AGMATSWHLMAR Chapter 23

Auston’s expression only softened slightly after watching everyone apologize to Ruan Tang one by one. He then cast a chilling glance at those who had yet to apologize.

Young Master Fedia assessed the situation and immediately stepped forward, saying, “I’m sorry, Madam. It’s my fault for not disciplining my younger brother properly. I apologize on his behalf, and on my own behalf as well…”

He looked at Ruan Tang, hoping Ruan Tang would give him an out.

Unexpectedly, before Ruan Tang could speak, Auston coldly interrupted, “There’s no need, Young Master. My wife just said, you didn’t do anything wrong, no need to apologize.”

Young Master Fedia’s expression immediately stiffened, unsure of Auston’s meaning.

Auston’s gaze swept to the next person.

Ruan Xi felt a chill run down his spine as Auston’s terrifying gaze passed over him. He scrambled to Ruan Tang’s side, tears welling up in his eyes, and said in a trembling voice, “Brother, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. I couldn’t stop Owen, it’s all my fault…”

He couldn’t care less about why this villain had changed his attitude, not killing Ruan Tang but doting on him instead… He was simply scared witless.

The person he feared most in this world was this capricious and murderous psychopath.

Ruan Tang didn’t even bother to acknowledge Ruan Xi. He found his apology even more annoying than no apology at all. He merely glanced at Owen, who was being tormented by Auston, and walked to Auston’s side, softly saying, “My lord, it’s getting late, I’m a little tired. Let’s go back.”

With things having escalated to this point, he didn’t want Owen’s apology anymore.

Auston looked deeply at Ruan Tang, released his mental suppression on Owen without another word, and responded in a low voice, “Mm.”

Everyone was surprised that a single sentence from Ruan Tang could change Auston’s decision and make Auston so obedient to him. They looked at Ruan Tang with even more astonishment.

Auston was a madman, but he was also a madman with high status and extraordinary power…

Now that Ruan Tang was not only his nominal partner but also so valued by him, it seemed they would have to be more careful in their attitude towards Ruan Tang in the future. The thoughts of all the onlookers were shifting and changing.

Young Master Fedia also breathed a sigh of relief.

As soon as Owen was freed from Auston’s mental torment, the weak and pampered young master collapsed on the ground, covered in cold sweat, unable to even crawl.

Seeing that he hadn’t recovered for a long time, Young Master Fedia immediately pushed him and reminded him, “Idiot, quickly apologize to the Duchess…”

Only then did Owen come back to his senses. Looking at Auston, who was already hostile towards him, a chill pierced his heart, filled with regret.

Although he didn’t know why this madman had become infatuated with Ruan Tang, everyone in the empire knew that this madman was one of the empire’s seven great dukes and one of the most untouchable figures in the entire empire. Even his father was afraid of him.

His various deeds further proved his terror and horror. Those who offended him never had a good ending.

It was fine when he didn’t value Ruan Tang before, but now that he had publicly acknowledged Ruan Tang as his duchess and wanted to protect him, it would be impossible not to apologize after having humiliated Ruan Tang in such a way.

Thinking of this, Owen immediately suppressed the resentment in his heart and, listening to his brother’s words, crawled to Auston and said in a trembling voice, “Your Excellency Auston, I’m sorry, I…”

“There’s no need, Young Master Fedia, I can’t bear your apology.” Before he could finish speaking, Auston interrupted him with a gloomy tone, laughing, “If apologies were useful, what would the empire’s laws be for? What do you say?”

It was clearly a plain and gentle voice, but from Auston’s mouth, it sounded like the roar of a vengeful spirit from hell.

Since Ruan Tang had asked him to apologize earlier and he hadn’t, then he didn’t need to apologize now…

Owen’s body stiffened, and he felt a chill run down his spine: “Yo-Your Excellency Auston…”

“I think I must teach you a lesson on behalf of your father, that a loose tongue comes at a price.” Auston did not accept his apology, leaving those sinister words before unhesitatingly pushing his wheelchair and leaving with Ruan Tang.

Leaving everyone with a terrifying back view.

It took Owen a long time to get up from the ground. His face pale, he asked in a trembling voice, “He doesn’t accept my apology, what does he mean by that? My father is Duke Fedia, he wouldn’t do anything to me, would he?”

“He wouldn’t, would he? Bro.” He looked at his brother uncertainly.

Young Master Fedia shook off his hand, unsure of how Auston would deal with Owen, and said unhappily, “How would I know? I told you to apologize, but you didn’t. Now look… you’ve made a mess of things, all you do is cause trouble for the family!”

After saying that, he shook off Owen and left, intending to report the matter to his father…

“He wouldn’t, would he?” Owen looked at his back and repeatedly asked everyone several times, as if seeking a definite answer from them.

But looking at Auston’s anger earlier, no one spoke up, and no one could give him an answer.

Normally, even if both were dukes, giving a lesson to another duke’s son for being a little loose-tongued wouldn’t lead to anything more, but Auston was different…

This one was a famous madman in the entire empire…

Still a willful and powerful madman.

No one knew what he would do after being offended…

As for Ruan Tang, they all had to update their assessment of his status. It seemed that he was completely Auston’s darling.

No matter how he did it, being able to make this madman obedient to him was his skill.

“Ding! Reminder to the host, the attempt to slap Ruan Tang in the face has failed, and the acquisition of the halo has failed! Ruan Tang’s current reputation value is 30, host energy -60, host’s average halo value is 40. If the host’s halo value is lower than 60, the golden finger will be at risk of shattering, please find a way to replenish the halo value within three days! Otherwise, the golden finger will gradually become ineffective!”

As Ruan Tang’s status and position in everyone’s mind increased, the system’s impersonal warning sounded in Ruan Xi’s mind, and Ruan Xi’s face turned pale.

He didn’t know why the villain, who originally wanted to kill Ruan Tang, would suddenly seem to fall in love with him…

Even more, he didn’t know that what he had originally planned so well would evolve to the point where he would shoot himself in the foot, not only failing to steal Ruan Tang’s halo but also losing so much system energy.

“What to do, what to do to replenish my halo value?” But all he knew was that he must not lose his golden finger, and he must not let his protagonist halo shatter, otherwise, he would have nothing.

He anxiously asked the system in his mind.

“According to detection, Ruan Tang has a new, high-status admirer, thereby increasing his status. As long as the host can steal this admirer, he can naturally replenish your halo value.” The system’s mechanical voice sounded in Ruan Xi’s mind.

Ruan Xi immediately asked, “What do you mean? When did Ruan Tang have a new admirer with high status, who is that person?”

“It’s the villain, Duke Auston.”

Hearing this answer, Ruan Xi’s face turned extremely pale.

As expected, it was that perverted villain…

With the help of the system, he could steal Ruan Tang’s previous admirers, but facing such a Ruan Tang admirer, who he feared the most—the murderous, deranged, and twisted villain—how could he steal him?

He didn’t know what happened to the original plot, and how the villain would fall in love with Ruan Tang…

He only felt that fate was too unfair to him. He had to painstakingly take, grab, and get everything he wanted, while Ruan Tang, relying on a protagonist halo, could lie down and win everything he wanted but couldn’t get.

Even a pervert would fall in love with him.

Ruan Xi didn’t know where to start, but he knew he had to steal him. He must not sit back and watch his halo shatter, returning everything he had worked so hard to take to Ruan Tang.

Absolutely not.

…

Ruan Tang and Auston got into the duke’s hovercar together. The two looked at each other, and after a long while, neither spoke.

Ruan Tang stared at the man in the wheelchair wearing a mask for a long time, hesitated for a moment, bit his lip, and suddenly said, “My lord, thank you. I really didn’t expect you to come today, and I didn’t expect you to stand up for me. Really, thank you so much…”

The longer he spent time with Auston, the more Ruan Tang had to admit that this Bluebeard duke, who was like a demon in the eyes of others, was really good to him.

Since he was a child, he had suffered countless difficulties, but he had always endured them silently alone. No one had ever stood up for him.

Having someone appear in time of need, supporting him and protecting him, was always a privilege that Ruan Xi had.

And he was always the vicious villain…

His husband, Duke Auston, was the first person Ruan Tang had ever met who was willing to stand up for him.

Although he hadn’t shown it on his face just now, at the moment when Auston suddenly stood up to protect him, Ruan Tang really felt that he, pushing the wheelchair, had descended in front of him like a god…

Ruan Tang felt this deeply.

Even looking at this Alpha, whose true face he had never seen, felt different.

“It’s nothing, don’t overthink it!” Hearing his words, Auston’s cheeks under the mask turned slightly hot, but he lightly sneered, “You are my wife now. Those people humiliated you, they are slapping my face.”

“I’m not deliberately standing up for you…” He wouldn’t admit that he had deliberately come to rescue this troublesome Omega.

Hearing this, Ruan Tang’s smile remained unchanged: “In any case, I must thank you, my lord… I’m very touched…”

He never cared what others said, only what others did.

Regardless of whether Auston really felt that his humiliation was a loss of face for the duke’s mansion, and that was why he stood up for him and maintained his reputation, he had given him enough face and respect, which was the truth.

Ruan Tang felt that he should be grateful.

“It’s nothing, just a small matter.” Auston awkwardly stopped looking at Ruan Tang, but sneered, “It’s you who are too weak and easily bullied. You’re simply embarrassing our duke’s mansion outside… It’s one thing if you don’t have the ability to bully them back when others bully you, but with me backing you up, you still don’t know how to bully them back. Seeing that they were bullied, you even pleaded for them… You’re just a coward!”

He stared at Ruan Tang and ordered, “If I see you like this again, I will punish you. It’s too embarrassing.”

“…I really don’t know where I’m weak and easily bullied? Please enlighten me, my lord.” Ruan Tang was simply stunned. Recalling his valiant behavior today of being provoked by Owen, slapping him back in the face, and forcing Owen to apologize, he simply didn’t know where he had given Auston the illusion that he was weak, easily bullied, and didn’t have the ability to bully back.

You know, Owen was a legitimate duke’s son with a father protecting him, and before Auston appeared just now, he was actually unsure whether anyone would stand up for him, this duchess…

He already thought he was awesome enough, okay?

Sure enough, this madman’s thinking logic was different from normal people’s.

“In my opinion, when you were being humiliated, no one stood up to speak for you, they were all watching coldly, and some were even snickering, which is despising you and bullying you.” Auston looked at Ruan Tang’s expression and immediately understood his meaning, taking it for granted: “I stood up to back you up, you didn’t take the opportunity to humiliate them, let alone gloat, you even pleaded for them, isn’t that being weak and easily bullied?”

If he encountered the same thing, and no one present spoke up for him or beat up those eyesores for him, then if he had the opportunity, he wouldn’t let anyone go, from the mastermind to the accomplices.

He would never only grab the person who provoked him, those who watched coldly and despised him would also have to shed a layer of skin.

Therefore, in his opinion, Ruan Tang was too weak.

Ruan Tang didn’t expect him to have such logic, and was speechless: “…”

“I’m not weak, but I think that before you have full confidence in dealing a fatal blow to others and preventing them from ever getting up again, there’s no need to offend people too much. Otherwise, there will eventually be future troubles.” After a long while, Ruan Tang suddenly spoke: “Especially since they are all high-status people. Since you don’t plan to kill everyone, you can’t push people too hard and excessively humiliate others.”