Pet

Meanwhile, in the emperor's office, Abel sat behind the desk. His feet were resting on top of it, reclining lazily in his chair while swinging his bloodstained hands on his side. Conan sighed seeing that all curtains were closed, leaving no room for light to enter.

"Your Majesty," Conan called with a sigh, gazing at Abel whose face was covered with parchment. If anyone saw the emperor's current state, rumors about the emperor losing his mind would spread like wildfire.

"I went to see your pet, and she had recovered properly. The bruises on her body lightened up, and she seemed to have adjusted well." He reported, but Abel didn't move in the slightest. "I gave her books to read so she can learn about the custom of the empire and history. Fortunately, she can read the empire's language, so it'll be easy."

Nothing. Abel didn't react at all.

Conan let out another sigh and frowned. "I'll be taking my leave, Your Majesty."

Just as Conan turned around to leave the office, he halted when Abel spoke. He slowly turned his head back, knitting his brows as if he doubted his ears.

"Pardon, Your Majesty?"

"Conan, you know how I hate repeating myself." Abel slowly lifted the parchment that was covering his face. As he did so, he revealed a speck of dry blood on his hand, cocking his sharp eyes at Conan.

"Bring my pet here, Conan. I'm bored. I nearly forgot about her."

"Your Majesty." Conan winced in distress, looking around at the untidy office. But his gaze lingered longer on the desk, particularly on the severed head on the corner.

Abel sat upright, planting his palm on the severed head of the person who attempted to poison him earlier today. He picked it up with one hand and tossed it to Conan like a ball. The latter caught it out of instinct, cringing at the thought of staining his clothes.

"Your Majesty! These clothes are expensive...!" he complained while holding the decapitated head in his arms. There wasn't a trace of fright in his eyes, only disgust.

"Throw that garbage away." Abel waved as he assisted himself up. "I'm tired. I'll just see my pet and teach her a few tricks."

"Your Majesty, you still have many things..."

Abel frowned, making Conan hold his tongue. "It's already finished." He cocked his head at the stack of documents on the floor near the shelves. "I didn't want to redo them, so I asked her to put them aside before beheading her."

"That is very efficient of you, Your Majesty..." Conan mumbled helplessly as he glanced at the documents. He then raised his head to Abel as the latter strutted around the desk.

"Your Majesty, you will really see your new pet? Why won't you wait for her while I call for..."

"No need." Abel waved, marching out of the office nonchalantly. "I'd rather see her reaction if I suddenly appear like this. Heh… can't wait."

Conan's under-eye twitched, catching Abel lick his canine with eyes glinting. Well, since the emperor had been busy from the world summit and had to work on the things concerning the empire, a break would be good for him.

"I wonder if she will live until tomorrow," Conan mumbled helplessly as soon as the door shut closed behind Abel. "The last one he took in only lasted for a day, after all. I think His Majesty is trying to beat a record here."

The emperor, Eustass Silvestri Abel Bloodworth, although known for his achievements as the emperor who ruled the empire with an iron fist, he had a notorious reputation with women. The emperor's affairs were no secret among nobles, especially in the imperial palace.

The problem was... the women he took in didn't last that long. The longest affair he had lasted for two weeks, but then the woman went missing, never to hear again. Everyone already knew what happened, but they all turned a blind eye to it to avoid catching the attention of the emperor.

"I feel sorry for her," Conan mumbled, gazing at the mess around the office. "I shouldn't have asked her to study and instead told her to enjoy the last minutes of her life."

******

Aries found herself immersed in the books Conan brought for her. Since she was always inclined toward history, she picked that book first. It was her little hobby to read and learn about other countries' customs and their roots, so she enjoyed this new information.

The Kingdom of Rikhill was a country known for its trade with other countries. The reason she learned to speak different languages was that they traded with other kingdoms. In this case, they could accommodate guests from other nations without a problem whenever there was a huge occasion in the kingdom.

Now, she could use those little skills she learned while growing up to read the history of the Haimirich Empire. The more she read, the more she realized how different this place was.

"That is strange, though," she mumbled while cocking her head to the side. "The Haimirich Empire is known for its advanced technology. But the portrait of the previous emperors was barely hand-drawn."

Aries didn't dwell on it, though. She had noticed a few loopholes in the history book, but she blamed it on the empire's custom.

"The current emperor resembles the previous emperors," she whispered, stroking the small portrait with her fingertip. Although there were a few differences in their facial features, it was undeniable that their genes were strong.

A sigh slipped past her lips as her mind drifted elsewhere. Her eyes remained on the open book on her lap, thinking of what to tell the emperor once he called for her. Was she ready? At this point, she was more than ready to survive.

She jolted from her seat when someone suddenly barged into her room. With shaking eyes, she caught a figure strutting inside with confidence higher than heaven. As soon as she realized who it was, her eyes dilated and her back stiffened.

"Hello there, my pet," Abel greeted, spreading his arms open. As he did, it granted her a full view of the blood smeared on his white linen blouse.

"Your — Your Majesty!" Shocked, Aries sprung up from her seat and curtsied on instinct. Her shoulders tensed up, keeping her head low while calming her heart from hammering against her chest.

Didn't Conan say this man was busy? What was he doing here so suddenly? And soiled with blood at that!

"Oh, please, loosen up, darling." Abel plopped down on the settee she sat on, glancing at the book in her hands. "I came here because I'm bored. Come sit."

Aries gazed at his hand as he tapped the vacant space beside him. She gulped down the tension in her throat before she carefully sat down. As soon as she perched beside him, Abel draped an arm over the seat, eyes on her.

"You're too far, darling." He motioned his finger for her to move closer. "How can I pet you if you're that far?"

"Uh..." Aries bit her tongue, moving closer to him. When she saw him lift his other hand and approach her, she shut her eyes on instinct. She just instinctively assumed he would slap her since he was bored — something she was already used to from the Maganti Empire. But, the pain didn't come.

Aries kept her eyes closed, mustering the courage to peek. Once she did, the first thing she saw was Abel's hand, which stopped midway.

"Why did you close your eyes?" he asked, making her eyes veer to meet his eyes. The misplaced puzzlement plastered on his face didn't suit his sharp features.

"Did you think I will hurt you?" he queried while tilting his head. "Should I do that so you don't get disappointed?"

Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. How was she supposed to answer that? If she told him the truth, it would definitely displease him. But if she lied, the result would be the same. This man didn't bat an eye when he snapped that soldier's neck. And even now, his clothes were covered with blood. She didn't want to add her blood to his clothes.

"There's a reason I took you in as a pet, and that is because you can talk. Am I wrong??" he asked with a frown.

Sensing he was starting to get annoyed by her silence, Aries acted on instinct. She suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled it until his palm touched her forehead.

"Pet."