The Tyrant's Pet

Today was the longest time Aries got to spend time with Abel. After he came into the study and poisoned her, Abel didn't leave. They dined together, bathe together, and now, he was combing her hair. She didn't understand it.

Why wouldn't he leave her alone? Didn't he have enough fun already? These types of questions kept hovering over her head while he was combing her hair.

Her eyes lifted, gazing at him, who was standing behind her.

"I like your hair." Abel broke his silence, combing her hair meticulously, eyes on it. "It's soothing like a greenery. How convenient to have walking greenery. I didn't need to go to the garden."

His fingertips scooped a few strands, staring at it in his palm. Her hair looked healthy and was shining even in the night. He couldn't remember meeting anyone who bore such hair color; he probably met a few and he just couldn't remember.

"Do you always keep it down?" he raised his eyes and set them on her through the mirror.

"Back in Rikhill, I always tie it up or braid it."

"Huh." Out of curiosity, Abel held all her hair in one hand and raised it to see what she would look like. With a few strands of hair falling to her side, she was still stunning.

"Darling, you look good in everything," he commented, releasing her hair as he peeled his eyes away from her to her hair. "Yesterday, the woman they called to my room has this different hair color — I can't remember. But I'm sure it's not green."

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Her brows rose, gazing at his indifference. "Was that... the reason you came over the other night...?"

"What else? I think I already told you the reason." He simply cast her a quick look before resuming in brushing her hair. "I don't mean to gloat... much. But all the women I called to my bed desire me, even those I don't call. As if they know how to deal with me."

Aries pressed her lips into a thin line, eyes lowering. "I don't know what to do you with you too," came out a confession.

"You lasted this long and now I'm combing your hair when a servant should be doing it, but sure. Let's just say you don't." He shrugged, brushing her hair with one last stroke. "But you don't desire me, which is a bit sad. I feel like tearing up."

She kept quiet, gazing at the hand to her side as he put the hairbrush back on top of the lowboy. He then planted his hands on her shoulders, bending over, eyes on her reflection.

"Do you know what they call you, darling?" he inquired, making her brows raised. "The woman who makes the tyrant come back to her chambers." He smirked, eyes squinting. "They wonder what methods you do and how wild you are. If only they know how abstinent I was... even though we bathe together many times and slept with you on the same fucking bed. They'd have a heart attack."

"Do you... want to...?" she trailed off when he squeezed her shoulder.

"Of course." He let out a dry laugh, lowering his gaze at her reflection.

"Then..." Aries gulped as she clutched her skirt. She had been curious all this time. Abel could take her whenever and wherever he pleased. There were times he had hinted at her. And yet... they didn't go that far. She asked him already, but he gave her an unsatisfactory answer.

With her clear eyes on his reflection, her lips parted. "You don't have to practice abstinence if you don't want to. I believed if you want something, you can have it. So why... why haven't you touched me?"

"Do you want me to?" Instead of an answer, he threw her a question that she couldn't answer immediately.

"Well, if you truly want to."

"Do you want me to?" this time, he stressed his words. "I only need a yes or a no, darling. If you ask me, I will always say yes. But I am actually giving you an option here. If you lie, I will pretend I didn't notice it and unleash my piled-up urges."

"No." After careful consideration, Aries answered truthfully while gazing down. "I... came here prepared, but I don't think I am prepared enough."

"Then we don't. Simple." She raised her head when he patted her shoulder and straightened his back. Abel then waved as he walked back to the bed, collapsing on his back.

"I'll just fantasize about you since I've seen your body already." He bluntly mattered with a lazy voice, eyes on the ceiling. "I feel like a saint and all my sins are forgiven by fasting."

Abel cocked his head and set his eyes on her as she perched on the edge of the mattress. "I think I'm a good person now."

'If it's that simple...' she didn't dwell on the thought as she lay on her side. Feet outside the bed just like him, eyes on him. 'Not forcing me is still good. This makes him a bit bearable to tolerate,' she thought.

"Come here." Abel crooked a finger, and she crawled to his side, resting the side of her head on his shoulder. "You're not sleepy yet?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"Good. You slept almost half of the day. Just sleep in the morning and stay awake with me during the night." He smacked his lips, casting her a knowing look. "Don't come back to him. I don't like it."

"Come back to who?"

"To your previous owner, who else?" His brow arched. "Every night, you are with that man in your nightmares. I'm jealous."

Normally, she would assume he was being unreasonable again. But deep down, if she could stop sleeping altogether, she would. She didn't want to go back to those nightmares every time she closed her eyes and reopen the wounds in her heart repeatedly.

"Let's stay here. Oh, you might fall asleep if you have nothing else to do. How about we work in the garden and plant potatoes?"

"In the middle of the night?"

"Is there something wrong with that?"

Aries gazed at him in silence. "Talking to you is enough to keep me awake."

"But I don't like to talk." He frowned as he suddenly narrowed his eyes as if a sudden thought distracted him. She studied him for a moment before she opened her mouth when his silence prolonged.

"Uhm... can I ask what you are thinking?"

"Potatoes." He snapped his eyes, rolling to his side until he was facing her. "I was thinking if I should bury you so you will grow as a good one."

"I will wither." She blurted out.

"Aww..."

'This is what I meant when I say talking to him is enough to keep me awake and guarded.' She thought, letting out a sigh. 'I might wake up being thrown out of the window. Just like that dream. Oh, God. I'd want to assume he let me drink poison because he didn't want me to sleep and have nightmares.'

Aries looked at his side while he was staring at the ceiling in silence. The more she thought about it, if his reason earlier was to force her to sleep early to keep her awake, then... it was actually a good reason. Bad methods, though.

"Thank you," her sudden remarks caused his brows to raise, refocusing his attention back to her. "For not forcing me and for keeping me awake. Actually, my rest earlier today is the longest one where I never experienced a nightmare. It is an irony since I nearly died, but... I think I'm crazy too for feeling grateful for that."