The Tyrant's Pet

Abel didn\'t make a fuss when Aries and Dexter requested an audience to announce their departure from the imperial palace. It was almost strange for Aries, but she didn\'t dwell on it much.

"Do you think he will come to the estate later?" asked Aries, staring through the window as the carriage crossed the palace gates.

"I don\'t care." Dexter shrugged, making her look back at him. "I am already being lenient. Do not forget. Right now, you are a Vandran, who came back after that mayhem in that land. His Majesty was showing generosity to compensate the marquess."

"Other than that, there\'s nothing more or less. People will still talk about you. You know what types of people are there in the high society," he added solemnly.

Aries arched a brow, gazing at the marquess from across her. "What is the rumor circulating in the high society now?" she asked, narrowing her eye suspiciously. "You won\'t be like this if there\'s nothing that\'s bothering you."

"It\'s nothing huge. Focus on getting better."

"It doesn\'t look like it\'s nothing huge." She argued calmly. "I don\'t think I can rest enough while thinking about what is bothering you."

Dexter\'s jaw tightened before a shallow breath slipped past his lips. "Just silly rumors those who cannot reach you will gossip about."

"Like?"

"You are cursed."

"Cursed?" Aries laughed. "It\'s, indeed, silly."

"I will sort this out."

"Why?" she arched a brow. "You rarely get riled up with rumors. You know rumors barely have value. People have so much free time in their hands, and gossip is the only thing they can do since the empire is at peace."

Aries fluttered her eyelashes ever so tenderly. "Are you bothered that they were dragging you into it? Do the rumors say the marquess\'s sister had been sickly all her life, and when she recovered, just a series of misfortune happened?"

"First, because of her, the tension between the imperial and aristocratic factions augmented. When the emperor abused his power and married her off to another land, mayhem befell the land. Now, she\'s back here," she continued, setting her eyes back to the window. "Rumors are always so predictable."

"I hate ‌they were talking about you with their filthy mouths."

"Why?" Aries cast him a look. "You don\'t hate it when they gossip about you."

"Because I don\'t care."

"And so do I." Her answer was quick while her eyes grew sharp. "I don\'t care what they say about me, nor does their opinion affect me in the slightest. As you said, they were rumors from those people who will never reach my level. Therefore, we won\'t see eye to eye."

Dexter breathed out sharply, ruffling his hair in frustration. "It\'s upsetting."

"Brother, I\'m glad you are getting angry in my stead. However, they\'re not worth your slightest energy." Aries smiled, moved that Dexter cared about her well-being. "You\'ve been tired the past days, helping Sir Conan and Abel, and also making sure that those who approached me won\'t be able to harm me."

She straightened her back and held her chin up. "I\'m not crippled. They can say anything about me, I don\'t care. After all, we cannot deny facts; I brought mayhem to the empire I was married to. Intentionally."

"So, you want me to drop this matter just like that?"

"No." The side of her lips stretched from ear to ear until her eyes were squinting. "I\'m saying you don\'t need to deal with it. I have nothing else to do. So leave it to me."

Dexter furrowed his brows. "Leave it to you?"

"Why? Don\'t you trust me?" Aries arched a brow and cocked her head to the side.

"Talk about not caring about other people\'s opinions."

"I don\'t, and that will never change. But I care about my brother and the House Vandran\'s reputation." Her eyes glinted as they sharpened. "You had built it for years. I won\'t allow anyone to use me to sully the pride of the Vandran."

Dexter opened and closed his mouth, but his voice was lost within him. All he could do was stare at her sly smirk as she looked at the window.

"What are you planning? Do not forget that you need rest," he reminded when he recovered, watching how the corner of her eyes creased.

"Don\'t worry about it." Aries flashed him the brightest smile. "I already foresee this coming before we returned. Since we cannot let the public know about my condition and had to keep the facade for the time being, I just thought of an idea to change all that."

"And what is that?" he arched a brow, leaning back, ears wide open.

"Diversion." Aries proposed with the brightest smile she could do. "Rumors come and go, brother. Spreading misinformation wasn\'t your forte, but it\'s not like we\'ll spread misinformation."

"What exactly are you planning whilst hovering between life and death?"

"To regain my spot in the high society."

"You never lost it."

"The second I married Joaquin, I don\'t have a place in this land anymore." Aries\'s smile lines slowly faded. "I don\'t like gatherings or socializing that much, but I find it helpful one way or another. And as such, I would need your help."

"Dani." Dexter breathed out, but before he could say more, Aries spoke.

"Not because I have an unknown illness doesn\'t mean my world needs to stop. I had to do something else. I feel like my condition will only grow worse if I stay in the room doing nothing." She stressed every word she said to let him know she meant every word she uttered. "I will not allow Joaquin Imperial… to be a stain in the name I carry."

Dexter remained silent, staring at those fires in her eyes. After a minute of nothing but silence, he huffed and raised his hand in surrender.

"You win." He jerked his chin at her. "How can I help?"

Her lips slowly turned up, raising a brow at him to give him a knowing look. "Lend me some powers... and money."