The Tyrant's Pet

"There are only a few places where things and people disappear without a trace. One of them is the mainland, darling. Interesting, isn't it?"

Aries held her breath and carefully released it through her lips. "Indeed, especially when their king was in a deep slumber for almost a year now."

"Well, when one falls, another will rise," Abel commented.

"Did Sir Conan hear about it already?"

"He always knows, darling." Abel shrugged. "The only thing he doesn't know is his father sleeping just around the corner and the fall of his royal family."

Her mouth quivered as they parted, looking at Abel in disbelief. "That means… he thinks his family had something to do with this?"

"We don't know if they were completely innocent, darling." Abel tilted his head to the side. "After all, my dearest friend might be a good man, but we can never know if that goodness in his heart was passed on to his children."

"Are you saying…?"

"I'm simply not ruling out the possibility," he clarified with a delicately arched brow. "I told you, darling. Not because you came from a loving family, everyone had the same experience as you. If things like this don't happen, then there wouldn't be any bloodshed whenever someone rises to power."

"Furthermore, there are only a few people who will have an interest in provoking me and actually do something to induce a reaction from me," he added in a rather fascinated manner. "By taking out the king, it'll be easier to mobilize capable pureblooded individuals."

"Abel…" Aries breathed out, eyes shaking. "I will repeat it again. Are we going to war? Not with the Cez Empire, but with the new sovereign of the mainland?"

This time, the crease on the corner of his lips grew more apparent, looking straight into her eyes.

"Maybe, but not soon." His tone was just as confident as his first answer, cocking his head to the table before them. "You didn't notice the letter underneath the documents, darling."

Aries slowly shifted her eyes and just as he claimed, there was a small envelope on the same spot where she picked up the documents. The envelope looked exquisite with golden rim lines, and the seal on it was something she hadn't seen anywhere before.

"How luxurious," whispered Aries, picking up the paper, only to realize he hadn't opened it yet. "You didn't read it yet?"

"I don't have any reason to."

"Why?"

Abel shrugged when she cast him a look. "When Isaiah handed it to me and I saw how fine it looks, I already know the content. No need to waste my energy to confirm it."

"It won't harm anyone if you take a bit of time to skim through it." Aries shook her head. "I think it has something to do with your ego."

"I begged to disagree, darling. I'm just amazing."

"In?" Aries paused and looked back at him.

"Generally." Abel arched a brow. "Can't you see how dazzling I am?"

Aries opened and closed her mouth, running her tongue across her inner cheek. "You are, indeed, dazzling, my love. Did you take the time to fix your hair today? You're getting more and more amazing and dashing every minute."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"That's a compliment." She set her eyes back to the envelope to continue opening it. "And that's the reason I don't look at you much nowadays. Your beauty is just so divine — it's blinding."

"Aww…" Abel crossed his arms, resting his leg over the other, leaning his back against the armrest, eyes on her. "You are so sweet, but I don't mind taking care of my blind wife. At the very least, the cause of your loss of sight is worth it and romantic."

Aries paused once again to cast him a cursory look. She tried her best to maintain her composed countenance, but each time he opened those lips, they were akin to trebuchets breaking through her defenses.

"Be grateful I love you," she muttered as she set her eyes back on the envelope.

"I am blessed — thank you."

"This was the longest time I opened a letter. Seriously, Abel, stop distracting me." Her voice grew a little irritated with all the other nonsense he had spewed. "Would it hurt you if you stay focused for a moment? Our empire might go to war soon, and each of their soldiers is equivalent to a hundred of ours."

"Perhaps a thousand."

Aries put down the letter and envelope on her lap to face him squarely. "That is why you need to take it seriously, Abel. If each of their soldiers is equivalent to a thousand of ours, that'll put us at a disadvantage. Even if we had a couple hundred thousand soldiers, and they have around ten thousand, our chances of winning are still slim."

"And why is that?" he cocked his head to the side.

"Are you not listening?"

"I am listening, my love, my wife, my darling, my sun and moon and stars, my life, my universe, my queen." Her frown deepened at the long list of endearment he had spewed that was the alternative to calling her full name whenever he was riled at her. "It's just that I believe you need to relearn the laws of arithmetic."

<strong>That last remark. </strong>That was the reason he had to spew all those endearments, for he was about to offend her. Did he think he would get away with it just because he tried to be as devoted as possible?

"I hope you have a good reason for saying that, Your Majesty." A thin layer of frost coated her eyes as her expression turned firm. "Why do you think my calculations are incorrect?"

Abel pointed up a finger and then pointed it at her. "How many soldiers do you count?" he asked, and then pointed at himself. "How about me?"

"There's Conan too, Isaiah, Sunny —"

"We're not sending Sunny to a war."

"Then, Conan, Isaiah — we'll dig up Marsella too, Morro, Rome, Gustav, your beloved knight Climaco, and the knights and nobles who were capable vampires. Let's not forget those witches who were also avid supporters of the empress and et cetera." Abel shrugged. "Don't forget that this empire doesn't only mobilize human soldiers, darling."

"Don't underestimate our home," he added confidently. "I didn't go insane for nothing, Aries."