Chapter 14

Ruan Tang seized Auston’s hand, risking that Auston might at any moment fly into a violent rage and hurt him. Outwardly composed, inwardly he was bracing for how to scramble away should Auston lash out.

In truth, he had no real intention of being obedient to the Empress, of rushing to serve Auston as a breeding tool.

It was simply that the Empress had given an order, and the vast gulf between their ranks left him with no choice but to comply.

Even if it was only an act, he had to put on the appearance of being obedient and compliant — of following the Empress’s instructions, of seeking closeness with this blue-bearded duke. Only that way could he live longer, keep himself safe, and keep his family safe.

As for whether his efforts could achieve the effect the Empress wanted after he had tried…

Ruan Tang could not promise that, because Duke Auston was, after all, a lunatic with no logic to him.

Holding his hand, with the heart of a hero severing his own arm and going nobly to his death, Ruan Tang arranged on his face an expression of flattery so exaggerated it could not be exaggerated any further, striving to display the essence of seduction: “My lord, have you eaten this morning? I haven’t had breakfast yet — why don’t we…”

He hadn’t expected Auston to agree. He only hoped Auston would shake him off and wheel himself away.

That way, he would have something to show the Empress, and could go on staying alive.

He did not expect that, after staring at him for a long moment, Auston seemed to have misread the situation. He frowned deeply and said, “What? You need someone to keep you company at breakfast?”

Ruan Tang: “…”

Ruan Tang had no idea at all how Auston had managed to interpret from his words the meaning that he needed someone to keep him company at meals, and was utterly at a loss.

Indeed, the workings of a lunatic’s mind were beyond the comprehension of ordinary people…

Ruan Tang very much wanted to beat a retreat and have nothing more to do with this madman. But remembering the target the Empress had set, regardless of the outcome, he had to let people see his efforts.

He then turned, with an affectedly coy air, toward Auston: “Yes, ever since I was small, I have needed someone to keep me company at meals. Whenever I eat alone, my appetite suffers. My lord, I…”

Just as Ruan Tang had expected, a look of disgust and impatience surfaced in Auston’s eyes at once. The furrow between his brows deepened even further, as though he were thoroughly fed up.

Ruan Tang was gauging the measure of things in his heart, planning to press the advantage and make Auston sick of him so that he would sweep his sleeves and leave, and not want to see him for days.

That would give him a reason to give the Empress a report.

It wouldn’t be that he wasn’t trying — it was that her son simply found him too repulsive.

“What a spoiled thing…” Auston frowned deeply, looking at Ruan Tang with impatience, the way one might look at a delicate, hard-to-please pet. “I’ve long heard that an Omega is both fragile and a bother, terribly difficult to raise… I thought you weren’t like that, but in just a few days, your true colors have shown…”

Ruan Tang had no idea where his logic came from, and was utterly at a loss for words: “…”

He could only watch Auston with eager, hopeful eyes, watch that look of impatience, and simply wait for him to be unable to stand it any longer and sweep away, so that Ruan Tang could sound the retreat and end this perfunctory duty.

“Since you insist I keep you company at meals, I’ll reluctantly oblige…” Contrary to expectations, Auston stared at Ruan Tang in displeasure for a long moment, then suddenly said.

Ruan Tang was dumbfounded on the spot: “…”

He felt he was increasingly unable to fathom the workings of this lunatic’s mind.

But Auston, as if still feeling it wasn’t enough, irritably wheeled his chair forward and added, by way of patching things up, “I’m doing it for my skin and the spices…”

Ruan Tang: “…”

Ruan Tang was afraid that Set, that hothead, might run into the mercurial duke and offend him. He quietly used his personal terminal to send Set a message, telling him he wouldn’t need to come serve today, before following his nominal husband out the door of his room.

For the past few days, Ruan Tang had had Set bring his breakfast to his room. This was his first time eating in the dining room of the Auston Ducal Palace.

Regardless of how things actually stood, on the surface, as the most beloved son of the Emperor and Empress, the Auston Ducal Palace’s various appointments — including its dining room — were extremely extravagant.

In the dining room of the Evernight ducal residence, the lamps had been lit early; the entire hall blazed with light.

The long dining table was laid with a sumptuous breakfast, each dish carefully prepared by the finest chefs. Servants, some of them bearing bodily defects, stood in neat rows at the side, responsible for passing dishes, serving courses, and all the rest of the work that entailed.

Yet the one seated in the seat of honor was only Ruan Tang, alongside Duke Auston.

The servants of the Auston Ducal Palace were all exceedingly well trained. Though the dining room held no small number of people, it was extraordinarily still. If one did not listen closely, apart from the two masters — Ruan Tang and Duke Auston — one could hardly hear even the sound of anyone else breathing.

Ruan Tang glanced around the silent dining room, then at Duke Auston, who had not stirred, and truly did not know whether he ought to eat.

He had never eaten with Auston before, and did not know whether, before Auston lifted his chopsticks, others were permitted to lift theirs.

If he did reach for his chopsticks, would it set the duke off into a rage?

“Aren’t you going to have breakfast? Why aren’t you eating yet?” Seeing him sit without moving, Duke Auston spoke up, impatient. “Don’t you usually eat breakfast right on time?”

Having received the master of the residence’s permission, Ruan Tang immediately reached for his chopsticks: “Then I’ll eat first.”

His daily routine and mealtimes were very precise. Today he was only a little later than usual, and his stomach was already growling with hunger…

Although the servants of the ducal residence were all disabled, they were also exceedingly well trained. Without Ruan Tang having to say a word, wherever Ruan Tang’s gaze landed and showed an inclination to eat, someone would immediately step forward and place the food in Ruan Tang’s bowl.

Although both were nobles, the standard of the chefs in the ducal residence and the standard of the chef assigned to an unfavored son of the Marshal’s residence were not to be spoken of in the same breath. The ducal residence’s was far superior…

The flavors were also far more delicious.

Ruan Tang had something of a gluttonous streak. Faced with such fine food, even though he was sharing a table with the fearsome blue-bearded duke, he still ate with great relish.

As he ate, he began to feel a little thirsty and was thinking of having a drink.

A manservant of the Auston Ducal Palace, reading the moment, attentively brought him a cup of red tea.

“He doesn’t drink red tea.” Before the tea could reach Ruan Tang’s hand, Auston, looking in Ruan Tang’s direction, suddenly said: “Give him coffee.”

The manservant immediately, obediently withdrew the red tea and replaced it with a cup of coffee for Ruan Tang.

Ruan Tang glanced at Auston in surprise at once.

But Auston had already turned his gaze away and was no longer looking at him.

Equally surprised was the butler. He had never seen Duke Auston dine privately at the same table as someone, nor pay such close attention to what another did or did not eat, nor speak up to direct the manservant.

It seemed the duke’s attention to the Duchess far exceeded their expectations.

“Is it good?” Auston had been studying Ruan Tang for a long while as he kept stuffing food into his mouth, then suddenly asked a question he had been mulling over for several days now.

He suffered from a mild case of anorexia. No matter how fine the delicacy, when it reached his mouth, it all tasted a little like nothing… Watching Ruan Tang eat with such gusto every day,

he was, in fact, a little curious —

Was it really that delicious?

“It’s very good.” Ruan Tang hadn’t expected him to ask. He drew a quiet breath and chose to answer honestly: “Your household’s chefs are all exceedingly accomplished.”

Auston said nothing. He simply fixed his gaze on Ruan Tang, watching, as though observing something, the way Ruan Tang’s mouth moved up and down.

Outwardly Ruan Tang was the picture of calm, but under that stare he could not help the unease rising in his chest, wondering what the madman was scheming this time.

Was he perhaps about to fancy pulling out his tongue to add to his collection?

He had even braced himself, mentally preparing a way of phrasing things that might spare him, should Auston want his tongue, so as to no longer pique the duke’s interest in it.

But Auston looked at him for a long moment, then said nothing, did nothing, and only lazily cast a glance at the servants standing at the side.

Immediately, someone served a portion identical to what Ruan Tang had been eating onto Auston’s plate.

Auston took a bite without much enthusiasm, then glanced at Ruan Tang again. Hmm, the flavor did indeed seem to be quite good.