression feel real. You Mi even felt like he was watching a horror movie.

“This is His Highness Crown Prince Anshus. A year ago, during the Interstellar War, he was severely injured and lost the ability to transform into human form. This issue can be resolved by wearing a Humanoid Skin Suit. The biggest problem now is that after his injury, His Highness often enters a frenzied state without warning and struggles to control himself as he once did… However, yesterday, we accidentally discovered that while caring for you, Anshus seemed able to restrain himself even in his frenzied state. That’s why we need to hire you!”

You Mi let out an “Ah”: “…That was caring?”

Carl smiled. “He bought clothes for you and helped you collect the scrap you needed. Isn’t that caring?”

“But…”

“We are serious about hiring you to receive Crown Prince Anshus’s care,” Carl said gravely. “Mr. You Mi, you can think of it this way—like pharmaceutical research. Consider this a clinical trial for medication. The Crown Prince is indeed somewhat dangerous, but rest assured, we will do everything to guarantee your safety… You might experience some side effects during the care period, such as being frightened? But there will absolutely be no life-threatening risks. Though you are the one being cared for, you would be making a tremendous contribution to us. Therefore, the compensation is what you rightfully deserve, and we will reward you with the highest pay for this type of work.”

You Mi’s eyes widened.

Seeing he didn’t refuse, Carl took out a contract and presented it with both hands. “Here is the agreement. If you find any terms unreasonable, we can amend them at any time.”

You Mi numbly opened it and began reading.

The contract was clear: five days on, two days off, all standard benefits for Sina Star workers were included, and private housing was provided.

His job title, however, was a bit odd:

—Imperial Little Darling.

Carl explained gently, “The Imperial Crown Prince caring for the Imperial Little Darling—sounds perfectly reasonable, doesn’t it?”

When You Mi remained silent for a long while, Carl asked again, “Do you have any other concerns? We’ll do our best to address them.”

You Mi lowered his head to look at the contract and whispered, “If the experiment fails, and the Crown Prince doesn’t improve… will I go to jail?”

After all, he’d be privy to royal secrets.

Carl paused, barely suppressing a laugh. “No! Of course not! The outcome, good or bad, is our responsibility. As for royal confidentiality, we have additional nondisclosure clauses. You just need to keep quiet.”

You Mi closed his gaping mouth and then said, “…Alright, give me a moment.”

Carl nodded, waiting for him to consider carefully.

Such a major decision indeed required deep thought.

But then, Carl watched as the tiny figure before him opened his Optical Brain and launched an app called “Contract King.” Carl knew this app—most Sina Star People used it when job-hunting without a private lawyer to avoid scams. The app flagged potential pitfalls in contracts, though it often proved… less than intelligent.

Like right now—

“Unable to identify sugar daddy contract!”

Hearing this, You Mi paled in shock. “Th-this…!”

Carl broke into a cold sweat instantly. “No, no, no!”

He hurriedly opened his own Optical Brain, found the same app, and immediately upgraded to the highest-tier membership before scanning the contract again. “Mr. You Mi, your version has issues. Try this one!”

Sure enough, the new report was different: “Scan complete. Labor contract shows no issues! Proceed with confidence!”

You Mi: “…”

Without money, one truly couldn’t take a single step.

…

That night, the vast and silent palace was illuminated only by the dim glow of a single screen.

On the enormous display, a variety show called *Exchange Life* played on loop—though this version was slightly different.

The footage showed only one small figure standing atop a music box. Any other people who appeared were thoroughly obscured by hideous mosaics…

In front of the screen sat a massive monster, staring unblinkingly.

The tiny figure began swaying to the music—the monster’s pupils contracted.

The little one smiled at the camera—the monster’s wings trembled.

The little figure skipped along carrying a cake, while the monster began crawling closer…

When Carl knocked and entered, the usually cold and stern Crown Prince Anshus was rapidly folding a pile of newly purchased doll clothes while watching You Mi’s cut version of *Exchange Life*.

His footsteps faltered, and immediately, the other’s terrifying gaze turned toward him, staring ominously.

Carl’s hair stood on end as he hurriedly said, “H-he has already agreed to let you take care of him!”

The monster froze, emitting a chilling, hoarse sound from its throat: “Hah… hah…”

After a long pause, he lowered his head again and continued folding the tiny clothes. Once finished, he grabbed the garments and stormed out.

That night, a starship departed from above the imperial palace in the capital, heading straight for a private estate in the suburbs.

The next morning, at dawn.

You Mi glanced at Carl, who had come to pick him up, while brushing his teeth.

His luggage had been packed the night before with Lin En’s help. Since it involved the royal family, You Mi simply said he had taken on a confidential job. Lin En asked many questions, so You Mi used some documents provided by Carl to reassure him.

Seeing the government insignia on the papers, Lin En assumed he was going to a distant factory and reminded him to call once he arrived to confirm his safety.

After finishing his morning routine, You Mi locked the small wooden door and followed Carl out. As they passed beneath Lily’s building, an anxious voice suddenly called from above: “Mi Mi! Where are you going?”

He looked up.

Lily and her parents were all at the window, watching him.

Lily was curious, while the adults seemed worried.

You Mi replied, “I’m going to work!”

Like Lin En, Lily’s parents had vaguely guessed his job based on the security guard’s retelling of yesterday’s events. Judging by the aircraft’s markings, they assumed he was heading to some distant base or factory.

Ordinary bases didn’t provide transportation for workers—only remote bases with harsh conditions offered such treatment…

Lily’s parents waved at him: “Take care, You Mi! Don’t push yourself too hard!”

You Mi nodded. His hair fluttered in the morning breeze, revealing his smooth forehead, his small body almost propelled forward by the wind.

Sunlight poured down as the figure carrying a small suitcase soon disappeared through the aircraft’s hatch.

Under the clear sky, the aircraft quickly took off, soon leaving the residential area behind.

You Mi was seated by Carl in a rest area filled with miniature furnishings to eat breakfast.

His mind was full of anticipation for his new job, and this being his first time on an aircraft, he was beyond excited.

You Mi had no appetite, only nibbling on some fruit before pressing his face against the window, his eyes alight with curiosity for this unknown world.

Not far away, Carl couldn’t resist and snapped several photos with his camera!

Too, too, too adorable!

These were for Crown Prince Anshus—definitely not for my own selfish reasons!!!

After a while, the aircraft began slowing down, signaling an imminent landing.

You Mi quickly sat up straight. He leaned closer to the window to peek outside and instinctively gasped.

Below was an extraordinarily magnificent private estate.

Clearly, this was the royal base where he would conduct the “Crown Prince experiment.”

You Mi smoothed out his three-piece suit. As the hatch slowly opened, he picked up his small suitcase and carefully stood to walk out.