The Tyrant's Pet

"... I believed Lady Aries saw something in His Majesty and in you people that others such as myself hadn't.

"Are you saying you don't like me? I thought we were friends?" Morro frowned as he placed the broken porcelain back on the table that he had been munching when he finished his drink.

Ismael smiled subtly and darted his eyes between the two. His eyes softened slightly, shaking his head before pushing himself up.

"Friends is rather too soon for me to claim," he replied, holding a folded paper before marching to the stand where his coat was hanging. Once he grabbed the coat, he looked back at the two.

"But you were great allies to have. I wish you settle your issues and have a good outcome." He lowered his head. "Sir Morro, will you assist me?"

"Where?" Morro perked up. "This cup tastes good. Will you give me more?"

Ismael glanced at the broken porcelain Morro had munched. He was almost astonished and frightened at Morro's appalling nature because who in their sound mind would eat porcelain? If not for the fact Ismael had been interacting with these people, he would run away with his tail in between his legs.

But these people were just like that. If someone got to know them, they weren't as scary as they would think initially. Although they could be quite extreme in some — most — cases, they were tolerable and quite fun. Therefore, Ismael was confident Conan was worrying about nothing.

"Sure." He nodded while slipping his hand inside the coat. "It'll be a good time to rile up someone since I heard the seventh prince disappeared from his cell."

"Alright." Morro nodded, only hearing the first part, and totally ignored Ismael's agenda.

As the two walked away, Conan lifted his head, eyes on the door where they were heading.

"Hey," Conan called lazily, making Ismael and Morro look back in his direction. "If you're meeting the crown prince, make sure to anger him to death. Because if you didn't, I will tease him until he cut himself."

Ismael chuckled and smirked. "Getting in his nerves had been my forte."

"Good luck." Conan lazily waved, while Ismael looked at him for a moment.

"You can watch from the balcony over there." Ismael pointed at the glass door leading to the balcony. "It might give you enough entertainment, and make you forget about certain things."

The third prince beckoned a neck bow. "I'll be on my way now, Your Highness."

With that being said, Ismael marched away while Morro's towering figure followed behind him. As soon as the click of the door caressed Conan's ears, a frown dominated his face.

"Your Highness…" he scrunched his nose up in dismay, a little annoyed at how Ismael addressed him. "That insufferable bird probably tattled. I'll cut his tongue next time since all that mouth knows to say is stupid things."

Conan just grew annoyed as silence filled the room. After minutes of grumbling and planning for Morro's execution, he carried his weight until he was sitting up. He turned his head on the door and sighed.

"I should watch the commotion," he mumbled, dragging himself away from the chair to the balcony. "Lady Aries is surely on the move. His Majesty wouldn't disturb her tonight, right? I still have time to think about how to persuade her."

Conan sat on the balcony's railing and convinced himself he still had time. However, minutes later, his face contorted, and he clasped his hair in distress once again.

"Ugh!" he grunted in distress. "Of course, he would disturb her! He isn't the type to let things sit for a while! I'm going crazy! Why am I even surrounded by crazy people?"

Suddenly Conan paused, and his face stiffened. "That's right…" he nodded, eyes gleaming with hope.

"That Marquess!" he jumped and stood on the railings. "He can probably tell me since he likes Lady Aries more than that bitch Daniella!"

With that being said, Conan looked over the balcony and saw no one on the green landscape. However, instead of jumping down, he sniffed hard and then jumped high until he reached the roof. Like a ninja, Conan skipped his steps, jumping from roof to roof, ignoring the commotions on the ground floor.

******

SLAM!

Joaquin's eyes were burning, hands on the desk, grinding his teeth. Hernan, his aide, who broke the news about Roman's disappearance, shuddered. The latter took a careful step back to keep his distance, lowering his eyes. His expression was grim.

"How…" came out a chilling voice from the crown prince, smoldering in anger. "… how did he escape?"

"I already deployed our people to hunt him down and closed all possible exits around the imperial palace. He hadn't gone further for sure. We assumed they snuck in during the knight's switching since that is the only time the penitentiary was left unguarded," Hernan explained solemnly, gulping the thick air filling the crown prince's chancery.

"Those bastards…" Joaquin ground his teeth, punching the desk once again, which caused his knuckles to bleed. "I will kill them all."

"Your Highness."

"How about Inez?" the crown prince inquired without looking at Hernan.

"She's still in her cell." Hernan glanced at Joaquin and gulped once more. "Although… I don't think she will be helpful. The ninth princess isn't talking."

​ Joaquin snorted and set his sharp, burning eyes at his aide. "She's not talking?" he tilted his head to the side.

"Hernan, all the people I kept there were people who weren't willing to talk." He pushed himself away from the desk, straightening his back, and wiping the blood on his knuckles with the handkerchief his wife gifted him. "If I wait for them until they are willing, I wouldn't reach this far and will not gain the power I hold right now."

His eyes glinted, smirking wickedly. "She doesn't want to talk, then make her."

As soon as the last syllables escaped his lips, Joaquin marched towards the door. His steps didn't falter while Hernan followed closely behind the crown prince. However, when they reached the inner palace grounds, Joaquin's emotionless countenance died again, stopping, hearing an aggravating voice from his side.

"My, my, brother!" Ismael spread his arms, grinning from ear to ear, approaching the crown prince from the side. He stopped when he was at Joaquin's arms-length, waiting for the crown prince to look back at him before he continued.

"I heard what happened." The third prince frowned, but his eyes revealed a completely different sentiment. "Our dear little brother escaped? My… I'm concerned about the security in the imperial palace."

The side of Ismael's lips curled up. "Are you alright, Your Royal Highness?"