The Tyrant's Pet

Joaquin wasn't initially the crown prince. He wasn't named the crown prince being the second son of the emperor. The firstborn was said to be a bright, wise, and remarkable young man whose future was secured with the emperor and the late empress backing him up.

Unfortunately, the young crown prince, although birthed for greatness, wasn't blessed with a long life. At the age of a fleeting fifteen years old, he passed.

Traditionally, the title of the crown prince was passed on to the current heir of the throne, Joaquin Imperial. No one opposed this decision, for one fact remained. Tradition aside, Joaquin wasn't less notable than his older brother. The only difference between the two young men was their differing hearts and beliefs.

One believed in humane reasoning and fair justice, in which he sees himself as humbler than the people of the empire. The other, however, believed that becoming the ruler means standing above all else and mocked the ridiculous ty of the deceased firstborn.

Abel laughed for minutes as he recalled the pieces of information he read regarding the Imperial royal family, which led him to this tragic story of the first prince, the rightful heir to the throne. It was written he had died a natural death — an accident no one else fathomed to befall him.

Everyone else moved on since the current crown prince captured the hearts of not only those in the royal court but also the citizen with his charitable employment. It may seem that way, but the emperor who cherished his firstborn was stuck in those times he was alive. With his discretion, although the ones involved in the accident were gravely punished, his gut feeling told him there was something more.

The emperor was correct. There were even more disturbing facts at play than what wasn't written in the books of record.

"They say… curiosity kills the cat. Look at you, my friend," said Abel, gazing at the pitiful monster reaching out his bloodstained hands from within the cage. "I don't know if you're smart or a fool. Either way, your favoritism led you to your unfortunate demise."

The emperor continued to produce animal grunts, not a word uttered penetrated his head. He wasn't conscious anymore. All he could think about was to sate his hunger for blood and even more blood. The man before him just seemed and smelled too delectable than anything he had just yet, causing his mouth to water.

"If I deduced correctly, it hadn't been that long since you've been in this state. Four… five years, I assumed." Abel crooned, tilting his head, eyes locked with those bloodshot pairs gawking back at him. "Took you quite a long time to figure out what sort of monster is living amongst you people. Although I take it, you were still remarkable in uncovering the layers of lies around your second son. I expect with how discreet he was, you'd die knowing nothing at all."

A shallow breath slipped past his lips. "Therefore, ignorance is bliss," he said. "You wouldn't end up becoming a mindless monster who seeks the blood of another for a mere fleeting relief if you simply turned a blind eye and moved on from your grievances."

Shaking his head, Abel observed the monster right before him.

"Pity." He quirked a brow, hearing loud and heavy footsteps approaching. Abel pressed his lips into a thin, tight slash as he pushed himself up.

He turned around and waved indifferently. "Don't worry. I will be right here while you receive the audience. I have spare time to waste." Then he closed the curtain, standing on the other side of the room filled with lavish, antiqued furniture, with almost everything adorned with gold.

The interior and decor were definitely twice as grand as the ones Abel had in Haimirich. He stood on the spot for quite some time, unbothered by the faint sound of the approaching footsteps.

"It's really a good thing I cannot live without seeing my darling for a long time." He shoved a hand in his pocket, marching to the balcony leisurely. "Well, Isaiah had smelled the permeating scent of death in this place immediately. Surely, humans are fascinating despite being born pitiful."

When the door of the balcony closed with a soft click, the strange creak of the entrance of the room resonated. Abel, who stood right outside the balcony, looked up while listening to Joaquin's harsh yet low baritone voice.

"Greetings to the shining sun of the empire. Your son, the crown prince, is here to request an audience with His Majesty regarding the incident in the inner palace today," said Joaquin formally, standing in front of the curtains separating the two joint rooms.

Abel smirked while he listened, astonished at how this man, the crown prince, could continue the act despite no one else listening.

'Really a pity,' he thought, leaning his arms against the railings. 'It'll be fun playing all these mind games with him. I bet Conan will think the same if we set aside the fact of what he had done to my Aries.'

The side of his lips curled up in amusement. "But alas, I had met different fascinating and unique people throughout my time. Letting him go might have been a shame, but come what may, the heavens won't fall if I let this one go," came out a whisper and followed by a chuckle.

His eyes glinted when he heard the curtains being pulled open. Even though he wasn't inside, he knew Joaquin stood on the side of the room that was decorated grandly, staring at the other side, which was empty with barely having candelabras, blood-splattered as decorations, and a huge cage where the emperor was kept. The joint room was disturbingly different, like heaven and hell, separated by a mere curtain and a thin line between.

Surely, if someone heard about this, it wouldn't be just a scandal. It would throw the empire into utter chaos.

Aries had been in this place for years and barely had a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg. But Abel… it hadn't been a day, but he had seen the truth no one else aside from Joaquin and a selected few were aware of. It was almost fascinating how the other royals weren't aware of it as well.

'Oh, Maganti… I will surely remember this place for a very long time.'