Meanwhile, in the ruined castle near the Sapphire Palace where Roman was hiding. Conan was pacing back and forth restlessly. Roman was still sound asleep, but his complexion grew better than last night. Dexter, on the other hand, was sitting on the armchair beside the bed, eyes on the person on the bed, but his mind was drifting somewhere else.
"A little help here?" Conan exclaimed when he couldn't take it anymore. "I came here, so you can help me figure out how to persuade Lady Aries!"
Dexter blinked ever so slowly, shifting his eyes to the person standing several feet from the bed. "I already told you. I can't help."
"Ugh…! I thought you were thinking about it!" Conan clasped his hair in distress. "Why am I here then?"
"I don't know."
"I'm here, suffering every second with your presence because you told me you'll help me!"
"I don't recall saying such a thing." Dexter bit his tongue, but his poker face remained. He did tell Conan last night he would think of a plan. It was his way of shutting him up. But Dexter had nothing to think about, knowing Aries and the decision she made before parting with him.
In other words, Dexter was simply helping Aries to make these people overthink and beat themselves. It was her form of punishment for keeping her in the dark. Dexter was just glad he didn't have to suffer all night, just like Conan.
'Also… her scent pervaded the air last night.' He thought, glancing at the distressed Conan. 'He's so busy thinking about other things he didn't notice it. Or maybe, the burnt scent of this room blocked his nose.' — whatever the reason, Dexter was certain Conan failed to notice that little detail last night.
"If you are that worried His Majesty will screw things up — like he always does — why did you leave him alone last night?" asked Dexter, causing Conan to stop grumbling about his woes.
Conan scrunched his nose up in dismay. "Why would I stay with him?"
"To stop him from meeting her, perhaps?"
"Funny. Are you joking, Marquess?" Conan snorted. "If I have the power to stop His Majesty, Haimirich wouldn't have to be under that insufferable Duke's spell just so it operates. And you and I will not be here."
"But being here helped, did it not?" he added. "We didn't know Maganti is a breeding ground for witches, and not just that, but the crown prince had this grand plan of building an army of turned vampires. Lady Aries will be in great danger if she's all alone in this place. Worse. She'll never make it alive."
"And the point here is?" Dexter arched a brow. "I don't think that has any connection to my primary inquiry."
"I don't think it does too! But you see, there were certain things that His Majesty does that somehow prevent the worst from happening!"
"So, you're basically telling me you left His Majesty, thinking he will persuade her? Successfully?"
"Well… hopefully." This time, Conan let out a deep exhale and frowned. "Since it's their own issues, to begin with. If she loves him, then she will accept who or what he is, right? If she accepts him, then she will accept us too. And everyone will be happy."
Dexter studied the gloomy air over Conan's head. "You liked her?"
"Of course!" Conan clicked his tongue at the stupid question. "She's the only witch I will like, alright?"
He then skipped his steps and planted his palm on the surface of the bed. "Also, just think of it like this. If Lady Aries joined us, then Duke Deadmore can just die! We don't need him."
"That sounds tempting, but Dani knows nothing about that."
"She can learn!"
"No." Dexter shook his head. "She shouldn't learn more than she had ever known."
"Hah…?"
"You know very well what witches can do."
"Are you afraid she will steal your thunder?"
"This isn't about as petty as that." Dexter's voice was calm, but his eyes were solemn. "You know what witches can do, and the powers they wield are not just harmful to others, but to themselves as well. According to my investigation, Maleficent is not just a witch. But she is the best of the best. Do you know how she died?"
"Some say the same humans she protected from extinction persecuted her. But others say she died because of her own black magic. No one knew what sort of power or how powerful she was. One thing is for sure, though. Witches were harmful not just to others, but also for themselves," he added. "Knowing Dani, she wouldn't mind sacrificing her own limbs or life just to do something crazy. Once she did that, even if we inject all vampire blood into her, nothing will save her."
There was a long silence between the two after Dexter's explanation. Witches were human, but they were a much more complicated type. Turning her wouldn't be easy if she became a full-blown witch. Abel had already known that, for sure.
"Anyway, that is not something we can decide," Dexter spoke after minutes of silence. "It's hers to decide, but right now, she had to focus on the matters here. This place turns my stomach every passing second."
Conan sighed and nodded. "You're right." He then frowned in distress, as more and more things clouded his head and they were all problems with few options for a solution.
"This is the price of my vacation… if I have gotten married, I would've said it's worth it. But it's not." He sighed for the umpteenth time before snapping his eyes. Both Conan and Dexter arched a brow and shifted their attention to the approaching footsteps.
Soon, a shadow came into sight, and then a figure stood by the open entrance of the burnt castle room. Aries stopped. Her gaze fell on Dexter and then at Conan. The second she locked eyes with Conan, the side of her lips curled up.
Seeing the vicious smirk plastered on her face, Conan's heart sank. 'She hated him,' was the first thing that came into his mind.
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