The Tyrant's Pet

"Kyah!" 

Aries let out a squeal as soon as Abel held her by the waist from behind, spinning her around. His arms instantly secured her in his embrace, lifting her up so she wouldn't run away again. 

"Caught you." A smug smirk turned up on his bewitching face, wiggling his brows. He bent over to kiss her briefly, fingertips crawling up her spine while she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

"I can't unsee this." She giggled into his mouth, referring to the skirt tied around his waist. "You should've run around naked."

"Oh, no. That would be boring." He laughed with his lips closed, biting her lips teasingly. "I like it when people are bothered."

"I am not!" Aries drew her head back to see his face better and stuck her tongue out. "Definitely not bothered."

Abel poked the tip of her nose, grinning from ear to ear. It was quite a chase because Aries definitely ran as far away but not as fast as she could. She was a tease, but he loved every curve and angle of her. 

Good riddance...

She would drive him mad. What she was doing and the emotions she was making him feel were forcing him to dance to her tune. He was already trapped in the palms of her hand, and he could only hope she wouldn't crush him.

"Hmm?" her brows rose at his sudden silence whilst staring at her. "Is there something wrong?" 

"No." He raised his hand from her waist to cup her jaw. "I just thought you're gorgeous."

"Don't say that when you're wearing a skirt."

"But you are, darling. Although sad to say..." his eyes slowly squinted into mere slits when he smiled. "... not as gorgeous as yours truly."

Her expression died, scrunching her nose up in dismay. Still, she couldn't argue with that. Abel... personality aside, he was like a man who came out straight from a painting. 

His eyes, nose, lips, hair, body, and everything just screamed perfection. It was like when God thought of perfection he created him. 

He probably forgot to add good and moral traits. But overall, Abel wasn't that bad. Not because he was giving her an opportunity for revenge, but because Abel had a pitch-black soul with which he could understand her heart. 

"Well, you are quite gorgeous." The side of her lips curled up playfully, swaying in the soundless melody in the air. "I won't argue. You are more beautiful than I am, and that's a fact."

"Are you trying to inflate my ego now?"

"I am stating a fact, you!" Her brows knitted as he pouted, pointing at his chest. "So, we'll bathe in the lake? Hmm?" 

Abel pulled her waist, closing the tiny gap between them. "Hmm... I'm considering changing my mind."

"And why is that?" 

"I was thinking of teasing Conan by showing I'm in a skirt. I can imagine him gassing out after yelling his heart out." He grinned evilly, thinking of making Conan, who was busy thinning out the mountain of paperwork Abel left, shiver. "I'm certain rumors will spread so fast even Isaiah can't stop it. I can imagine what sort of title they would think of; the Emperor... had finally gone out of his closet. Every man in this empire will either avoid me at all costs or seduce me. It'll be fun, don't you think?" 

Aries was rendered speechless at his detailed plan and the outcome. She knew Abel, and he would definitely do that for fun. 

"Abel, what bothers you?" she inquired with a deep sigh, watching how his brows raise ever so slowly. "Death threats don't bother you, assassins and poisons don't. What can bother you?" 

Abel blinked countless times as he sincerely mulled over her questions. He looked at her, quirking a brow. What bothered him in this world? No one has asked him this before; the answer was already obvious.

Nothing. 

He found the assassination attempts cute, so he was letting them. Rumors? It would usually give him a good laugh. Hatred and condemnation? It was fun to listen to people's lies whilst knowing the truth.

So what bothered him?

Abel gazed at her for a very long time. When his lips parted, Aries tilted her head with furrowed brows.

"What?" she asked, thinking she didn't hear him correctly the first time.

"Spiders," he repeated. "I hate spiders."

"That's ... what bothers you?" he nodded to her follow-up question.

"I hate them passionately. Frogs too."

Her eyes widened as she looked at him in disbelief. "If your enemies sent an army of spiders, would you lose?"

"I will definitely flee. They'll win, for sure." 

"You're joking, right?" she smiled awkwardly, searching for any trace of non-serious emotions in his eyes. She couldn't find it; he was dead serious. And that was even scarier. 

"Did I... just uncover how to make you surrender?" she gasped in horror. "Oh, my god... what will you do if you enter a haunted place full of cobwebs?" 

"Darling, why in the world would I enter a haunted place? Only those who have a bad taste of how they will die enter those places. I'm not stupid. I don't like a ghost riding on my shoulders wherever I go." He laughed, tilting his head while squeezing her waist with his arm. "You can sell that information and make a fortune. I can leech on your riches, then."

Aries slapped his chest lightly with a frown. "What if the spiders try to eat me?"

"Well, you're on your own, darling!" he intoned. "You get eaten or you fight. Don't drag me into it."

"Aww.." her frown grew worse as that was a quick reply. How did she expect him to conquer his fears for her? There was always a limit to where a person would go for another. And the spider was his limit... frogs, too. 

Seeing her sulk, the corner of his lips curled up in amusement. Did she forget he could burn an entire empire for her? If only she asked for it? He would even give Haimirich to her and happily step down.

Aries… could be silly.

"I'm jesting." He grinned, bending over until the apex of his nose was brushing against hers. "I won't let anyone eat you other than me, obviously. So silly."

Aries clicked her tongue as she glared at him. But she was easily coaxed when he gave her quick pecks.

"You make my heart flutter," she murmured, pouting as she averted her eyes. "I don't like it."

His grin stretched even broader. "Aries, I can order my people to march to the Maganti Empire simply because they're an eyesore. However, a quick death is not fun." He leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"They don't deserve the quick release, darling. We'll return the pain they had inflicted on you a hundredfold." He secured her in his arms, leaning the side of his head against her. "Anything less… will bother me."

Aries's eyes softened as she settled her hands on his back. In the middle of the garden, they stood motionless in each other's embrace. 

"Mhm," she hummed softly, closing her eyes in relief. Not the kind of relief for the impending doom of those people who dragged her into the depths of hell, but because, for once, she made the right choice. 

That was… choosing a better nightmare and hell.