AIGM Chapter 12

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       Chapter 012 – Pitiful

       Austin calmly looked at Ruan Tang in the dark, and his special fragrance that resembled orchids and plums lingered under his nose.

       The smell was clean and clear, it smelled so good…

       On the contrary, there wasn’t the slightest trace of desire or allurement in it…

       The higher than 95% match degree made his teeth itch a little, wanting to spread his own pheromone smell to seduce and possess Ruan Tang.

       But feeling the stiffness and pensiveness of the man’s body, he chose not to do so. He could sense that Ruan Tang was not willing……

       Ruan Tang knew what would happen between the two of them. Although his mind was compliant, his body still involuntarily tensed, even his neck was taut.

       He hasn’t been bitten on the glands……

       He didn’t know if it’ll hurt either.

       He felt the Alpha getting closer and closer to him in the dark, the cold mask fell on the back of his neck.

       Ruan Tang couldn’t help but close his eyes.

       “So…” Austin’s hands were on his back, but in the darkness, he leaned close to his ear and breathed, “I wanted to come and take a good look at my skin and whether or not my spices were in good condition…”

       He sniffed the pheromone of Ruan Tang’s glands with great fascination, intoxicatingly smelling while stroking Ruan Tang, “Oh, you smell so good…”

       The scent was more fragrant when smelling closer than smelling from a distance.

       But it was still cool, unique, and to his liking.

       Ruan Tang, “…”

       Ruan Tang didn’t expect such a development, and his whole body instantly became more rigid.

       Sure enough, as a normal person, he shouldn’t try to speculate on the brain circuit of a lunatic. It’s all his fault…

       His body stiffened and allowed Austin to touch and smell. He felt as if he had become a large aromatherapy diffuser and a cherished piece of jade to Austin. 

       It wasn’t until Austin had touched and smelled enough that he let him go, pushed his wheelchair away and left.

　　……

       At about eight o’clock in the morning, the servant named Seth appeared in his room again and began to dress and wash him.

       The young servant’s back was straight, like countless ordinary servants. He was half kneeling in front of Ruan Tang, holding his feet gently, putting on socks and shoes for Ruan Tang…

       He lowered his head, Ruan Tang couldn’t see his emotions, he could only see his thin tulips lightly pursed and his eyelashes faintly trembling…

       Austing held Ruan Tang’s foot and thought to himself.

       What a beauty.

       This Omega, from his hair to the tips of his toes, there was no place not beautiful. Even his toes were born round as pearls and smooth as jade¹, so cute that one could not bear to put it down.

       Every part of his body was a treasure worth collecting.

       As if he was handling his own collection, he carefully put on socks and shoes for Ruan Tang. Austin went to the bathroom and meticulously washed his hands. He immediately brought breakfast for Ruan Tang and served a pot of black tea.

       “Madam, this Ceylon black tea is a tribute from the Sri Lanka star. The Duke likes it very much, you should have a taste.” Austin watched him closely and said.

       Ruan Tang picked up the black tea, took a sip, and said, “Thank you, but I don’t like black tea. Just give me coffee for breakfast in the future.”

       “Madam, the Duke likes…” Ruan Tang hadn’t once taken the initiative to ask about him for two whole days, which made Austin feel particularly surprised.

       There was a special desire to mention himself in front of him.

       But Ruan Tang apparently did not grasp his meaning, seeing that he repeatedly mentioned Austin in front of him, trying to tell him Austin’s preferences, thought that the young servant was trying to help him gain his husband’s affection.

       “The Duke and I are in a political marriage. There is no emotional basis.” Ruan Tang immediately put down the tea cup in his hand and told the servant directly.

       Therefore, he didn’t want to know the Duke at all and he didn’t have to mention him in front of him…

       When he said this, Austin became more curious. He didn’t understand Ruan Tang at all.

       The first time he heard of Ruan Tang from other people, it was Ruan Tang who said to others that he thought that he was suitable for him and that he would be the most suitable husband for him

       Although Austin did not see Ruan Tang at that time, he had already made a general judgment of Ruan Tang because of his words——

       He thinks that he has nothing to like, and even made countless Omegas frightened and daunted. Ruan Tang willingly taking the initiative to marry him and declare that he was suitable for him. He clearly wanted to please him and win his favor.

       In Austin’s mind, the reason for marrying him and pleasing him, could be none other than the Empress’s promise that the first born son would be the Crown Prince.

       Therefore, Austin’s first impression of Ruan Tang was an Omega who was as ambitious as his Mother², likes to control power and stir up trouble, and has a clear goal.

       　Austin originally guessed that after marrying him, Ruan Tang would surely approach him in every possible way, prying into his preferences, seducing him and trying to find ways to give birth to the Crown Prince.

       But Ruan Tang didn’t do that——

       Not only didn’t, but unexpectedly he had no interest in him, as if he wanted to be a superficial couple with him in peace.

       Austin even once sent the opportunity to Ruan Tang, but failed to wait until Ruan Tang seduced him.

       Waiting for him was only a stiff body and cold pheromones…

       Few people and things are so out of his control. All of this made Austin more curious about Ruan Tang.

       “Madam, why did you marry the Duke?” Austin asked

       Ruan Tang glanced at him, only to feel that this servant was really new, and was a bit too bold, “This doesn’t seem to be a question you should ask.”

       “I’m sorry, Madam, it was me who overstepped.” Austin then realized his current identity.

       “Just forget it in front of me, don’t do this in front of others or else you’ll be unlucky.” Seeing him so stupid, Ruan Tang couldn’t help but say something.

       “Yes, Madam.” Austin instantly lowered his head, “Thank you for reminding me, Madam.”

       Ruan Tang stirred the cup of black tea, looking out of the darkened window, and suddenly said, “Because, I had no choice.”

       “…Madam, was forced to marry the Duke?” Austin quickly understood that Ruan Tang was answering his last question, his eyes flashed slightly.

       That’s not the version he heard.

       Ruan Tang gently shook his head and said, “No, I married the Duke voluntarily. Because, apart from him, I had no better choice; he was the most suitable marriage partner I could find for myself at the present.”

       “How so?” Austin looked at him steadily.

       He didn’t really believe Ruan Tang’s words; Ruan Tang looked so good, and had such a special smell. He wasn’t like him, crazy with a bad reputation. How could no one like him, how could he not find a better marriage partner?

       Ruan Tang knew what he was thinking, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud and said, “I used to think like you, but that’s the truth…”

       He had several unsuccessful engagements, who else could he choose but Duke Austin. It wasn’t as if he could find a random person who didn’t regard Ruan Xi as white moonlight and him as black-hearted lotus, only to be despised and spat on for life, right?

       Or elope with Lu Yang. Not to mention eloping, they wouldn’t even be able to get out of Empire Star…

       Even if he escaped, Omega were so rare, and the inhibitors were strictly controlled by the Empire. Lu Yang could not protect him.

       Moreover, he doesn’t like Lu Yang. So why should he drag others down and delay their future?

       Under such circumstances, Duke Austin was the most suitable person for him to marry. To have mutual respect and treat each other with courtesy³; those married couples who are entangled in love⁴ can be very kind to each other⁵ but so can those companions who sleep in the same bed but have different dreams⁶… After a lot of experience, Ruan Tang’s requirements for his partner have been reduced to the level of being able to coexist peacefully with him and not take Ruan Xi’s side to pit him.

       He didn’t think Ruan Xi would seduce a disabled and disfigured lunatic right?

       Moreover, he believed that even if Ruan Xi wanted to seduce him, that madman Austin wouldn’t understand.

       Austin looked fixedly at Ruan Tang lost in thought, and couldn’t help but think in his heart, he had not seen an Omega better looking then Ruan Tang. Were the Alpha of Empire Star blind?

       How was it possible that no one liked Ruan Tang?

       “Madam, do you hate the Duke?” After a while, Austin suddenly asked.

       Ruan Tang couldn’t understand and asked, “Hate the Duke? Why should I hate the Duke?”

       “Because the Duke is cruel and bloodthirsty, disabled and ugly…and a psychopath who has scared several Omegas crazy.” Austin’s description of himself was quite objective.

       Ruan Tang immediately laughed, “You really dare to say anything.”

       He felt that if this fool was put beside Austin, he would definitely, if not dead, disabled.

       “I only do this in front of Madam, too” Austin whispered at once.

       Ruan Tang was helpless against him, “You really need to control your mouth next time.”

       Austin shut his mouth immediately.

       “I don’t hate the Duke. I just want to be courteous to each other.” After a while, Ruan Tang didn’t know whether he was answering Austin or talking to himself. Suddenly, he said, “He….is a pitiful man, too.”

       The most ruthless Imperial family. Ruan Tang had always heard about Austin in this circle.

       Duke Austin was the eldest son of the current Empress, and the first Crown Prince.

       Before he was ten years old, when he was the crown prince, he had always been the most noble existence in the entire empire. He was a genius, loved by his parents, and carried the hope of the future of the whole empire on his shoulders.

       All the tragedies and accidents happened in the year when he was ten years old. The assassins of the imperial reactionary forces found the opportunity to abduct him and severely wound him. At that time, the empress was furious and sent out all the forces and troops that could be sent out. There were countless dead and wounded.

       He was finally rescued, but his face was completely disfigured and he was permanently disabled.

       It was an accident, and even if it was really unlucky, it could only be blamed as bad luck and Duke Asutin’s own fate.

       But that wasn’t the case. It had been rumored that when Prince Austin was rescued, he was not so seriously injured. His injuries could be cured. It was the hidden power and influence of the Empress’s family after his disappearance that shocked and scared the Emperor.

       He began to realize that the empress, who already had half the power of the empire, was extremely ambitious and could kill him at any time, supporting their young son to take his place and take all the power.

       The Emperor had a great sense of crisis, so he gave an order to the doctor who treated the prince. He wanted his son to be completely disabled and never recover.

       A disfigured and disabled person couldn’t be emperor of the Empire

       And the Empress, the ambitious Empress, found her eldest son ruined, unable to become the Crown Prince, so she directly gave up on him, and got pregnant to birth a Crown Prince again.

       She may or may not have known that the emperor laid his hand on her son.

       But in her eyes, it was just a little bit of a setback in the struggle for power.

       After the eldest son had no more use, she directly snubbed her own seriously wounded and disabled child; not even once visited him, let alone accompanied and encouraged him to come out of his desperate situation. Not only that, in order to compete with Lady Samantha for favor, and pave the way for the Crown Prince, she also hurt and used her own disabled son again and again to scheme against and frame Lady Samantha.

       And after Duke Austin grew up, the Emperor, seemingly guilty on the surface, doubled his doting on him to make up for it, spoiling him lawlessy——

       In fact, he was used as a target, erected in front of the child he really loved, to attract the brunt of the fighting and shelter him from the wind and rain.

       Later on, it intensified more and he handed over Imperial torture department to him. On the surface, he pampered his son and gave him great power, but in reality, it was to use Austin’s hand to eliminate dissidents and draw hatred; really regarding Austin as a royal dog and a sharp blade.

       Austin, the eldest son, was notorious for eliciting the animosity of countless nobles. He did everything the Emperor wanted but could not do.

       And the Emperor, as the father of a spoiled child, would reprimand with a few words and in the future would still be a good emperor who placed righteousness above family loyalty.

       If nothing had happened to the Crown Prince, what would be Austin’s outcome going down this road?

       Offending so many powerful and noble families, making them hate to the bone; Flying birds are gone, good bows are hidden⁷. He was afraid it could only be a dead end.

       In this circle, Ruan Tang grew up listening to the secret history of the palace and the palace fights between the empress and the emperor’s lovers. Ruan Tang had heard of his name before he even knew Austin. When he was a child, whenever Ruan Tang’s situation was unbearable and he felt very miserable; as long as he thought about the prince, Ruan Tang felt that he was not pitiful at all.

       No matter how ruthless Ruan Ming was, he would just be cold, and never thought of killing him. Although his mother and sister were crazy, and his brother comatose, they sincerely loved him.

       When Austin fell from the clouds, the once proud son of heaven found that he was actually nothing. His father wanted hm disabled for life, his mother did not care for him…he watched as his father paved a doomed path for him. If not for the Crown Prince’s accident and the emperor’s own inability to bear children, he would not have interfered in this matter…

       He would have fallen into a desperate situation, never to get up again.

       Ruan Tang asked himself, if he was in Duke Austin’s shoes… he also thought it would be better for him to be crazy.

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TL Notes:

[1] round as pearls and smooth as jade – Fun fact this line is usually used to describe excellent singing/voices or polished writing, now it is being used to describe someone’s toes…..

[2] Mother – Same Mother as before, the one used by princess and princes to address the Queen

[3] To have mutual respect and treat each other with courtesy – A wife lifts the tray to a level with her eyebrows to show great respect for her husband.; A husband and wife [A married couple] love and respect each other for life.; husband and wife treating each other with courtesy/lit. lift the case to eyebrow level (idiom); mutual respect in a marriage

[4] married couples who are entangled in love – Sticky, affectionate couples being entangled in love, conjugal love

[5]be very kind to each other – Respect each other like ice; Respect as a guest: husband and wife are very kind to each other/As polite as treating guests/Good relationship between husband and wife/Husband and wife respect each other

[6]companions who sleep in the same bed but have different dreams – Bedfellows are having different dreams — differences in opinion and ambition.; be thrown together but each having a different problem [ambition]; hide different purposes behind the semblance of accord

[7] courteous to each other – (of husband and wife) to be always courteous to each other like “guests”; respect each other like guests; proper respect and concern between husband and wife

[8] Flying birds are gone, good bows are hidden – From a longer idiom, known as Asuka’s best bow from “Historical Records: The Family of Yue Wang Goujian”. When the bird is beaten, the good bow is useless. The rabbit is dead and the dog is useless; It is better to cook and eat. 

This means that if a person loses the value of use, he is killed or has a worse fate than others.

The TL has something to say:

Y’all this was a ride, I went from questioning why Danmei authors have such a fixation on toes/feet to crying over translating lines [notes 3-6] so that it makes sense in English and then wanting to murder every adult in Austin’s life. When I read that part, I was sad for Austin…he was only ten, practically a baby, how could anyone do such cruel things to a child!? Those reactionary forces, his parents…all scum!! Just imagine his original ending in the book QAQ so tragic! If you have any questions, want to point out any mistakes, or simply want to say something then go ahead and leave a comment!