Chapter 18

Auston gave a soft hum, no longer discussing Ruan Tang with him, and instead resumed talking about their plans.

Carlos immediately said solemnly: 'Rest assured, Your Highness, everything will be done according to your wishes, and there will be no mistakes whatsoever.'

'In that case, I'll leave everything to you, Uncle.' Auston looked at Carlos with full trust, putting on an air of complete satisfaction with his arrangements.

After a long moment, Carlos walked out of Auston's study, the kindness and affability on his face instantly swept away, and with an expressionless face he once again assumed that standard aristocratic manner as he left Auston's mansion.

Meanwhile Auston, in his study after he left, sat up straight, all trace of the earlier childishness and adoration for his uncle gone from his face, and let out a very cold snort.

Most of the time, the family affection among their nobility was that plastic and false.

Everything was merely held together by mutual benefit.

Auston had understood this truth since childhood.

He laughed mockingly for a while, but then suddenly, Auston's expression darkened violently. He couldn't help but reach up to press his temple, revealing a fiercely grim and pained demeanor, and his mood unconsciously grew irritable...

The intense pain made his hand unconsciously clench into a fist, and even the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

Struggling, he raised his vein-bulging hand to ring the bell in the room...

As soon as the bell rang, the footman standing outside the door immediately knew that his duke was having another attack.

Remembering the duke's brutal behavior during past attacks, Aaron instantly trembled all over, his face turning pale white. But he had no choice but to stagger and fetch the medicine, carefully push the door open, and deliver it to Auston.

'My lord, is it another headache?' Aaron asked, struggling to maintain his composure.

Auston didn't speak, his brows deeply furrowed, eyes red-rimmed, staring coldly at Aaron like a snake flicking its tongue, ready to strike.

Stared at by such a gaze, Aaron couldn't help but tremble all over. He wanted to flee but didn't dare, so he could only continue to hold the medicine out to Auston.

Auston gave him a deep look, quickly took the medicine from his hand, unscrewed it, and swallowed the medication with water.

After a long moment, the pain on his face eased slightly, and then he impatiently waved his hand at Aaron, signaling him to withdraw.

Seeing this reaction, Aaron felt a sense of relief as if he had narrowly escaped death, and retreated as if fleeing.

When he reached the door, he completely lost his strength, his legs giving way, and nearly collapsed to the ground.

Auston didn't have attacks often, but when he did, he became doubly volatile and cruel. If someone displeased him at such a time, falling into his hands was more terrifying than death.

That today Auston had an attack but didn't hurt anyone, for Aaron, who had seen so many predecessors die, he was luckier than winning the lottery.

...

Ruan Tang hadn't seen Seth for the entire day, and was a bit worried that this simple-minded footman had offended Auston and gotten into trouble. So he asked the butler with concern: 'Have you seen Seth? The footman who was attending me the past few days? Why hasn't he come today?'

The butler seemed surprised that Ruan Tang would care so much about a footman, gave him a curious look, and said: '...Seth called in sick today, so please don't worry, milady. I'll arrange another servant to attend you shortly.'

'No need, I'm fine on my own. I don't need anyone to attend me.' When Ruan Tang heard that he had taken sick leave rather than being punished by Auston, he breathed a sigh of relief.

With the sunlight out, Ruan Tang was in a good mood all day.

In the afternoon, he picked out a book, ordered a cup of afternoon tea, and settled in the duke's garden, enjoying the flowers while sipping tea and reading, passing the time most pleasantly.

By evening, Ruan Tang had unconsciously fallen asleep on a sofa in the garden, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

When Auston came to find Ruan Tang, this was the scene he saw. Seeing Ruan Tang sleeping so soundly, so sweetly, with such good quality sleep, the already irritable Auston became even more agitated, and looking at the deeply sleeping Ruan Tang, a destructive urge rose in his heart...

He felt that he himself couldn't sleep well day after day and always had headaches, so why should Ruan Tang be able to sleep so happily?

Auston stared at Ruan Tang for a long moment, then reached out, caring not that Ruan Tang was asleep, to sniff the Pheromone scent emanating from his gland and to touch the skin of his body...

Ruan Tang had always been a heavy sleeper; no matter how Auston fussed over him, he couldn't wake up. He just shifted uncomfortably a bit, rolled over, muttered a few times in his dream, and continued sleeping.

Ruan Tang's skin was like a peeled egg, tender and smooth, warm to the touch, making it impossible for anyone to stop once they started touching it.

Auston couldn't get enough of touching him.

But looking at Ruan Tang sleeping so soundly, he felt deeply resentful, and immediately bit down on the skin of Ruan Tang's neck...

Ruan Tang was immediately jolted awake by the pain, but still groggy, he rubbed his eyes and let out a confused 'Hm?' as if he didn't know what had happened.

He looked utterly dazed, his eyes slightly red-rimmed...

Auston, still filled with destructive and sadistic urges from his recent attack, had originally longed to shatter the serenity of the peacefully sleeping Ruan Tang, to make him unable to rest, to make him show a pained and twisted expression. But somehow, seeing Ruan Tang like this, his heart inexplicably softened and he felt reluctant.

The irritable, abusive feelings in his heart were suddenly suppressed.

'...My lord, why are you here?' As soon as Ruan Tang woke up and saw Auston biting him, he was startled for a moment, but considering that this fellow wasn't mentally stable, he quickly calmed and decided to handle it by staying unflustered.

He had just woken up, and his voice still carried a touch of sleepy, babyish softness... It made Auston's heart tremble.

'This is my mansion's garden, what? Can't I come?' But on the surface, Auston remained grim and cold, glaring at Ruan Tang as he spoke.

Although he vaguely knew that his behavior just now was abnormal, Auston had heard that Omegas couldn't be too coddled...

They could easily become spoiled with affection and climb over people's heads.

'...This is your lordship's back garden, of course you can come.' Ruan Tang knew he was unstable, but still tried to communicate: 'But, my lord, what were you just doing?'

He didn't understand why Auston had just bitten him. If it was for marking, it should be on the gland at the back of the neck, not the side of the neck...

Biting his neck side so hard, Ruan Tang felt that given Auston had been friendly to him these past few days since he married in, he should brave himself to find out the reason, for fear that this madman might suddenly have a whim to taste his flesh.

What if next time, while he was asleep, Auston bit off a piece of his flesh? That would be terrible.

Ruan Tang thought that if that was the case, he must dissuade Auston from such thoughts.

'...Nothing, I just saw you sleeping too soundly and wanted to wake you for dinner.' Auston felt a bit guilty seeing the red mark and obvious teeth impression on Ruan Tang's neck, but his words remained casual.

Ruan Tang was rendered speechless, lost for words: '...'

He had never heard of such a way to wake someone. Truly, a madman's logic was incomprehensible.

'Come here. I haven't touched your skin or smelled your scent all day... Come over and let me sniff you!' Seeing Ruan Tang's expression, Auston felt a bit awkward, and immediately beckoned Ruan Tang over, summoning his pet.

Ruan Tang, though inwardly speechless at Auston, still obediently put himself into Auston's arms, letting him sniff his gland and stroke his skin like petting a cat...

After this period of getting along, he had become quite accustomed to this marriage dynamic with Auston.

Auston was a madman with no normal concept of marriage; he didn't want to sleep with him, only wanted to play with him like a toy or pet. Ruan Tang was happy to be at ease and didn't think it was bad at all.

Auston inhaled Ruan Tang's scent for a good while longer, then withdrew his hand and said: 'All right, that's enough for today. Let's go to dinner.'

With those words, the now-calm Auston pushed his wheelchair and started heading towards the dining room...

'...Wait, my lord.' In the fading glow of the sunset, Ruan Tang watched Auston's back and suddenly remembered something, calling him to stop.

Auston was a bit surprised and asked: 'Hm? What is it?'

'...I heard that because I don't like the darkness, you restored the natural climate of the mansion. Thank you.' Ruan Tang originally had no particular feeling about this marriage, which he had to accept, nor about Duke Auston as a husband.

But after learning that Auston had decided to change the climate of the entire mansion and his own habits because of him, Ruan Tang felt some subtle change in his heart, however slight.

He thought that even if Auston was a madman, for him to be willing to change his living habits for Ruan Tang, to let him integrate into this mansion...

Even if he was crazy, he had put thought into their marriage and into Ruan Tang himself, wanting to make it work.

Therefore, he felt it necessary to thank Auston.

'...It's nothing. I restored the natural climate of the mansion not for you, only because I wanted to bask in the sun myself. Don't overthink it.' Upon hearing the thanks, Auston immediately felt uncomfortable and put up a tough front.

He didn't want this Omega to think he cared about him so much.

But after the words left his mouth, he suddenly remembered that Ruan Tang was prone to melancholy, and fearing that he might become unhappy, he immediately added: 'Well... as long as you're happy.'

Ruan Tang didn't mind his stubbornness. Smiling at the blazing sunset clouds, he said: 'I still thank you. I like it very much, and I'm very happy.'

Hearing Ruan Tang's thanks, Auston for some reason suddenly felt his cheeks flush beneath his mask.

'This... this must be because the sunlight is too dazzling, too hot, making him a little allergic.' That's what Auston thought to himself.