The Tyrant's Pet

Aries once lost control of her life and then regained it when someone offered a helping hand to her. It wasn't a helping hand where she would be blessed and be cleansed of her sins, but it was the stained hand of the devil.

However, that was the only helping hand that reached out to her at the time. Therefore, she accepted it.

Never in her wildest dreams that would be the most beautiful decision in her life. It might not be right in the eyes of others or even in the eyes of god, but it was the most stunning nightmare she would go back to over and over.

Not only did Abel save her from the clutches of that diabolical crown prince of the Maganti Empire, but as well, he treated her better than she could have ever expected. Abel didn't try to erase her painful past. Instead, the memories he created with her were more than the hell she went through.

He returned the control she once lost, giving her the liberty to make decisions from the simplest things as choosing which dress to wear to the bigger decision as to modify the law. He showed him the beauty of life, even though he couldn't see it himself.

The life he sought, the way he wanted to be treated, and everything. Abel gave everything he couldn't get to her. He gave his all without conditions.

"All I can think of right now is ripping that dress and throwing everything on you from head to toe. I don't like the way he dressed you like a doll, darling."

How did he know? To survive all these years without him, she had to please Maximus in her own way. She might've chosen a different path and didn't stay stubborn just like when she was held captive in the Maganti Empire, but Aries would make her "husband-to-be" happy by letting him bomb her with gifts and dress the way he wanted.

She hated it, but if she could stomach it, she had no qualms. The dress wasn't just the problem, but how a simple dress would remind her of the shackles binding her to Maximus.

"Then… will you take them off?" she breathed out, clutching her chest while keeping her eyes on him. "Can you?"

Abel was quiet, staring deep into her eyes. "You can't do it on your own?"

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I told you…" Aries pursed her lips into a thin line. "... the problem lies deeper than the surface."

There were no words needed with her seemingly vague remarks. He didn't ask further questions as well, swallowing down the frustrating tension down his throat.

"How frustrating…" he whispered, reaching for her necklace on her. "... that I can't even touch you even when you stand bare right now. I have to restrain myself just because my libido isn't the most important right now."

The second those words rolled out of his tongue, the necklace broke apart just after a slight pull. There was no malicious intent in his eyes, taking bits and pieces of the fancy accessories on her before using the sharpness of his fingers to rip her dress.

Everything on her was slowly being taken away one by one until her body was left bare. Aries kept her eyes low, watching how her sleeves fell off her shoulders to her wrists. When he was done, she lifted her gaze back to him.

"That night two years ago…" she trailed off as a finger pressed on her lips.

"Let's take a bath. I smell."

Aries bit her inner lower lip, watching him flash her a short smile. A shallow breath slipped past her lips, nodding in agreement.

With that being said, Aries held onto his hand as he led her to the bathroom. On their way, she couldn't help but look around the empty hallway. It didn't need a long of thinking when she had seen such strange and old interior design.

This place… looked exactly like their home in the Haimirich Empire. It was the same replica as the Forbidden Mansion.

'It felt like home,' she whispered in her head, setting her gaze on his back. Her expression turned soft, eyes falling on the hand that was holding hers. 'I hope this isn't just another dream.'

Having experienced nightmares and peeking into life's different routes, Aries had a clear line between vision and reality. Except for this one. That was because every time she would hallucinate about him, Aries would always delude herself it was real until the vision or dream ends.

Hence, no matter how realistic the turn of events was, she wasn't fully sure if this was just one of her wishful thinking. She hoped this was real, though.

*

*

*

No one was in this mansion to run the two a warm bath. But they managed and were now sitting in the same tub. Aries hugged her knees with her back against the other side of the tub, eyes fixed on the man opposite her.

"I left Haimirich without even taking a proper bath." Abel ran his fingers through his damp hair, quirking a brow as he noticed her fixed gaze. "Hmm?"

Aries just blinked, resting her chin on top of her knees. She didn't say anything, but instead just stared at him without ever looking away, not even once. She would even stop herself from blinking, but even if she would lose, she would blink as fast as she could.

"Hmm?" Abel let out another hum, moving closer and cutting down the distance between them. He lowered his head until they were at eye level. "What is it, darling?"

She didn't speak immediately, but when her lips parted, a seemingly random remark slipped past her lips.

"Two nights ago, the night was especially chilly and silent. Even the fire in the furnace isn't enough to give me the warmth that I seek," she said quietly, holding those beautiful pair of eyes that were mirroring her face. "But I fell asleep peacefully. Do you know why?"

Abel tilted his head to the side, witnessing how her lips curled up into a short smile.

"You were there with me," she continued. "You kept me warm."