Chapter 111 - A Riddle

"Try again tomorrow."

Abel laughed after reading Aries's reply to the letter he sent her. Shaking his head as he raised the letter to show it to Conan, who was his tonight's company. Isaiah was still recovering, so Conan had to keep the emperor busy. 

"Your Majesty, isn't that another way of rejecting you?" Conan scrunched his nose up, growing numb in reading Aries replied at this point. He had seen them exchange letters during these past nights. 

"How was that a rejection if she's telling me to try again?" Abel clicked his tongue and shook his head, staring at her handwriting once again. 

Seeing him stare at Aries's letter as if it was the most precious thing in the world, Conan let out a deep. He peeled his eyes away from the emperor, leaning on the railing on the terrace connected to the emperor's room. Apparently, Abel invited him for a 'slumber party.'

Obviously, the meaning of that word to Abel was the two of them hanging out on the terrace. Abel was just too lazy to walk from his office to his room; the emperor's chamber, which was now his temporary collection room. 

"Your Majesty, the Coven is happening soon." Conan broke the ice as he glanced at Abel's side, who was sitting on the railing. "Will Lady Aries be alright?" 

"Why won't she?" 

"Well... nothing, Your Majesty."

Abel quirked a brow, side-eyeing his advisor. "Do you like Aries that much, Conan?" 

"Of course, Your Majesty. Lady Aries is... rare. And she makes you happy." Conan pouted as he glanced at the emperor once again, catching the smirk on Abel. "Your Majesty, if you love Lady Aries, you shouldn't obsess over her." 

"Why not?"

"Because... too much is never good." 

"Huh..." Abel chuckled with his lips closed, gazing in the direction of the Vandran estate. "Conan, I don't think you understand why Aries is special."

"Pardon?" 

"Aries and I get along well because she... is like me." The side of Abel's lips stretched into a bright smile as his eyes dropped. "No matter how many times she denied it, I'm certain she was aware of herself and her capabilities. Just a slight push, Conan, just a little push, and she'd get lost in the vast space beyond the line of insanity."

Abel smiled brighter until his teeth were showing. "I want to push her just a little bit, a tiny bit over that line, and then watch her beg me to pull her back and save her." His eyes softened, but his chilling smirk remained. "Or perhaps she would pull me with her? I'm not sure. Therefore, she's different because she can make me wonder."

Conan pursed his lips while Abel cast him a knowing look. A shallow breath slipped past his lips, eyes ahead of where he could see the lights in the heart of the capital. 

"Your Majesty, do you plan on telling Lady Aries about you?" he inquired out of plain curiosity. "That you are an Original?" 

"I already told her... not much, though. However, my darling doesn't seem to take my words seriously."

"That is because it's so hard to take you seriously."

"Are you saying you never take me seriously?"

"Of course not!" Conan gasped defensively, lying through the skin of his teeth. "What I'm saying is Lady Aries would simply consider your words as you jesting. You play too much around her!" 

Abel scoffed faintly as he smacked his lips. "She won't know until she dies, Conan. I will not let her know what and who I am. Honestly, I find it refreshing I can talk about anything with her — that includes my family on the mainland. It's so fun, to tell the truth, and not get treated seriously. It makes me look forward to the time I would be saying, 'I told you so.'"

"But... what if she somehow figured it out? I mean, Lady Aries was spending more time with Dexter as we speak. Considering his desire for your demise, I'm certain he is cooking something on his sleeve."

"You underestimate my darling so much, Conan." Abel laughed and shook his head, finding Conan's words so ridiculous to even consider it as a joke. "She's the only person who brought me to my knees happily. But to answer your IF, I will simply cage Aries. Not the same cage just like what she had in the Maganti Empire, but the entire Haimirich will be her cage. Wherever she goes, I will conquer that land — no matter how many, no matter how far."

"You'd be surprised Dexter would love her just as much, or even deeper than how he loved his real sister," he continued.

"And you're fine with that?" 

"Of course!" this time, Abel's laughter grew louder. "Why wouldn't I? That only means I can snatch his sister once again! Although I won't kill her this time, since my darling is just mine."

Abel was truly evil, Conan thought, but then sighed. The latter didn't even feel the slightest pity for Dexter for whatever was in Abel's mind, or what happened in the very long past. They all had reasons back then, and Conan only saw it as Abel winning as always while Dexter losing in a fight the Vandrans had picked. 

"Your Majesty, how come you're not flying to the Marquess estate? It's been days since you last saw her. I'm a little perturbed." Conan inquired after the brief silence between them. 

"Hmmm... I wonder why," the Emperor crooned as he narrowed his eyes. "Right. That is because of a riddle, Conan."

"A riddle?" 

"Yes. A riddle." Abel rocked his head lightly, and he took a deep breath to welcome the fresh night breeze. "I had been mulling over Aries's dream. Apparently, she was able to see me in her last dream and even had a conversation with me. Take note, her nightmares were simply the part of her memories; an experience that kept coming back to haunt her."

"Huh?" Conan furrowed his brows. "In other words, her nightmares were simply part of the past. So you're part of that?" 

"Mhm." Abel slowly opened his eyes. "Until now, I don't have an answer. Conan, what the hell was I doing in the past three years? Oh, never mind. I don't have time to listen to that. But dig for information regarding the brave land of Rikhill and the royal family.. I get the feeling you'll find out something interesting."