The Tyrant's Pet

"Ugh..."

Dexter grunted at the striking pain that struck his head even before he could open his eyes. He held his head to keep it still from the constant bounce of his body.

"Good evening."

He popped his eyes open as soon as he heard a familiar voice. He wasn't dreaming when he heard Abel's voice as his eyes landed on this demon in human skin sitting across from him inside the carriage.

Dexter winced and massaged his temple, glancing to his left, only to see Conan looking back at him blankly. A shallow breath slipped past his lips, sliding the window to breathe in some fresh air.

"I hope this isn't real," he grumbled, his frown going deeper and uglier. "Damn..."

When the night breeze hit his face, he cursed. He knew something ridiculous like this would happen when Isaiah visited the marquess estate before dinner. The emperor's palace had been busy recently. He should've known they were planning something.

"Won't you going to ask where are we going?" asked Abel after minutes because Dexter didn't raise a question aside from the animal grunt he produced.

Dexter cast him an indifferent look, still feeling the stiffness on his nape when Isaiah knocked him out. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Marquess, don't you want to see Lady Aries as well?" Conan inquired with eyes full of wonder at Dexter's hypocrisy. "Since we're going on a vacation, we can't let you slither around the empire. We can't let you cause trouble once we return."

"Will it kill you if you asked nicely?" Dexter inquired in disbelief, only to receive a remorseless reply from Abel.

"We're in a hurry and we do not have the spare time to indulge with your whims." Abel shrugged indifferently.

"For goodness' sake." Dexter breathed out as he pinched the space between his brows. An emperor, his legal adviser, the duke, and the marquess traveling secretly to another empire without a single soldier was something unheard of.

For what?

To meet a woman.

If anyone heard about this, they would think it was some sort of joke. Who would believe it? The most powerful and influential individuals of a progressive empire were in the same plain carriage that didn't even have any insignia of which house it was from.

Although it was understandable, they couldn't travel with the royal carriage or the carriage from the House of Vandran to not garner attention. It was ridiculous! Dexter would've preferred traveling with his steed instead of getting stuck in the same carriage as these two.

He never thought he would envy Isaiah in this lifetime, but that man surely had it easy by riding his steed.

"Hmm... this is not good, Conan." Abel suddenly hummed while rubbing his chin. "We've been on the road for a long time, but we just exit the empire. At this rate, I'd die."

"Isn't that good news?" Dexter's brows rose, eyes at Abel with a blank expression. "You've been trying to die."

"Heh... I know, but dying just gives me a headache when I wake up once again. Moreover, it's better to die after seeing my darling's face for the last time, brother-in-law."

"Please don't call me that. You're my sister's secret lover now, not her husband."

"Your Majesty, we agreed we will only move once we passed by the neighboring kingdoms." Conan pouted as he leaned back comfortably, a little excited since it had been a while since he left the empire.

"In that case, we won't have a problem with the rumors spreading. I mean, people's minds are so easy to hop from one conclusion to another and it evolves from one mouth to another. We can't let others have a chance that points all these ridiculous conclusions at Haimirich."

Dexter snorted, warranting him a glare from Conan. "What? Didn't you orchestrate such a rumor in the past that brought terror into Haimirich? Only to make His Majesty look like a hero? Can't you do that again?"

"For what? So you can sabotage me again?" Conan frowned as he clicked his tongue in dismay.

"Why would I do that? I never won against you."

"Never, tch. Stop pressing my nerve, will you, marquess? Do you want me to put everyone in those aristocrats in the guillotine?"

"Do what you see fit. It's not like I can't groom more talents in the future."

"So heartless!" Conan scrunched his nose up in dismay, looking at Dexter as if he was judging his entire insufferable existence. "And here you are, always judging us as if we're villains when, in fact, you're just as evil. Worse, even."

Just when Dexter's lips parted, his brows furrowed. The space between Conan's brows also wrinkled as they noticed someone was oddly silent. Both of them set their eyes on Abel, who was sitting across from them.

Abel was just staring at them with his arms crossed, tilting his head when he exchanged looks with them.

"Your Majesty, you're not thinking of kicking the door open and just fly away, right?" asked Conan without beating around the bush, knowing how impulsive the emperor could be.

"No."

"Then why are you silent?"

"Do you want me to sing?" Abel cocked his head to the side, batting his eyes almost innocently. "I am not joining your conversation because I don't talk to kids. Being an adult is what I'm doing. So, I'm trying to understand your silly repartee."

"..."

For a moment, Dexter and Conan stared at him with a dead expression. Abel truly had the gall to say that to them with a straight face? But then again, Conan and Dexter had been bantering. That was very unusual. Or rather, it had been a very long time since they bantered like children.

"Ahem!" Conan cleared his throat with his fist in front of his lips. He then glanced at Abel once again, but the latter didn't seem he was trying to purposely hit their nerves.

Instead, Abel was looking out in a window solemnly. When Abel opened his mouth, his words weren't even for them but to the person riding his steed in front of the carriage.

"Isaiah, in about... one league, some buffoons will try to see me. I refuse their request, and I do not want this carriage to move slower than it already is." He casually spoke as if the situation wasn't as dark as it sounded it to be.

"No delay, that is what we agreed. Clear the road."