The Tyrant's Pet

"You're trembling." Aries pointed out while the chief physician checked her pulse.

"Uh, my apologies, my lady." The head royal physician, who was already an old man with blanched hair and mustache, lowered his head.

"You don't have to apologize. It should be me who should apologize for putting you all in a difficult position." She kept a gentle demeanor, soothing the physician and the rest's nervousness. After Abel and Conan left, she also requested Dexter to leave, since his presence and his piercing gaze were enough to intimidate the physicians.

"No — not at all, my lady!" the doctor intoned in panic, making her chuckle.

"That is right, my lady. How dare we ask for your apology?"

"You're already in a tight spot yourself and we should've done our tasks properly."

Aries smiled at the physicians' enthusiasm as they voiced their thoughts.

"I am glad that you will be the one checking my conditions," she expressed. "Those men are gone now. Therefore, you can rest assured and take your time. I really want to get better."

The physician nodded, their eyes filled with determination. "Do not worry, my lady. We'll do our best to cure you."

"That sounds very reassuring." Her lips stretched wider, pleased at their willingness to help.

With that being said, the physician checked her vitals and asked her a few questions. They also drew blood. As the chief did, his brows furrowed.

"What is it?" asked Aries, watching the chief raise his head.

"My lady, your blood is darker than usual."

"And what does that mean?"

"There were several meanings to that, such as low oxygen. However, I cannot tell for sure. Are there any other symptoms you feel?"

Aries hummed and pondered. "Aside from the occasional nauseousness that I feel like fainting, blurring vision, and then a nosebleed. There's none."

Her brows creased when the physicians looked at each other before looking back at her.

"Should we check, my lady?" asked the chief. "In case this isn't a disease, but… pregnancy."

There was a moment of silence in the room as they looked at Aries solemnly, while she looked back at them blankly. In their eyes, her surprise was because she was now widowed, and having a child with a traitor of another land would bring shame to the Marquess' name.

Little did they know, Aries's shock was far from their assumptions. The sheer thought of pregnancy… she never fathomed she would hear it again.

"No." She shook her head mildly. "That's impossible."

"But my lady." The chief physician looked her solemnly in the eye. "We cannot rule out pregnancy. You were a married woman —"

"That's impossible," Aries stressed, this time with a firmer voice. "That man and I… never shared the bed."

"What?"

"Throughout my stay in the Maganti Empire, we never consummate our marriage," she confessed, which was the truth. Aries and Joaquin never did the deed. Even though she was constantly sleeping with Abel, Aries was certain she wasn't pregnant. Not because she believed she was infertile, but because Abel would know if there was another life growing inside her.

"I know it is hard to believe it, but it is one of the greatest insults that place had given me." She raised her chin up, braveness plastered across her face. "Please, look further into my condition. I understand why you were considering pregnancy, but I would appreciate it if you widen the range of the disease that can kill me."

"Ye — yes, my lady."

With that being said, everyone worked with Aries as they asked more and more questions. It was almost endless and frustrating. But she was patient, being honest with them as much as she could. Still, at the back of the royal physician's head, he couldn't help but hold on to the diagnosis of pregnancy.

Maybe she wasn't being honest? And she was simply covering up a scandalous affair? Many theories hovered over the chief's head until Aries dropped a bomb.

"Poison." Everyone halted, looking back at her with wide eyes. "I used to consume a paltry amount of poison every day to gain resistance, lest someone poison me."

"What…"

"I didn't think about it until now, but I think that might help you break this case." Aries kept her strong front, glossing her eyes over their faces. "Perhaps instead of gaining immunity, the effect was the complete opposite. I'm not sure, but I hope this information helps."

"My lady, this information simply changed everything." The chief nodded. "We'll continue looking into it more. For now, we will prescribe you medicines for your symptoms."

"Alright." A smile turned up on her face, watching the physician stand up from his seat.

Everyone stood in front of her and bowed deeply. "We will monitor your condition from time to time. Please summon us if you feel unwell."

"I will be staying in the Marquess' estate for a while now."

"What?" the chief furrowed his brows as he raised his head, only to see her enchanting smile.

"My brother and I will leave the Imperial Palace today to avoid rumors from spreading. They will brief you about our arrangements, but for now, you may focus on figuring out my problem to create proper medicine for it."

"Ye — yes, my lady."

Aries nodded in satisfaction. They reminded her of many things to do and not to do, including her diet. Once they nagged her enough, they left her all alone to rest. When she heard the faint click of the door as it closed, a deep sigh slipped past her lips.

"Pregnancy…" she whispered, letting out a short, dry chuckle. She looked away, staring at the window behind the futon where Abel perched earlier.

"How odd," Aries added under her breath, planting her hand on her stomach. "That word. I wonder how Abel would react if he heard that."

Silence fell on her shoulder before she laughed once more. "He'd probably think it was silly… or maybe not. I don't know. Abel's child… I don't even know whether to feel happy or sad about the thought."