"You didn't go back to Haimirich."
Aries instigated, sitting on the other end of the tub with her arms crossed, eyes at the man on the other end of the tub. Abel had his arms spread over the rim, brows raised.
"I did."
"No, you planned to," she corrected in what she believed was what he truly meant. "You can't go back and forth from Maganti to Haimirich in such a short time."
Abel let out a shallow breath and shrugged. "I flew."
"Flew?"
"Yes."
p
He gasped in utter disbelief with his nose scrunched up. "Darling, don't insult me like that! Demons also fly!"
This time, Aries closed her eyes as she took deep breaths. She was already used to Abel using this ridiculous excuse, thinking this was his way to stray her attention. If only she knew he wasn't lying; Abel did fly.
"Alright, whatever." She shook her head as if that would help her clear her head. "Let's just say you did, alright? What about Haimirich, Abel? How can you leave your empire and go to another just to…"
"Just to do what?" Abel cocked his head to the side. "Just to fuck? Correction. I didn't fuck you. I made love with you and that is hundred times more important than Haimirich."
"Your people! What about them?" she stressed, widening her eyes to get her point across.
"Well, what about them, darling?"
"Ugh… how can you — goodness!" Aries massaged her temple.
Aside from Joaquin, who was 'drugged' as what Abel told her, having Abel in Maganti only spoke trouble. Even if he was capable, how could he intrude in a place — an imperial palace, to be precise — with no official invitation whatsoever?
If Abel got killed in this place, no one would even know! The Maganti Empire would surely use this excuse to invade the Haimirich Empire.
While Aries was massaging her temples with her eyes closed, Abel simply stared at her in silence. He already voiced out that he didn't want to talk about Haimirich with Aries, knowing this would be her concern. However, she wouldn't believe him about reaching Haimirich and then going back to Maganti.
Not that he didn't understand her argument, but there wasn't really any problem with Haimirich. He worked ten times harder just to settle things in Haimirich before setting off, so those who were left in charge didn't have to make huge decisions themselves.
'I didn't need to do that and let Haimirich die…' he thought, lowering his gaze before raising them back to her. '… I don't need it anymore, but you…'
Abel closed his eyes and stretched his neck from one side to the other, ignoring her mumblings and complaints. When he opened his eyes, a glint flickered on them as his gaze instantly landed on her.
"Aries," he called, putting a halt to her grumblings. "Darling."
He grabbed the rims of the tub, pulling himself as he slid closer to her. When he was just two palm lengths away from her, he searched for her eyes and batted them ever so tenderly… and dangerously.
"I told you in the past, you don't want your name inside my head," came out a rasped and dark voice, leaning his face forward, eyes locked with her. "However, not only did your let your name known to me, you lived inside my head, vandalizing every space whilst writing your name in every corner you see."
Abel tapped his temple lightly. "You have to take responsibility."
"Abel, you're scaring me." Aries placed her fist in his inked chest, leaning back as he looked like he would not her neck if she didn't comply. The man looked like someone… the person who took her in. His aura, his eyes, and just his tone were like a cold splash of water, reminding her of what kind of person he was not long ago.
Abel didn't change. He changed his ways, but he would always be Abel. Someone who was like a ticking time bomb and would set the world on fire if someone ticked him off the wrong way.
"Darling, it's a mistake if you think you shouldn't." He blinked, studying her face before he raised his thumb to caress her cheek. "If you're worried about Haimirich, I'll just burn it myself so you don't have to worry about it anymore. Don't push me away, I'm not lying."
Aries bit her inner lip, lowering her gaze as she let out a shallow breath. "The people… people's lives have value."
"Are you saying your husband and everyone in this damned palace has value? Do you pity them?"
"No, but —"
"No buts, darling. Once you killed someone, you killed. End of conversation. Your hands are sullied. Wars are only the excuse to make a murderer sounds like a good thing, granting the person who killed the most as a hero," he explained in a knowing tone, not sugar-coating even the tiniest bit of detail. "Killing the crown prince, the royal family, and their people, do you think the Maganti will become a better place? Darling, have you gone out of this place? Have you seen the people over the castle walls? What would you do if you see the smiles on the people in the streets?"
"Even if you say, there were parts in this place that would incite public rage, you can't stop it. Poverty, prostitution, the black market, and all those things will never end, darling. That is what humans call… the sad truth; the truth is always sad and harsh, the reason people don't like it," he added with the same conviction, staring at her straight in the eye.
Aries pursed her lips, rendered speechless at his statements. She couldn't argue with that. How could she argue with the truth? This was what truly made him different from the rest and also terrifying. While everyone was laughing and talking about diplomacy, treaties, and the like, Abel would speak about their lies.
Everyone's lies and hypocrisy… including hers. No exceptions.
"You're always so stubborn, darling." Abel caressed her shoulder blades with the back of his fingers, recalling the time when he also had an argument with her regarding Rikhill's downfall. Aries still hadn't gotten over the habit of romanticizing her actions. That was not his intention when he proposed this revenge idea.
"Are you trying to change my mind now?"
"No." He shook his head and stroked her jaw. "What I am saying is, things like… people shouldn't sway you. You had an option; it's either you and your fallen people or the Maganti — the entire Maganti. There's no middle ground, darling. For me, it's the option between you and Haimirich. I'm here. You're not dumb to not understand which one I chose."
"It's you," he continued while cupping her jaw. "But in case you have to decide in the future between you and me, choose the latter. Always choose yourself, darling. Just like how you will choose yourself over the people of the Maganti Empire. Hmm?"
The initial fear she felt slowly subsided, replaced by this inexplicably unsettling feeling she couldn't put into words. In the end, Aries frowned while biting her lips, hanging her head low until her forehead was resting on his shoulder.
"You speak so cruelly," came out a muffled voice while he chuckled, wrapping his limbs around her.
"Oh, darling, I didn't mean to upset you in that way." He stroked her back, coaxing her to make her feel slightly better. "Should I make you feel better? I know a way."
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