Chapter 13

Auston had never imagined that he would receive such an evaluation of himself from someone else. He looked at Ruan Tang in surprise.

There were plenty of people in the world who called him perverse, violent, bloody, and cruel... but no one had ever called him pitiable...

Ruan Tang saw that surprised look and thought that Auston was wondering why Ruan Tang would consider the Duke pitiable. But he did not intend to explain to anyone, only quietly advised, “Since you are afraid of the Duke, you should not speak recklessly from now on. In the future... when the Duke comes, keep out of sight; it’s enough to serve at my side.”

Auston stood frozen on the spot.

“If the butler asks, just say it was my idea,” Ruan Tang added.

Such a reckless, loose-tongued young man; he was truly afraid that he would fall into the hands of that Bluebeard Duke and come to a bad end.

Auston finally understood: Ruan Tang was actually showing concern for him, concern for a tiny little male servant who was practically insignificant in the Duke’s mansion. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, and he played along: “All right, thank you, Madam...”

Ruan Tang said no more and quietly scrolled through his personal terminal.

Auston quietly looked at the pot of black tea on the table that Ruan Tang had barely touched, then stealthily took the tea away and replaced it with a pot of coffee.

He remembered that Ruan Tang had said he preferred coffee.

...

When evening came, Ruan Tang had just showered and was about to rest when Duke Auston, who had already come once in the morning, arrived again...

He pushed his wheelchair over and, without a word, began to touch Ruan Tang’s body, sniffing at his Pheromone scent like a drug addict. Now that he knew this madman had no such intentions and simply came to admire his beloved collection, Ruan Tang relaxed a great deal and let himself be sniffed without speaking...

Their current interactions seemed intimate, ambiguous, like a prelude to something, but in fact, Ruan Tang felt like a poor helpless kitten being kneaded, pressed flat, and frantically sniffed...

And Duke Auston, sniffing him frantically, pressed his cold mask against the back of Ruan Tang’s neck as he inhaled with rapture, his hand groping all over his body without any rhyme or reason...

Ruan Tang thought he was a bit like a silly dog.

After Duke Auston finished inspecting his territory and appraising his collection, he immediately pushed his wheelchair and left without a trace of reluctance, not once deigning to open his mouth to say a word to Ruan Tang, his caretaker.

Ruan Tang felt that his interactions with his new husband were very tepid, and that they were not at all familiar with each other...

But the Empress and Ruan Ming clearly did not see it that way. After learning from some faction or other that Auston was greatly interested in Ruan Tang, the Empress and Ruan Ming each called Ruan Tang in turn...

“I knew you were a clever child,” the Empress said, her tone exceedingly gentle. “Your Pheromone Matching Rate is so high, Auston will surely come to like you. Look, even though you haven’t moved in together yet, he already goes to see you morning and night... He has never been this intimate with any Omega before. You must seize this opportunity and conceive a child quickly...”

Ruan Tang didn’t know how to tell the Empress that he and Duke Auston were not at all close: “But, I...”

“But what?” The Empress interrupted him, taking patience and speaking softly. “Child, I know you are afraid of Auston and don’t want to spend your life with him. I’m not asking you to stay with him forever, only that you have a child with him. Once you have a child, our goal will be achieved, and you can be free. Do you understand?”

“But I feel that Duke Auston doesn’t understand such matters,” Ruan Tang said. “He simply regards me as a collector’s item, appreciating my skin and the scent of my Pheromone...”

The Empress said gently, “Whether he understands or not is not important. As long as he is willing to be close to you... you can guide him, make him understand. Just get that done, and that is enough. Do you understand, child?”

The Empress’s tone was very gentle, but Ruan Tang could hear the command and finality in it.

“...Yes, Your Majesty, I understand.” So Ruan Tang could only answer in a low, obedient voice.

He could not refuse the Empress’s orders.

Ruan Tang understood his position very well. In name, he was Duke Auston’s wife, but in reality he was merely a breeding tool with a decent family background, a pure bloodline, and a high Pheromone Matching Rate, chosen and sent to Duke Auston after the Ruan Family and the Empress Family reached an agreement.

His husband was said to be immensely powerful, but in truth he was nothing more than a madman hard to please... He probably didn’t understand anything about likes or dislikes, feelings or affections...

To try to move him, to use Pheromone to make Auston obey his every word and love him to the point of death, as they did in TV dramas — that would be harder than climbing the sky.

This Duke was completely mad.

If he really caught his attention, who knew how he might end up being toyed to death by him.

This was also why his good father was so at ease marrying him, who had no goodwill toward the man, off to Duke Auston. Once married, with a husband like this, even the most capable Omega would have no place to use their abilities, and whether they had a mind or not was totally unimportant — as long as they could bear children, that was all.

True power always lay in the hands of the Empress and Ruan Ming; this was an exchange of interests between them.

As for Ruan Tang himself, although the Ruan Family and the Empress still protected him on the surface, in reality, even if Duke Auston really killed him, the Ruan Family and the Empress would do nothing, and might even help Duke Auston destroy the corpse and explain away his death as an illness.

Even if he offended Duke Auston and was chopped into pieces, only he would die. With the Empress there, it would never implicate the Ruan Family.

And as for that kind of idol drama plot where Duke Auston falls in love with him, he gains favor and power with Auston, and then Duke Auston helps him take revenge on his scumbag father — that was utterly impossible...

With a madman like Duke Auston here, the possibility was zero.

He was still alive, and the Empress Faction was still willing to protect him from danger only because he was a member of the Ruan Family.

And as for what the Empress said about bearing a child and then sharing wealth and ruling the Empire together — that was even more empty talk. Ruan Tang did not believe a single word. If in the future the Empress’s grandson really ascended the throne, the only one to get a share would be the Ruan Family, who had exerted themselves for the Empress Family, not him, a breeding tool whose very life and death were of no concern.

Ruan Tang knew his own position all too well.

Who would care about a tool’s life, death, joys, or angers? No matter how sweetly the Empress spoke, she was just painting a pie in the sky for him, making this tool work even harder for her, extracting his value to the fullest.

Only a fool would believe her.

Ruan Tang was no fool, so from the very beginning he never intended to strive hard in the direction the Empress and the Ruan Family hoped for. But since the Empress had given orders, he had no choice but to obey.

Because he was just a tool. If he went against the Empress now, just after the wedding, she wouldn’t do anything to him yet. But after a while, she would likely find a way to make him “die of illness” and replace him with a more convenient tool...

And his husband, Duke Auston, would not only do nothing, but that madman might even be happy that he could finally peel off his skin and cut out his gland.

With a wolf in front and a tiger behind — that was Ruan Tang’s current predicament.

Thinking of everything the Empress had said, Ruan Tang felt a headache coming on. But he had always been someone who disliked forcing himself and staying in a depressed mood.

So he decided to sleep on it first.

The night passed till dawn.

Ruan Tang was woken early the next morning by Duke Auston, who had come to sniff his gland and touch his skin.

After being nervously sniffed and touched, just when he saw that Auston, as before, silently withdrew his hand and pushed his wheelchair to leave...

“...Wait a moment, my lord.” Ruan Tang immediately grabbed Auston’s hand.

Whether it would be useful or not, he had to let the Empress see his effort.

Auston seemed not to have expected that Ruan Tang would have such audacity as to grab him. He immediately turned a cold look on Ruan Tang.

Behind the mask, his gaze felt like being fixed by a poisonous snake flicking its tongue, making one’s hair stand on end and a shiver run down the spine.

His voice was hoarse: “What is it?”