Who said you're a flower? Aren't you a potato?

GASP!

Aries snapped her eyes open and gasped for air. The familiar ceiling of her room in the Haimirich came to sight, baffling her instantly.

'A nightmare?' she wondered, blinking countless times. She flinched when Abel's sleepy voice caressed her ears.

"Sleep some more." She looked to her right, wide-eyed.

There, Abel was lying beside her with his arms wrapped around her. His nose that was on the side of her neck slightly tickled her with his hot breaths hitting her skin. For a moment, her mind went blank, studying his closed eyes and those long, thick lashes.

What was going on?

Aries could vividly remember what happened last night, but... she jumped out of the window. Her eyes veered to the window she jumped from, only to see that a curtain was covering it and all the windows in this room. Was that a bad dream? Now, she was unsure because her memory ended when she saw Abel jump out of the window second after her and then cradled her midair.

There was no way the two of them could survive that fall. Still, even if that was just a bad dream, everything in it felt real.

"Sleep." Her thoughts suspended when he spoke once again, pulling her body closer until his face was buried in her neck. "Play dead."

"..." She blinked countless times, mind malfunctioning momentarily. Myriads of questions hovered over her head, but this man wanted her to play dead. Was this the right time to play with him? Forget about that strange dream last night. What was he doing here?!

Conan told her that Abel wouldn't be in the empire for at least a month. But a day just passed. Did she... perhaps, go into a coma? Or did Conan lie to her? But there was no reason to lie about something like that. All sorts of silly thoughts tangled with the questions in her head, almost driving her insane.

"Something happened to the place I was heading, so I went back." After some time, Abel explained after sensing her loss of touch in reality. "Are you not happy to see me, darling?"

"No — no, that's... not it..."

"Then, what is it?"

Aries gulped, setting her eyes cautiously to him. "Just... a bit surprised, that's all." She watched how his long lashes fluttered as he opened his eyes ever so slowly. She held her breath as soon as he locked his eyes with her.

"Feeling better now?" he inquired in a deep and lazy voice.

"Uh, yes." She nodded slightly as her fever went down significantly — almost miraculously impossible — as she never felt this light before. It was as if she didn't have a fever in the first place. After the Rikhill Kingdom fell into the hands of the Maganti Empire, her experience caused a lot of stress to her; physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Even when she was being taken care of in this place, her body was still suffering. So, Aries always felt that her body was heavy. But now... it was almost like she was completely cured, not just from that fever, but from all the fatigue she was carrying like a curse.

"Good." Abel crooned before closing his eyes once again. "Stay still. You won't have your classes today. They said your body had undergone a lot of stress and is over fatigued. It saddens me, but I won't touch you."

Her breath hitched, staring at his face up close. She almost doubted her ears listening to him, but what shocked her the most was his last remarks. Not that he had ever touched her; although he suggested one time if they should be intimate. After a minute of observing him, her tensed muscles gradually relaxed under his embrace.

By the looks of it, Abel didn't plan to do anything but still her on the bed. Again, she couldn't help but compare. If this was Maganti, that sick man wouldn't leave her alone until he had enough. But Abel was different.

He might be cruel and crazy, but he had done nothing to her aside from trying to kill her with a sword. Even in her dreams, he was trying to kill her by throwing her out of the window. But for reasons, she was still breathing.

Aries pressed her lips and cleared her throat softly. "Welcome back, Your — Abel," came out a whisper, knowing she had to say something.

"Do you like me now?" he asked, opening his eyes until it was partially open.

"Pardon?"

"I'm sleepy. So I will pretend not to notice if you lie."

Was he giving her a chance to lie to him and answer "yes!" without feeling guilty or scared? Aries bit her tongue, stopping herself from taking that tempting offer. Her mind was set for a long time investment. So, although what he said was tempting, she wouldn't take it. She didn't want Abel to have the slightest hint that this relationship was built on the cobwebs of lies.

"Uhm... Abel? What do you think having a pet is like?" she asked instead of answering him. Since he said he was sleepy and had no energy to point out lies, she wanted to use this opportunity to plant the seed of trust in his callous heart.

Abel hummed and pondered. "Pet it if it's good. Tame it if it's wild. If it's dumb and persistent, then kill it."

"..." Her under-eye twitched, but she tried so hard not to show it. She should've expected this much from him.

"But... how will it obey if you don't show that you are trustworthy?" she bit her tongue once again when he looked at her with an arched brow. There was no turning back, she thought. Aries took a deep breath to continue the message she wanted to relay to him.

"Having a pet requires more than just putting a collar around their neck. If you show enough compassion to it, even without a collar, they won't leave their master," she explained, choosing her words carefully.

"Are you saying you will leave me?"

"No!" she panicked, shaking her head profusely. "What I'm saying is, it's like growing a flower! It will only bloom beautifully with enough care. You'll only see the result by then."

Abel frowned. "Who said you're a flower? Aren't you a potato?"

"..." Should she give up at this point?

"Hmm..." Abel hummed as he closed his eyes once again, pulling her body until there was no gap between them. "Potatoes are eminently tasteless, but they can sustain a man and stand as a protection against famine."

"Your Majesty, a rich man's luxury is to eat everything without worry. But the world is round and is full of struggle. I'm not saying you will face an omen..." Aries carefully raised her brows as she explained her point. "I'm just saying, since a rich man isn't a gourmet who can discern a good potato from the bad one, it is best to grow a good one, just in case."

"Your fever really went down," he hummed, with eyes still closed. "Rest more otherwise, my potato will become a bad crop.".

That was all he said before silence enveloped the room. Was that a good sign? Or did he shrug her words off? Aries was unsure. She gazed at him and carefully wrapped her arms around him.

"Potatoes can be baked too..."

Abel opened his sharp eyes, shutting her up instantly. "I said I won't touch you, but one more word you'll see what happens."