The Tyrant's Pet

"Your Highness."

Aries looked up, seeing Gertrude's worried face while holding her hand. Only then did she realize she had been scratching her shoulder that Joaquin kissed earlier while dipped in the tub. Her lips were a little swollen already as she tried to wipe off the traces of that man.

"Please let me help you, Your Highness," Gertrude offered as she guided Aries's hand on the rim of the tub. The latter just pressed her lips and gazed down.

Gertrude moved and sat on the small stool outside the tub, eyes full of worry. She had spent almost a year serving Aries, and this was the only time she had witnessed her master act so distraught. Or rather, bear the eyes of someone who was drunk with blood lust; Aries was starting to scare and worry her.

"Gertrude," called Aries, bending her knees to rest her hands on top of it. "You know where His Majesty picked me up, right?"

Gertrude's eyes flickered with bitterness, scrubbing Aries' back gently. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Before meeting Abel… I was in this place," Aries continued, but Gertrude already knew about that. The latter didn't know the details, but just the word 'war trophy,' was enough to give the vague idea of what Aries went through.

"That man, Joaquin, whom I spoke my marriage vows to, slaughtered my family and my people and made me watch their death, one after another," she muttered things she never told anyone but Abel. She trusted Gertrude as the latter had proved her loyalty to Aries. "I never thought torturing someone doesn't require physical pain. Torturing and killing a person from the inside is way worse — it's numbing."

"My lady…"

"I'll kill him." Gertrude's breath hitched, and she looked around out of instinct, as they hadn't gotten used to the place and they didn't know if someone was listening and heard Aries's remarks. "I'll start from the inside as well and slowly gnaw my way out of his skin. He won't even know it until I make him."

Aries snickered while Gertrude frowned in worry. "Hah… really. I'm shaking." She gazed down at her hand on her knees, trembling uncontrollably. Maybe it was the nightmare last night about Davien or just the energy in this place that was infecting her heart like a parasite. Either way, Aries couldn't help but feel this catharsis boiling within, ready for its rightful time to be released.

"My lady, they might hear you." Gertrude breathed out cautiously, a little scared at Aries. Even so, she understood where the latter was coming from. It hadn't been twenty-four hours since they stepped foot in here, and Gertrude already had a poor impression about the place and the people in this imperial palace.

"Hear me?" Aries glanced at Gertrude and smirked. "Is anybody there?!" she yelled, almost giving her personal maid a heart attack.

"My lady!"

"Haha! Oh, Gertrude!" she giggled while leaning back, running her hand through her golden hair as he leaned her back against the tub. Her hair dangled out of the tub, cocking her head back, eyes at Gertrude.

"Even if I yell in here, no one will hear. Trust me, I know, after all, my screams in the past reached no one."

"But my lady, your situation now and before is different."

Aries shook her head with her lips closed. "It's the same, Gertrude." She pressed her lips and smacked them, breathing out through her mouth.

"Honestly, I could've done this before. This… revenge, I mean. I know I could do it, but I never did," she expressed, thinking of the past and now. If Aries truly wanted to in the past, she would become someone Joaquin would get crazy for. But she didn't.

It wasn't that this thought didn't cross her. Actually, it did many times she had lost count. The only reason she didn't resort to such means was that… Aries was certain she would kill herself once she was done. She had no other purpose anymore once everyone in the Maganti Empire was dead.

"If I did it in the past, I will not get to meet him." She smiled and shot Gertrude a look. "I will never meet Abel. My brother, Sir Conan, you, and Minerva."

"My lady…"

"Now, I know, even if I get crazy, someone will go crazy with me." Aries slowly peeled her gaze from Gertrude as they glinted maliciously. "I think that's another thing I should thank God for, don't you think?"

She glanced at Gertrude once again and saw the latter hang her head low. She laughed, licking her lips afterward as she hummed.

"Are you scared of me, Gertrude?" asked Aries, feeling the vibration of her personal maid's hands on her arms.

Gertrude glanced at Aries as she continued to wipe her arms. "I will be lying if I say I wasn't scared of you. You remind me of the emperor, my lady."

"Hah. Abel. Make sense, since he influenced me on many things." Aries rocked her head, manifesting her lover's spirit just so she could feel liberated. Abel was a free spirit and Aries felt like breaking out of her shell and embraced the little madness she had been hiding.

"I'm also worried that you will do something reckless," Gertrude added. "I know you are capable, and they deserved retribution for all the atrocities they had committed. But I am still worried."

Aries glanced at her once again and smiled. Even though Gertrude didn't say it aloud, she got the gist of her message. Gertrude was worried because she cared. Not that Aries was being complacent, but one of the many advantages she had in this place was… she lived in this place long enough to know the people who lived here.

"Don't worry, Gertrude. I won't endanger you and Minerva."

"My lady, that is not…"

"Shhh." Aries placed her finger in front of her lips, shushing Gertrude to silence. "Better. Anyway, prepare my prettiest dress. I'll be expecting people, curious ones, and impressing someone is my goal."