The Tyrant's Pet

Abel had guessed what sort of devil came to the Haimirich Empire, but he didn't have a clear image of who it could be. All he knew was that he could be a glutton who was obsessed with sweets. He didn't expect to see a young, chubby girl, who seemed she had just learned how to walk on her own, sitting on his throne.

"Grandpa!"

Abel looked down as the little girl hugged his thigh, looking up at Abel with a bright grin. He tilted his head to the side, studying the girl's adorable face, and then her silver hair with a hazel streak.

"A cockroach?" he mumbled with genuine wonder in his voice.

"Your — Your Majesty? What is — what is going on? Why are you...?" the minister near Abel stuttered in confusion, trailing off as soon as he met Abel's nonchalant eyes.

All the ministers in the royal court shared the same puzzlement in their eyes, appalled at the current situation. Their eyes fell on the little girl clinging to the emperor, making them gasp in horror. However, before they could worry about the little girl's life, everyone noticed the uniforms they were wearing.

Looking at each other, shame and another wave of confusion struck them. Who wouldn't? Each and every one of them was wearing flashy attires, almost looking like jesters in a circus. Their brains instantly went blank, trying to figure out what got into them to wear such flashy and embarrassing clothes but to no avail.

No one remembered. Their memories were hazy.

Everyone snapped out of their trance when the little girl's voice pierced the air. Slowly and carefully, they set their eyes on the little girl hugging the emperor's thigh. This time, they gasped in horror once more, realizing the little girl was digging her own grave at such a young age!

Who allowed her in this royal court?!

"Grandpa!" the little girl called, grinning from ear to ear. "You're back~!"

Abel blinked twice, eyes on her chubby cheeks. "Get off me," came out a cool voice, only to feel the little girl's grip tighten.

"I will kick you," he added, but the little girl didn't budge. Her eyes didn't show the slightest trace of fear, looking directly into his sharp eyes.

A shallow breath slipped past Abel's lips as he marched towards his throne. As he did so, everyone couldn't help but stare at the little girl clinging to the emperor's leg like a monkey. Abel didn't sit on his throne, stopping on the first step up, and turning around to face the minister.

"How dare you all?" he asked, making everyone freeze in fear and confusion.

'What did they do?' they wondered in their heads.

"How dare you attempt to rename Haimirich to Chocolate? If I am going to rename this empire, I'd choose potato," Abel continued, but he didn't sound as angry as everyone expected. If anything, he sounded... confused himself. It was as if he still hadn't decided whether to get angry or let it slip.

Abel planted his hands on his hips, unbothered by the little girl still clinging to his leg like a monkey. "What am I going to do with you all?"

"Your Majesty! Please have mercy on us! We... we have no idea what is going on ourselves!"

"Yes, Your Majesty. We would investigate what happened in here!"

"Who is this child's father!? How dare you take your child with you in this sacred place?!"

The little girl frowned as the ministers voiced out their pleas and explanations whilst finding who took her inside. Just before the emperor came, everyone was too kind to her. But now, they had a complete change of heart.

"The story of little Margaret isn't like that," came out an adorable voice as the girl pouted. "Her grandpa was happy when he returned with a bunch of chocolate in his backyard."

"Little Margaret grew chocolates in the backyard, not turn an entire empire into chocolates, little girl." The girl looked up at Abel, whom she was clinging to as he explained the difference.

"You know the story of little Margaret?" her eyes sparkled in awe, making Abel look away irritably.

"I would rather welcome an old folk... but to think my visitor is a child..." Abel let out a faint huff, raising a finger to silence the minister from singing their disbelief. "What happened here tonight will not leave this royal court. If I hear this being talked about somewhere... I won't let it slip."

"Ye — Yes, Your Majesty!" answered the ministers in unison; they were used to Abel's antics and warnings. If the emperor told them to shut up, they must hold their breaths as well. Warning them not to let this out of the royal court also meant they would take this scenario to their graves.

"That's all. You may now go home to your families." He waved nonchalantly, looking down at the little girl who was still staring at him while hugging his thigh. "Get off."

"No." The little girl hugged his legs tighter. Abel raised his leg and kicked in the air, but to no avail. The girl clung to him like a piece of gum and didn't budge even when she was up in the air.

Meanwhile, the ministers who were dismissed looked at Abel in confusion. There was never a time Abel ended the meeting with such strange words. It was usually Abel scoffing and leaving without a word or just a simple wave. However, none of them was able to dwell on such a strange sentence as they watched the emperor attempt to free himself from the girl's grip.

"I said..." Abel paused, shifting his pair of glinting eyes at the ministers.

"Ye — yes!" everyone shouted in unison, and without thinking twice, they cowered away before the emperor snapped. No one wanted to see him snap that little girl's neck like a twig and quench his anger at smashing a few skulls near him. Although the ministers were under a powerful spell for months and unaware of the emperor's absence, their hearts remembered the peacefulness of their work environment.

Therefore, they all couldn't shrug off the feeling of returning to those days treading on thin ice. It was as if their hearts were mourning, but their minds were confused.

"I said, get off," Abel repeated with a dead voice, but the little girl shook her head.

"You'll leave."

"Of course I will." His response only made her grip tighten. Seeing the stubbornness of the little girl, Abel simply clicked his tongue and walked away with a child clinging to his legs like an accessory.