The Tyrant's Pet

"My lady?!" The maid right outside Aries's chambers knocked worriedly. All she had been hearing for minutes was the bell ringing, but no matter how much force she used to push the door open, it wouldn't budge. Her worry continuously grew even though the ringing sound slowly stopped.

"My lady, are you alright?" she asked worriedly, looking from her left to right to ask for help if there were other servants but to no avail. She tried to push the door once again, but just like moments ago, it wouldn't budge. "My lady --"

"I'm alright!" the servant paused upon hearing Aries's faint voice from the other side of the door. "Just... leave me alone."

"But my lady!"

"Leave me alone!" Aries yelled through her gritted teeth, barely forcing her voice out of her throat. When she looked at Abel once more, another deep exhale slipped past her lips. "You'll drive me crazy."

"Heh," Abel smirked deviously, arching a brow as she collapsed on his chest. "You did a good deed, darling. You saved a life. Be proud."

"Shut up... ah goodness. This guy will be the death of me."

She rested the side of her head on his shoulder, feeling her heart race against her ribcage. Although the bell hanging on her toe kept ringing previously, it concealed the reckless moan that would sometimes escape her mouth.

"Goodness... is she new in the manor?" came out a mumble along with her deep breaths. "I almost had a heart attack."

"She's still outside." Aries looked up at Abel, only to see him smiling giddily. He was still inside her, carrying her weight with her back fusing against the door. His foot stayed still against the door.

Aries let out a sigh before a chuckle slipped past her lips, straightening her back. She tilted her head to the side while holding his sharp gaze. It was hard to deny that despite the nervousness in her heart, the thrill of someone calling her just from outside this door and trying to barge in heightened everything.

"How can you do this to me?" she fluttered her eyelashes coquettishly, tracing his jaw with her fingertips. "My heart is still racing so fast and I can't seem to catch up to my breathing."

Abel chuckled dryly, leaning in to claim her lips. "You loved it..." he stressed under his breath, biting her lower lips tenderly. "You've never been this wet before, and you clench so tight every time that door rattles behind you."

"Mhm..." she smiled against his lips, licking his teeth playfully. "That's because we never did it for the longest time."

"Is it?" His eyes fastened with heightened lust, moving his hips slowly, ignoring the leaking love nectar from both of them.

"Ah..." her mouth fell open as she felt him squeezing her walls, reaching the depths of her crevice. But before she would lose her mind once again, she glanced over her shoulder and spoke louder. "I'm fine! Don't mind me. I would like to be alone!"

"But my lady --"

"Do I look so pathetic even a servant cannot respect my time alone now?!"

The servant's breath hitched, looking at the shut door as the bell started ringing once again. Her eyes were filled with worry before she stepped back and lowered her head. That wasn't what she intended to make Aries feel, but it seemed her intention to help Aries insulted her instead.

"Then... I'll tell Sir Gustav you want to be left alone." The servant bowed at the shut door and left wordlessly.

As the servant went away, she met Gustav in the hallway, heading to Aries's chambers. The head butler of the Vandran residence raised his brows, seeing the teary-eyed young servant.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Gustav to the servant, watching the latter raise her head.

"No, Mister Gustav. It's just that... I was worried about the lady. It seemed I had angered her."

"You angered the lady?"

The servant lowered her eyes. "I just want to make sure she doesn't feel lonely, but it seemed my actions offended her instead. And the door was somehow stuck when I tried to barge in when the bell rang and it kept ringing. I think my lady is playing with it to punish me."

Gustav listened silently to the servant while staring at her solemnly. A shallow breath slipped past his lips, raising his eyes at the way behind the servant. Many things happened in the empire and Gustav had to dismiss a lot of servants and hired new ones. This little servant here was one of the recruits, and thus, she still didn't know that Aries couldn't be disturbed in the morning.

"It's alright." He planted his hand on the servant's shoulder and smiled subtly. "It is my fault that it slipped my mind to brief everyone the lady disliked being interrupted in the morning."

The servant looked up at the head butler with genuine wonder in her eyes.

"The lady had gone through a lot, but I'm certain she won't take it to the heart." Gustav nodded reassuringly. "For now, summon everyone in the great hall. It seemed I had to brief everyone since the lady was back, so this wouldn't happen again."

"Mister Gustav, is there a reason the lady doesn't want to be disturbed in the morning?"

Gustav stared at the little maid and then smiled kindly. "She likes her morning alone. It's a special time for her." — or rather, the other person inside that chamber liked Aries in the morning and it was a special time for them.

"Oh... I see." The servant nodded, assuming Aries wasn't the morning person. "Then I'll summon everyone in the great hall."

"Alright."

With that being said, the servant bowed once more and resumed in her stride. But when she took several steps, she looked back and furrowed her brows upon seeing Gustav walking behind her.

"Mister Gustav, aren't you going to see the lady?" asked the servant, treading carefully. This hallway only led to Aries's chambers, and thus, it was obvious Gustav was on his way to meet Aries for important matters.

"I don't think this is the time to interrupt her." Gustav kept his smile. "I can meet her later when the marquess arrives."

"Ohh... alright." The servant rocked her head and then raised another question. "Does the lady likes to ring the bell?"

Gustav raised a brow and glanced at the maid. "No."

"Pardon? But even when I left, she was ringing it."

"Someone else is probably ringing it," Gustav murmured to himself, making the servant look back at him with puzzlement.

"Pardon, Mister Gustav?"

Gustav smiled kindly. "Dispose the bell at once when the lady allowed your entry."

"But, why?"

"To avoid getting things mixed up." He kept his eyes ahead and his expression solemn. "The Marquess would be very displeased if he accidentally used it."

Everyone in the Vandran Residence trusted the head butler, for he was considerate, wise, and kind. Therefore, the servant didn't question, nor did she detect anything amiss, that Gustav, the butler who had always been efficient, would say such a thing.

Meanwhile, as everyone in the Vandran estate busily worked, and the people in the Imperial Palace were twice as busy with the workload, Aries and Abel were having the time of their life.