AIGM Chapter 6

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       Chapter 006- Marriage

       As soon as Duke Austin’s words were spoken, before they had a chance to reach anyone else’s ears, the Empress was already terrified.

       With the loss of the prince she had so lovingly nurtured and her own inability to bear children, the only thing she could hope for now was that Austin would produce an heir.

       Austin’s reputation was bad enough now, the Empress couldn’t sit back and watch him kill his partner, adding scandal and shame to her power and her future grandchildren.

       For this reason, the Empress specifically summoned Ruan Tang to talk at the palace on the eve of his and Austin’s wedding.

       She gave Ruan Tang an expensive watch to carry close to him, and to never take off, day or night, after marriage.

       This watch which is said to be a watch, is actually a powerful self-defense device developed with the latest technology. It contains a special electric mechanism, that when it detects that the owner’s life is in danger, let alone an Alpha, it can even electrocute nine cows.

       Ruan Tang took a look at the watch given by the Empress, and immediately understood the Empress’s meaning. With a tacit smile, he accepted the gift, “Thank you, Your Majesty. I like this gift very much. I will carry it with me in the future.”

       Although he was about to marry the notorious Duke Austin of the Empire, Ruan Tang himself was actually not panicked at all——

       　Because he knew very well that his marriage represents the union of the Ruan family and the Empress’s forces, and was about to become Austin’s rightful legal partner……Unless he seeks his own death, even if Austin is vicious and hostile, the Empress and the forces behind Austin will not let him die.

       So, he can safely be a salted fish¹.

       The Empress did not expect Ruan Tang to be so calm, she immediately took Ruan Tang’s hand and affectionately smiled, “Good child, why Your Majesty? In the future, when you and Austin are married, we will be family, and you will be no different from my own children, so you should call me Mother²…”

       This beautiful and graceful Omega looks gentle and kind, without the slightest hint of being a person who stirs up trouble in the maelstrom of power and politics.

       “Yes, Mother.” On hearing this, Ruan Tang immediately obeyed the Empress’s command and respectfully changed his words.

       The Empress patted Ruan Tang’s hand and smiled more kindly, “That’s right. After you and Austin get married, you should try to have a child as soon as possible. When you have a child and want to move out and live alone, I will not stop you……I know that this marriage has wronged you.”

       “Mother won’t force you to like him; he has a bad temper. You should bear with him for a bit before having a child; treat him like a child. Don’t worry about him at all……”

       “Although Austin——nonetheless, so long as you give birth to a child, that child will be the future Crown Prince of the Empire, then, you will have supreme power. Mother and the forces behind Mother will be on your side…” The Empress gently patted his hand, continuously drawing him a big pie³. She did not shy away from revealing her intimacy to Ruan Tang, “When that time comes, you, I, and my future grandchild will be the most noble existences in the entire Empire.

       “At that time, whatever you want to do, Mother will not stop you.” In addition to the Empress’s words of her urging Ruan Tang to quickly have a child after marriage, she didn’t show the slightest bit of concern for her eldest son. She even acquiesced to Ruan Tang cheating after giving birth to her grandchild. 

       She was an Empress but also an Omega, knowing full well that with her first son looking like that, it was impossible for an Omega to even look at him without disgust.

       The reason Ruan Tang agreed to marry Austin and even showed great pleasure in doing so, was probably nothing more than the power behind him represented. 

       Therefore, she wasted no time on drawing a big pie for Ruan Tang.

       She never cared for Austin as a son, wanting nothing more than a grandson who merged her family’s bloodline with the royal bloodline.

       As long as Ruan Tang can give her this grandson, she couldn’t care less if her son lived or died, even if Ruan Tang wanted Austin to disappear later.

       Ruan Tang listened to the Empress promise many big pies out of thin air, and made a look of expectation and obedience, even responding to  the Empress’s words, apparently like an obedient puppet, and very eager for the Empress to draw big pies for him.

       It wasn’t until the Empress was satisfied that she let Ruan Tang go.

       When Ruan Tang left the palace, he looked back at the towering wall from a distance. He recalled the appearance of the empress who seemed gentle and kind, but her heart was cold. He did not believe a single word this distinguished figure said.

       Inexplicably, his heart felt a little sad for his future husband, Duke Austin

       However, after the sorrow, there was nothing left.

       He’s too busy looking out for himself, so how can he care about anyone else?

　　……

       Ruan Tang and Austin’s wedding date was fast approaching. Although Austin was the Empress’s eldest son, he was widely known for his bad reputation and rumored to be insane.

       For this marriage, the royal family chose not to make a big deal out of it.

       It wasn’t that they didn’t want to, but they were afraid that Austin would go crazy in public and disgrace the entire royal family.

       Ruan Tang had no problem with this, so after the royal family published the news of Ruan Tang and Duke Austin’s marriage in the newspaper, they directly asked the Marriage Bureau to have the marriage agreement signed and notarized by each of them.

       Ruan Tang would then be considered to be married to Austin, officially becoming the Duke of Austin’s companion.

      The royal family was still royalty after all, and although the wedding had been cancelled and all procedures simplified to avoid Duke Austin going crazy on the spot, the Empress still chose to hold a grand wedding banquet in order to save face for Marshal Ruan Ming and to reveal Ruan Tang’s future status to the entire Empire Star aristocratic circle.

       The entire Empire Star’s royalty and countless noble families were invited to the banquet.

       The entire party started at 4pm and lasted until 10pm.

       Duke Austin, who was Ruan Tang’s partner and the other main character of the banquet, did not appear, but His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire made a brief appearance to express his blessing to Ruan Tang and Austin’s marriage, and performed a scene of a married couple very much in love with the Empress in front of everyone before leaving the banquet.

       The Empress had stayed with Ruan Tang, guiding him in his new role, acquainting him once more with these nobles he had known for a long time.

       The gorgeously dressed men and women were smiling on the surface congratulating him on his new marriage and greeting him, but Ruan Tang could tell that they were laughing at him in their hearts.

       However, Ruan Tang himself did not care, and he adapted well to such a situation——

       Only quietly staying by the Empress’s side and accompanying her as her son-in-law.

       He didn’t marry for love, nor to a normal person, so he was neither lost nor embarrassed about the situation at hand, and was very calm and composed.

       It was not until the wedding feast was over that Ruan Tang was sent by the Empress to Duke Austin’s residence.

       People scattered back home, and only then did they talk about Ruan Tang’s marriage without false smiles on their faces.

       Ruan Tang didn’t care, but no one who attended this solo wedding banquet felt that he didn’t care. They all thought he was forcing a smile and pretending to be happy, and as soon as he left the palace, they quietly talked about the ridiculous and humiliating marriage between Ruan Tang and Duke of Austin.

        Some think he is to blame for selling his hand in marriage for power and fame. Others think it’s a shame that such a beauty, albeit a little manipulative and a bit vicious, married a temperamental, disabled lunatic. 

       “It’s terrible. Ruan Tang really doesn’t want his life for the sake of a position of power. What kind of person is Duke Austin? Even if there aren’t hundreds of prisoners, there are still dozens of Omegas who died in his hands…the Royal Family still deliberately suppressed the news. In fact, who knows if he hasn’t killed ordinary people? An overall cruel and unkind Lord⁴…He dared to marry such an Alpha…”

       “Tsk, this Duke Austin is crazy, but it’s obvious that he doesn’t like him, otherwise how could he just leave him alone at the wedding reception to act solo?”

       “I’ve never seen such a shabby wedding. It’s a shame…”

       “Let’s not laugh at this shabby wedding; in the hands of that person, I don’t know if he’ll survive a month.”

       “He deserves it.”

       Listening to the whispers of the people around him, Shen Mozhi’s eyebrows furrowed unconsciously. Recalling Ruan Tang, the Omega who had been engaged to him, and his calm and collected appearance just now, his heart felt a bit sour and stuffy for some reason.

       He doesn’t like Ruan Tang, and even more hated his act of pretending to be his savior and making the mistake of getting engaged to him in an attempt to pass off a fish eye as a pearl⁵.

       But he didn’t want him to die——

       However Ruan Tang voluntarily chose to marry Austin, the Bluebeard Duke. Although he could not understand Ruan Tang’s mentality in making such a choice, Shen Mozhi felt that being married to that Alpha, Ruan Tang’s end would not be good.

       “Mozhi, is that Duke Austin really that terrible? It’s all my fault, if only I had persuaded my brother more and tried to resolve the conflict between him and Zhou-ge…….” Just as Shen Mozhi was getting distracted, a pitiful voice rang in his ears, his words filled with concern for Ruan Tang, “This way, he wouldn’t be married to the Duke like this, If I tried harder……”

       It was his sweetheart, his white moonlight——Ruan Xi.

       Ruan Xi’s voice brought Shen Mozhi back to reality, reminding him of Ruan Tang’s past evil deeds and his countless attempts to frame Ruan Xi over and over again.

       Looking at the pure and innocent Ruan Xi, who was still so kind even after being hurt by Ruan Tang over and over again, Shen Mo Zhi instantly became sober.

       “XiXi, it’s none of your business at all, you’re too kind.” Shen Mozhi forcibly ignored the strange and sour feeling in his heart. He hugged his beloved and comforted him, “Marrying Duke Austin was Ruan Tang’s own choice, even if it ends badly in the future, it’s his own fault, it has nothing to do with you!”

       Ruan Xi was the one who truly deserved his care and attention.

       A black lotus like Ruan Tang was not worthy to be compared to him. Even if he died, he brought it on himself and didn’t deserve his sympathy.

       Shen Mozhi kept telling himself this, but for some reason a feeling of melancholy arose in his heart.

       It was as if his instincts were telling him that he lost something extremely precious and important forever. 

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TL Notes:

]1] Salted fish- slang for lazy/useless person. Someone who lies down and does nothing.

[2] Mother- This mother uses 母后 which means “Queen Mother” or “Empress Dowager” this is a way for princes and princesses to address their mother/legitimate first wife

[3] Drawing him a big pie- Its most commonly used in workplaces which refers to empty promises made by the boss to the employees, like promising promotions or salary increases in order to get the employee to work harder.

[4] Lord- can also mean husband/fiance

[5] Pass off a fish eye as a pearl- pass off a sham as a genuine

The TL has something to say: 

Tired, so sleepy. What do you guys think of the Empress? Or Shen Mozhi? I love that last line bc I can just imagine his absolute despair when he realizes what he’s done, muahahaha suffer. Also I recommend subscribing to the website for faster notifications on releases. If you have any questions, want to point out any mistakes, or simply want to say something then go ahead and leave a comment!