The Tyrant's Pet

"I object!"

Conan was gassing out as he slammed both his hands against the dining table where Aries and Abel were enjoying their breakfast in the Rose palace. It had been one week since Abel locked himself in this place with Aries.

Today, Abel summoned Conan, Isaiah, and Dexter to his safe haven. As much as he disliked their presence, he had to. Since this was about the empire's diplomatic relation with another empire — the Maganti Empire — he needed to brief them.

That was also the main reason Conan harrumphed like a madman.

"Your Majesty, how can you say you will adopt Lady Aries as your sister?!" Conan gasped in dismay, darting his eyes between Aries and Abel, who were sitting beside each other.

Abel didn't sit in the chair on the end of the table but chose to sit beside her. Across from Abel and Aries were Conan and Isaiah. Dexter was sitting two chairs away from Isaiah's left.

"That cannot be!"

"Aww... why not?" Abel frowned, cocking his head to his right where Aries perched. "My darling sister, it seems to me we'll get adopted by two separate families. Isn't life cruel?"

Aries blinked before raising her fork to feed him a piece of chicken. "I don't blame Sir Conan."

"Tsk." Abel clicked his tongue as he chewed, frowning in his seat like a child gravitating whether to throw a tantrum or hold it in.

"Your Majesty, even if you are thinking of sending Lady Aries as a political tool to seal this friendly relation with the Maganti Empire, I am certain they were aware that you do not have direct kin," Isaiah argued rationally, not even surprised that Abel was planning to send Aries back. "In any case, they might see it as an act of disrespect and kill her the second her entourage enters their territory."

If one thought about it, the Maganti Empire should be the one who was sending a princess for the Haimirich Empire to hold as a hostage. But well, Abel was the one who proposed the idea back at the world summit.

In other words, between two empires, Abel made sure he was the underdog. The one who was currying favor.

"Oh, no, that's not fun." Abel shook his head, raising his brows, and gazed at Aries. "Darling, feed me."

'Gosh... doesn't he have hands? Can't he see I am eating as well?' she grumbled internally, but still stabbed a carrot and smiled. "Say ah."

"I don't like carrots," came out a dead voice, but that only made her lips stretch wider.

"Eat, darling."

Abel frowned as Aries moved the fork until the carrot was touching his lips. "Let's adopt Aries as my sister and let her die in the entrance of the Maganti Empire," he ordered before opening his mouth to eat the carrot cut in cubes.

"Just because of carrots?" she giggled, biting the fork playfully. "I'll feed you more vegetables, so it'll be worth it then."

"Really? Right in front of my face?" Conan, whose expression was blank, darted his eyes between Aries and Abel. This time, there was no doubt their relationship develop significantly.

"Your Majesty, shall we continue this later? Not only do I need to use my head, but I also have to force myself to ignore you two. It won't be a problem if you're not flirting right in front of me!"

"Someone needs some loving, I see." The side of Abel's lips hooked up evilly, stirring Conan's emotions even more. "Conan, I wouldn't invite you here if I am available later. As you already know, my vacation hasn't officially ended yet. I do not waste a second of my vacation time for things aside from Aries."

"But this also concerns Lady Aries."

"It does, but it's about her departing the empire temporarily."

Conan let out a defeated sigh, wobbling back to his chair. "I knew it when I received the summon last night. I was so happy to chat with Lady Aries, I didn't prepare my brain for what was coming."

"You are so dramatic, Conan." Abel shook his head before he frowned when a broccoli was hovering over his lips. "Darling."

"I'm avenging Sir Conan." She smiled, casting Conan a knowing look. "You owe me."

"Lady Aries…"

As soon as Aries smiled at him. Conan's eyes sparkled. He linked his hands as if praying, enjoying the frown on Abel's face before he reluctantly ate his most hated vegetable. Abel wasn't very fond of any vegetables.

"How lucky. Darling, I am the better ally than Conan. Choose me." Abel fluttered his eyes at Aries, but the latter ignored him as she served herself a mouthful of meat.

While Abel nagged Aries and the latter feeding him in between, Isaiah rubbed his chin lightly. He glanced at Conan and then at the silent Dexter. The marquess arched a brow, side-eyeing Isaiah, upon sensing his gaze.

"Your Majesty," called Isaiah, catching Abel and Aries' attention. "Instead of adopting Lady Aries in the royal family, why not make it look like she's Marquess Vandran's sister?"

There was a moment of silence as Abel raised his chin. Now that got his attention. Even Conan gazed at Isaiah momentarily before his eyes dilated.

Conan pounded the bottom of his fist against his palm. "Oh! In terms of status, Marquess Vandran has a very high standing since he is an ambitious bastard who wants to oppose His Majesty at every turn." He nodded in satisfaction.

"Also, since the Marquess kept a private life, no one knew that his beloved sister was dead. If Lady Aries took her spot, she will be the noblest woman on the continent. We do not have an empress and His Majesty doesn't have direct kin. Not to mention, Marquess Vandran is the leader of the aristocratic faction, so Lady Aries will have the imperialist and the aristocratic faction on her back."

"Sir Conan, what a way to talk about the person whom you needed help with." Dexter pointed out, stuck in that 'ambitious bastard,' and disregarded the rest of it.

"But it's true, though. You're our enemy." Conan looked at Dexter in disdain, not even concealing it like usual.

"Hmm." Abel leaned back as he rocked his head, setting his playful eyes on Dexter. "It seems I should start addressing you as my brother-in-law now."

"Your Majesty, as much as I like the idea, my sister is marrying someone outside the empire, apparently." Dexter kept his polite smile. "Isn't that the plan?"

Despite the smile plastered across their faces, the other three in the dining hall could hear the buzzing sound clashing between the two.

'Abel and Marquess Vandran surely have a unique relationship,' Aries thought, keeping her silence as she simply planned to listen to this conversation. So far, things were just growing overwhelming with these men scheming over breakfast.

'They're scary. I'm glad I didn't rub them the wrong way.'