The Tyrant's Pet

Ismael didn't idle for long and left Abel and Aries for their quality time. The third prince was no masochist as to watch them flirt with each other at every opportunity they got. Also, he had already offered her to stay in the empire, however shameless it may have sounded, but Ismael was serious about it.

Standing outside the shut chambers, the third prince looked back and smiled subtly. A chuckle slipped past his closed lips, shaking his head mildly. When he took a step forward, he went straight to the window in front of her chambers instead of going to a more important place where he was needed.

"Ah..." Ismael planted his palms on the sill, looking outside with a smile. The scenery outside wasn't as pretty as it used to be, with some burnt and ruined castles in sight. Knights were still busy pulling wagons, and workers restoring the imperial palace. There was still work to do, and it appeared endless, but alas, his smile was peaceful, and his eyes were gentle.

"What a great weather," he whispered, looking up at the clear sky after a long winter.

Ismael idled, indulging in the scenery for as long as he could. When he snapped his eyes, he pushed himself away and straightened his back. He glanced at the shut doors and chuckled.

"Hah!" he huffed, setting his eyes ahead, raising his chin. He wiggled his shoulder lightly and rubbed his palms to boost his spirit up. "Alright, another day to fix things. Let's go!"

With that being said, Ismael marched away, prepared to live yet another tiring day as the person who was currently in charge of the empire.

<strong>Meanwhile,</strong> Abel let out a dry chuckle, catching Aries's attention.

"Hmm?" she hummed, placing back the teacup on top of the coffee table in front of where they were sitting. "Why are you suddenly laughing?"

"Nothing, darling. I'm simply amused by the third prince." He shrugged, simpering playfully. He reached for the tip of her hair, twirling his finger around it. His action brought a subtle smile to her eyes.

Aries leaned back, eyes still on him. "So, it's really fine if I accepted the Third Prince's offer? It sounds like he wants to take me as his mistress."

"I'm still in a great mood to let his tone slide."

"And about the offer?" she stressed. "If I accepted it, you're fine with it?"

"I don't think I failed to emphasis my support for my wife's decision."

"You will leave Haimirich?"

Abel's lips parted, but his voice was stuck in his throat. His eyes studied the luster in her mesmerizing green eyes and then smiled.

"No," he replied, shaking his head mildly. As expected, Aries narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, but his smirk grew arrogant. "I'll take Haimirich with me. We will follow everywhere you go, darling."

"Oh... ah — what?" Aries scrunched her nose up in dismay, only to receive an indifferent shrug from him.

'He didn't mean to say he would take Haimirich with him, as in conquering Maganti and making it the new capital of Haimirich, right?' she wondered, but deep in her heart, she already knew that was exactly what he meant.

"Really..." she whispered, letting out a long-suffering sigh, rolling her eyes when his lips stretched broader.

Aries adjusted on her seat until her upper body was facing him. Her eyes moved from his face down to his waist, then up to his eyes again. His brows rose, tilting his head at her sudden shift in the mood.

"Here." She raised her arm to him, her hand in a mild grip. "Darling, you haven't had my blood for weeks. Although I hadn't fully recovered and should refrain from moving too much, I think I can give you a bit of my blood."

Abel blinked twice, scrutinizing the resolve in her eyes. Aries was nodding at him encouragingly, shoving her fist to his chest as if to urge him to sink his teeth into her wrist. His lips curled up before a wave of laughter broke out.

A frown instantly resurfaced on her visage, getting more annoyed the longer he laughed.

"Stop laughing like that, Abel." She clicked her tongue in annoyance, retrieving her hand only to fold her arms under her chest. "You're making me feel embarrassed."

"Apologies, darling." Abel shook his head, stopping himself from laughing. However, even when he bit his tongue, his shoulder kept trembling until he was covering his face with his palm. At this point, Aries's expression was deader than a dead.

"Stop laughing now." She cast him a sidelong glance, seeing him hunching in with his hand still covering his face. A scoff escaped her mouth, running her tongue across her inner cheek.

"This man... wants to die so bad, huh?" she murmured, her blood pressure slowly peaking.

"Please, darling, mercy." Abel drew a deep breath, raising his head. The corner of his eyes was still squinting while doing his best to regain his composure.

"Should you laugh at me just because I am offering my lowly blood to someone as great as you?"

"Darling, you'll break my heart if you call your blood lowly one more time," he crooned dramatically, placing his hand across his chest.

"I will break your heart... for real."

Abel chuckled at the fearless threat uttered through her gritted teeth. He cleared his throat once more, leaning his side against the backrest, smiling from ear to ear.

"I was simply amused, darling. I wasn't laughing at you." He confessed, "I was laughing at how silly I was."

"Huh?"

Abel smacked his lips, raising a hand and tucking a portion of her hair behind her ear. "If only I knew you'd be this welcoming, I would've told you sooner than dread every single time I was with you, wondering when would this magical moment last." His eyes softened and his smile grew gentle, brushing her cheek with his thumb lovingly.

"That thought had always scared the hell out of me, darling. But now... no words can justify the joy swelling in my chest. I can only laugh." He smiled, watching the corner of her lips turn up into a subtle smile. "Rather than allowing me to drink your blood, I'll take your lips instead."

Aries chuckled, closing her eyes as he leaned close. "Sure," came out a whisper, and he sucked her breath away.