Abel's back landed on the floor with a thud, blinking in surprise at Aries's questionable strength. Where did her confidence go? He blinked quicker than usual, the lines between his brows deepening.
'Oh, darling... once is enough, twice is too much, and thrice...' Abel let out a dry, soundless laugh. '... thrice is a poison that can kill.'
"My lady?" The servant halted as soon as she closed the door from behind her, furrowing her brows when her eyes landed on the empty bed. She flinched slightly when Aries appeared from the other side of the bed.
"Yes?" Aries laughed nervously, about to stand up, but Abel held her hips still.
"My lady, did you perhaps fall over the bed?" asked the servant worriedly, holding a tray with a set of tea to soothe Aries's muscles and calm her mind. The servant gasped, recalling hearing a loud thud when she came in to check. But just as she was about to rush to the bedside table, Aries raised a hand over the bed to stop her.
"Stay right there!" Aries yelled, panting for air while her heart thudded against her ribcage. Her lips quivered, looking back at the servant who entered her chambers unannounced. Was she new in the manor? How could she enter her master's chambers just like that?
Oh... now Aries missed Gertrude. She wouldn't have to go through all this if Gertrude were here to serve Aries.
"My lady, are you alright? You're sweating and your face is all red." The servant pointed out worriedly, snapping Aries back to the current lapse. She carefully approached the bed, making Aries's heart stop for a second. The latter watched the servant place the tray on the mattress and carefully put the basin and ewer on the floor, only to place the tray on top of the bedside table.
As the servant was doing all that, Aries's mouth fell when Abel moved down his hips, his erection gliding up and down in between her folds.
"Ah!" She instinctively bit her lower lip the second he lifted his waist, infiltrating her soaking cave unannounced. Although his entrance was smooth with the help of her overflowing love nectar, a reckless sound still escaped her mouth.
The servant flinched, looking back at Aries. "My lady, are you alright? Were you in pain?" she was about to walk over to the other side to see whether Aries injured herself from her fall, but she stopped when Aries shook her hand.
"I'm — I'm fine," Aries breathed out, stilling her knees so her body wouldn't obviously move along with his careful, slow thrust. Abel was driving her crazy, making her heart race with nervousness and thrill at the same time.
"I was just --" she cleared her drying throat as all the moisture of her body leaked out from her core. "Please leave. I was just checking something under the bed. Yes... under the bed. I was checking something."
"Oh... should I help --"
"No!" the servant flinched when Aries raised her voice. "It's fine. I found it already. Ha ha!"
Aries looked down at Abel as she laughed, grinding her teeth when he wiggled his brows playfully. His lips were stretching from ear to ear, enjoying her struggle to maintain her composure.
"It's alright now," Aries grabbed a pin lying near Abel and raised it over the bed, looking back at the servant with a forced smile. "See? I found... it."
"Oh..." the servant rocked her head in understanding but stood still. Aries nearly wept in distress, seeing that the maid didn't move an inch. Why was she still here?
"My lady, I told Sir Gustav you weren't feeling well, so he told me I should make you some tea." The servant motioned her hand towards the bedside table, looking at Aries with worry. "If you need anything else, I also bought a bell. Just ring it; I will be outside and will be on standby."
"Oh... alright." Aries panted, pressing Abel's chest to stop him from moving so much. She waved hurriedly, resting her arm over the mattress. "Don't worry about me anymore. You may go."
"Yes, my lady."
"And!" the servant halted as she raised her eyes at Aries when the latter added, "don't come in my chambers unless I said so, alright?"
"Ye — yes, my lady." The servant pursed her lips and lowered her head, holding her hand nervously. She was simply worried about Aries, and the news regarding the lady's situation amplified the servant's desire to make Aries feel at home.
"I'll excuse myself now, my lady. Please have a good rest."
"Yes!"
The servant's frown deepened, but she kept her head hung low as she sauntered off. However, when she looked back, her brows furrowed when Aries grinned while waving.
'My lady...' the servant called mentally, holding herself back from proposing to stay lest Aries was experiencing a traumatic episode. She bowed mildly once again and left the chambers, closing the door carefully. When the servant stood outside, a deep exhale slipped past her lips.
"I was told that the lady needs a lot of care because of the revolt..." she murmured, worry still filling her eyes. Although it was strange for Aries to yell and then smile, the servant treated it as one of the causes of being sandwiched in the rebellion in that Maganti Empire.
<strong>Meanwhile,</strong> back inside the chamber, Aries heaved a sigh of relief when the servant left. She then glared at the devious man underneath her, slapping his chest while grinding her teeth.
"Are you out of your mind?!" she whispered yell, drawing back when Abel propped his elbow against the floor to assist himself up. Aries gulped when she came face to face with him, realizing she pushed him with so much strength that the back of his head crashed on the floor with a loud thud.
"Are you alright?" she asked, quivering when Abel wrapped his arm around her tiny waist.
"Mhm." His hum was rasped and low, batting his long eyelashes ever so tenderly. She lowered her eyes under his sharp gaze, biting her inner lower lip in distress. He was not pleased, and she was certain of that. She snapped her eyes, recalling he seemed pleased earlier while she was struggling whilst talking to the servant.
"Darling, I'll kill that servant," he remarked, making her gasp in disbelief. "The next time she interrupts me… I will."
"What?"
"Do you want to save her?" he cocked his head, batting his eyelashes ever so tenderly. "You can save her, though. I'll show you how."
Aries's heart sank when the side of his lips stretched from ear to ear like a devil who just crawled his way up from the pits of hell.