"Grimsbanne?" Aries whispered, blinking, watching Abel draw his head back mildly, creating a palm-length distance between their faces. "You have a different name?"
"It's still Abel."
"But a different family name…" she trailed off as realization dawned on her.
Aries had read the history of Haimirich and ignored the details that didn't make sense. But now that she remembered it, there was a time back in Haimirich, when Abel took her out to the Capital and told her a story about his family. Or rather, like what he claimed it, the first emperor's family — although there was no such thing written in the records.
But with this piece of information laid out on the table, that story he told her in a nonserious manner suddenly made sense.
"That story you told me back then…" she paused, seeing him nod even before she could finish. "… you have sisters?"
"I do. Three, to be exact."
"Where are they?"
"Hmm… let's see." Abel hummed a long tune, pondering about the most concise answer. "The first daughter, Ameria, the last time I heard about her, is she married a good-for-nothing from the La Crox. Then the second, Mathilda, she's probably still in our house. Even if the world crumbles, she won't leave that house. And then the youngest, Marsella… I hope she dies."
Aries frowned at his last remarks. "Don't you want to see them again?"
"Hell no." His answer was quick, scrunching his nose up. "Darling, we don't have that sibling bond. We lived in a house and we can live without speaking a word to each other for decades."
"That's impossible."
"Not for us." He shrugged. "Our cursed family is not a normal family, darling. Each house is different. You had a loving family, while I had… housemates. If our family is only normal, then Marsella won't run away even before she can learn how to walk."
"Oh…"
"Moreover, it's better if we don't see each other in this lifetime."
"Why is that?"
Abel simply looked at her and smiled, keeping his silence for a moment. "Because… you're with me."
"Will they hurt me?"
"Unless they want to die," he remarked. "What I mean is, you… I don't want to put you in a situation where you'd get hurt more. Maganti is a place where I would like to bury your pain — our pain. So we can move forward, leaving the past where they belong."
Aries pursed her lips and smiled. "Nothing bad will happen," she reassured with a nod, cupping his cheek. "And even if things go south, getting hurt slightly isn't that bad. Even if I had to spill blood or slay someone, I do not mind. As I've said, I will struggle with you. That's my choice and it will be idiotic to think everything will be sunshine and rainbows."
"Come what may, but even if the heaven falls, my decision is final, and that is you, Abel." Aries moved forward, planting a deep yet brief kiss on his lips. "We will struggle together and it might sound corny, but I know what I'm signing up for."
He smiled, resting his forehead on hers, eyes closed. "Well, I guess we do not have to worry about that for now, since you still have a husband to slay so we can marry."
"That's right." She chuckled. "There's still this present we must handle."
"We?" Abel slowly drew his head back and tilted his head to the side. "Darling, isn't it just you?"
Aries tightened her limbs around his neck. "Why is it just me?"
"If you say 'we,' then I'll take that as is. However, I do remember my order." He blinked almost innocently. "If you don't remember, let me remind you of my exact orders: 'the Maganti Empire must cease to exist.' Meaning, that it must cease to exist. No one will live — not the crown prince, not the third prince, not anyone."
Aries looked at him in dread, remembering those orders. She thought he had already forgotten about them, but it seemed Abel was simply waiting for his chance to put that order to use.
"Ismael might be foolish, but Abel…" she let out a deep exhale, realizing she didn't have this sort of talk with him because Conan, Dexter, and even Isaiah, preferred if Abel stayed out of it. "The Maganti Empire is a hell for me, but despite my deep hatred of this place, there were people out there… that did nothing aside from being born and raised in this land."
"They were just like my people in Rikhill. They did nothing, but they suffered because their ruler wasn't competent enough." She huffed faintly, a little hurt by her own claim, but that was the truth. "What this land needed isn't a total destruction, but a reform."
"My hatred and anger should be put to those who were responsible and not to those who were innocent," she continued solemnly. "I… don't want to continue the cycle of vengeance, Abel. I want to put a stop to it." — that was what she learned throughout her journey in this place.
Although in the beginning, Aries wanted to destroy this land, acting as the crown princess and meeting some citizens, she realized they were just… people. They were all victims and survivors. Therefore, they had to do everything to survive for the people they lived for, even if it means closing their eyes and gritting their teeth when injustice was happening right in front of them.
"The 'great' Maganti Empire… is pitiful for sheltering an actual monster like the crown prince, Abel." Aries smiled bitterly. "I'm still angry why these people have to live peacefully while my people had suffered. But, even if the choice is either them or me, this is the only way I can repay my people."
"I might not know what my people think about this decision, but I don't want more innocent people to suffer just because the individuals in power were… lunatics."
Abel looked at her in silence. "That's what I thought." He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her lips. But before he could deepen their kiss, she drew her head slightly with her forehead on his.
"Did I pass?" she inquired under her breath, making him smirk, knowing he wanted to see whether her mind would change in destroying this entire place than choose forgiveness.
In Abel's mind, if Aries chose the former, he didn't have a problem with destroying the Maganti, since this land deserved it. But if it was the former, then… Abel might believe in humanity, even if it was just a tiny bit of faith.
"I'm not testing you," he whispered back, claiming her lips once again before he added into her mouth. "But… you make me want to believe again. I thank you for making my world a place where forgiveness exists."
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