AGMATSWHLMAR Chapter 71
by Volare“…Just because the Duke is your husband, you can go to such lengths for him? Trying so hard to make him happy, to make him like you?” At that moment, he almost forgot his identity, forgot that he was still playing the role of a manservant, and blurted out to Ruan Tang.
Ruan Tang’s husband could be him, or it could be someone else.
He was never anything special, just happened to appear in Ruan Tang’s life at the right time.
“Of course, it’s not just because of that.” Ruan Tang didn’t expect him to ask such a question, and immediately looked at him in surprise, answering without hesitation, “The most important thing is because I like the Duke.”
Ruan Tang had never liked anyone before, until he met Auston, he liked someone for the first time.
He didn’t know when this liking started, but by the time he realized it, the seed had already taken root in his heart and grown strong.
Ruan Tang then realized that liking someone, wanting to do something for them, was such a happy thing.
“Like? What do you like about the Duke? You haven’t even seen his face, and you’ve never really understood him as a person? Just because he married you and treats you relatively well, you’ve fallen for him… Don’t you think that’s strange?” He spoke so matter-of-factly, so firmly, yet Auston felt even more panicked and helpless.
He never believed in love.
Perhaps it couldn’t be denied that such a thing really existed.
But watching Mrs. Judith bet everything for the sake of so-called love, stubbornly dedicating the rest of her life to clearing the name of someone who had been dead for a long time, enduring years of pain and suffering, and Empress Catherine’s love turning into hatred for the Emperor, from ardent love to hating even her son who carried the Emperor’s blood, becoming hysterical, turning herself into someone she no longer resembled…
Auston always felt that it wasn’t a good thing.
Deep affection doesn’t last, extreme intelligence is sure to wound…
Even if the world sang praises and admired its beauty, Auston had never been interested in touching it even a little.
Auston didn’t know if he had those kinds of feelings for Ruan Tang, or if Ruan Tang really liked him, but he didn’t want the relationship between him and Ruan Tang to become like that.
He also didn’t know how to deal with Ruan Tang’s constant pressing.
He wanted to escape, but he couldn’t bear to not see Ruan Tang anymore… He just felt very helpless.
“What do you mean?” Ruan Tang frowned, immediately feeling offended, feeling that this manservant had overstepped his bounds too much.
Auston restrained his emotions, but said calmly, “It’s nothing, I just think that you initially married the Duke because you had nothing and were forced by the situation. You also told me that there was no emotional foundation between you.”
“And now, everything is different. You’ve become the chairman of the Omega Protection Association, the head of the Ruan Family Estate wielding power, and you also have an older brother who is the commander of the White Tiger Legion. You’re no longer the person who could be slaughtered at will… I heard that many talented young people from noble families on Imperial Star admire you very much. Why are you unwilling to step out? Why do you have to trap yourself in such a meaningless marriage and so-called liking?” He said, word by word, “If you step out, you can have more, better, and broader choices, can’t you?”
Auston’s face remained calm regarding the Emperor’s hints and implications, as well as the news that the nobles on Imperial Star had taken a liking to Ruan Tang, coveting the power and personal ability that Ruan Tang now possessed, hoping that he would die soon so that Ruan Tang could be widowed and they could marry Ruan Tang into their families.
But it had to be said that he cared very much about these things in his heart.
He clearly knew that he wasn’t the best choice of partner for Ruan Tang, and he couldn’t give Ruan Tang what he wanted… But he was unwilling to completely give up on Ruan Tang.
When he asked these questions using Seth’s identity, he was extremely conflicted, almost in a self-abusive state of mind.
He wanted Ruan Tang to listen to his advice and step out, but he was afraid that Ruan Tang would listen to his advice and step out…
“But they aren’t the Duke.” Ruan Tang’s gaze turned cold, almost fierce, “I don’t know who ordered you to come here, or who you’re being a lobbyist for… But if I hear you say these words a second time, don’t appear in front of me again.”
After gaining enough power, Ruan Tang also saw many things that he couldn’t see before, such as the fact that the powerful figures of the major families on Imperial Star were outwardly respectful to Auston, but secretly didn’t treat Auston as a human being. He was still alive, yet these people were already eagerly trying to seduce his partner because of the power he now controlled, believing that he was a mad dog destined to die.
And this was precisely what Ruan Tang hated the most—
He wanted Auston to live, to live well and to be with him forever.
Therefore, he hated, even disgusted, those so-called talented young men who offered him olive branches.
Because they didn’t respect Auston, didn’t treat Auston as a person.
Ruan Tang didn’t know who had bought off the simple-minded manservant in front of him, or who had told him to come and say these words to him.
But he deeply hated these words.
“They aren’t the Duke? Then what about you? Have you ever understood the real Duke? I’m afraid that if he took off his mask and stood in front of you, you might not even be able to recognize him, right?” Auston stared at him, he didn’t know what he wanted, but he was getting more and more addicted to saying it, “Rather than saying you like him, it’s better to say you like an illusion of the Duke that you imagine.”
He didn’t think that Ruan Tang liked the real him.
He only felt that Ruan Tang liked an illusion. He didn’t want to expose the truth under the bubble, but he had to expose this layer of bubble in front of Ruan Tang.
Rather than watching Ruan Tang fall deeper and deeper for the perfect him in his imagination, and then fall from the clouds after discovering the truth, developing feelings of disgust, aversion, and even regret for him.
It was better to be cruel and not give him a chance to fall deeper from the beginning.
Ruan Tang stared at Auston without speaking, only feeling that the behavior of this overstepping and audacious manservant was unusually strange and bizarre.
And the way he spoke unconsciously overlapped with another feeling…
“In the eyes of outsiders, the Duke is cruel, crazy, and terrifying, but in your eyes, he’s another person… Then what is the real him?” Auston said calmly, “To fall in love with someone you’ve never truly understood, Madam, you’re really strange.”
Ruan Tang frowned slightly, looking at him deeply without speaking.
Auston said, word by word, “Madam treats me as a friend, and I also treat Madam as a friend, so I said some heartfelt words. Please don’t be offended, Madam.”
Ruan Tang remained silent.
Auston didn’t want to stay and continue facing him anymore, “Sorry, Madam, I have something to do, so I’ll take my leave first.”
After the words fell, he immediately retreated from Ruan Tang’s room…
He knew he was a little cruel to Ruan Tang, but some things he had to say clearly.
In the afternoon, Auston was processing official business in the study when his personal manservant delivered the desserts that Ruan Tang had made to him, “Duke, this was made by the Madam for you, and she wants you to try it.”
“Go tell him that I don’t like sweet things… The things he makes are terribly unappetizing. Tell him not to do these boring things in the future.” Auston frowned slightly and instructed the manservant as such.
The manservant looked at him in surprise, wondering what was wrong with his Duke, actually treating the Madam like this, but he still replied, “Yes.”
“Then, Duke… these desserts?” After the words fell, he suddenly thought of something and asked again.
The Duke said he didn’t like sweet things and that they were terribly unappetizing, so he probably didn’t want to eat them. Then how should these desserts be handled? Should they be sent back to the Madam, or…
Auston frowned and waved his hand, saying, “Leave the desserts.”
Recalling the way Ruan Tang had racked his brains to make these things for him, failing again and again, Auston frowned, but a sense of warmth unconsciously arose in his heart.
Ever since he had the accident and seen the coldness of the world, no one had sincerely and genuinely done anything for him just to make him happy, or put any thought into him.
Even if he rejected Ruan Tang’s feelings, he couldn’t bear to not have these desserts.
“Should I still say those words to the Madam?” The manservant was a little hesitant, really not understanding his crazy Duke’s thought process.
Auston lightly scooped up a bite of dessert and put it in his mouth. It was cloyingly sweet, but his heart felt a little bitter, but he still said, “Say it as I said.”
“Yes.”
The manservant replied and immediately retreated to deliver the message. The large study was suddenly left with only Auston, empty and making his heart flutter.
Ever since the accident in his youth, when his parents, who once loved him as a treasure, unhesitatingly abandoned him, and even intentionally worsened his injuries, he had long been accustomed to a lonely life and learned not to, and didn’t want to, place any expectations on anyone anymore…
Ruan Tang’s appearance was an accident for Auston. He originally thought that Ruan Tang would only be a fleeting passerby in his life, but he never expected that Ruan Tang would be so much to his liking, making him feel interesting and fun, interesting enough to make him want to possess him and develop a sense of attachment to him.
But even if he liked and was attached to him, Auston knew very well that he couldn’t continue like this—
If he continued to be entangled like this, it would only make him and Ruan Tang fall deeper and deeper, eventually going down the old path of Mrs. Judith or Empress Catherine.
Auston didn’t want that.
Now Ruan Tang had everything, and he didn’t need him anymore. He could live a better life completely without him.
Therefore, Auston also felt that it was time for him to cut the Gordian knot and say goodbye to Ruan Tang.
Silently, alone in the study, he ate the desserts that Ruan Tang had carefully made for him, eating them cleanly, without leaving a single bit.
Auston pursed his lips and immediately took out the divorce agreement that had been placed for a long time and had been rewritten from his drawer, deciding that there was no time like the present, not to avoid Ruan Tang anymore, and have a good talk with him tonight.