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Joaquin and Aries decided to take a stroll in the garden after the meal. Walking side by side, Aries glanced to her right where her husband was walking, his hands interlaced behind him, keeping his silence.

"You don\'t seem well, husband." She broke the silence between the two of them, watching Joaquin cast her a quick glance. "Are you alright?"

"Of course." He sported a smile that didn\'t reach his eyes. "Why wouldn\'t I? How about you? Did you enjoy the food?"

This time, Aries closed her lips and raised her chin, eyes ahead, feeling the soothing night breeze hitting her face. She kept quiet for several seconds, feeling his gaze on her side as their steps slowed down.

"I thought I would get indigestion," she confessed and chuckled, glancing at him with a playful visage. "I am no fool, husband. The rancor between siblings isn\'t news to me. Isn\'t that one of the reasons the royal family in Haimirich kept their bloodline at a minimum to avoid such a problem from arising? It all happens in many noble houses when everyone wants to steal the title of the heir. I heard many of them."

Aries stopped in her stride and faced Joaquin squarely. Looking up to meet his eyes, a gentle smile appeared on her face. Her hand raised, cupping his lean jaw, brushing it with her thumb.

"I am saying my husband\'s enemies are mine. If you think I am simply saying this out of affection, it is not." His brow arched, listening to her honest remarks. "You are now my husband and I am now the crown princess of the Maganti Empire. Your downfall will also be mine — or worse. I also need to survive… darling."

His eyes narrowed as they glinted, staring at her eyes that didn\'t conceal the contempt within. This was what he liked about his wife. She was honest and not foolish to act in the name of \'love.\' She wasn\'t \'gaslighting\' him by speaking words of love. Although there were times she would speak such words with pure innocence.

\'You better not be that Aries,\' he thought as he reached her cheek and brushed it gently with his thumb. \'It would be nice if you aren\'t.\'

Joaquin sported a gentle smile as he held down the hand that was on his cheek without letting it go. "Let\'s continue our stroll before the wind gets colder."

"Yes." She smiled.

With that being said, Aries and Joaquin walked into the garden with their hands interlaced. From an outsider\'s point of view, they looked like a lovely couple.

A beautiful woman whose every action spoke elegance and a man who carried himself with pride and authority.  But that also made things unrealistic.

In the world, they were moving in and the responsibility they carry with their name, love… was not something that would bloom. Especially if their hands intertwined wasn\'t enough to close the distance their pain, ambition, greed, and the past had created between them.

Their heart… or rather, her heart was no longer available.

A certain devil already made sure of that.

<strong>********</strong>

That night after the dinner with members of the royal family, Joaquin didn\'t stay in her room, thankfully. The crown prince was busy and had to attend to his duties, which Aries understood. She already adjusted to this place quite well, so she didn\'t mind spending the night alone.

"Gertrude," Aries called, causing her personal maid to look back at her when she was by the door to let the crown princess rest for the night.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

Aries was sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling kindly. "You forgot the candles."

"But Your Highness, didn\'t you say you will sleep alone for the night?" asked Gertrude with furrowed brows, watching Aries\' smile stretched a little wider.

"I did, but you still need to light them up. I like the scent of lavender," Aries returned as she slipped under the sheet, resting her back against the bed\'s headboard, and then continued as she picked up the book on the nightstand. "It\'s quite addictive."

Gertrude pressed her lips in a hard line before letting out a faint sigh. "Yes, Your Highness." She bowed slightly before lighting up all the candles in the room as she only lit up a few, enough to fill the room with the faint scent of lavender.

Honestly, Gertrude had noticed that the chambermaids cleaning up the crown princess\'s room had been talking about the scent of lavender. Although Aries explained the effects of the candles infused with a secret ingredient, it wasn\'t deadly if someone inhaled it slightly. Still, for Aries to keep breathing it in every single night with such amount, Gertrude could not help but worry.

Noticing the expression on Gertrude\'s face, Aries chuckled. "Don\'t worry, Gertrude. It almost smells like the greenhouse back home. Oh, actually, my room in here smells better."

"My lady."

"Gertrude." Aries smacked her lips, as Gertrude had been too uptight. Understandable. They were now in another land and it was just the three of them: Gertrude, Minerva, and Aries, that came from Haimirich, who now lived within the castle walls of the Maganti Empire.

"I did say the crown prince told me he wouldn\'t visit tonight," she explained, setting her eyes on the book on her lap while her eyes drooped dangerously. "But as I\'ve said, the scent of lavender is quite soothing. It helps people to relax." — it was a drug after all.

Gertrude let out another deep sigh as she nodded. As usual, she held her breath as the scent of lavender grew stronger. When she was finished lighting up the last candle, Gertrude faced Aries\'s direction and bowed.

"I\'ll now take my leave, Your Highness."

"Have a good night." Aries waved, watching her personal maid leave until the soft click of the door hummed in her ears. The side of her lips slowly curled up as she peeled her eyes away from the door.

\'I did say the effect of the candles will weaken if he keeps sleeping in here, but not yet,\' she thought, raising the book to read it. \'He was barely hooked… and almost is never enough for me. He needs to be dependent.\'

A burst of faint laughter slipped past her lips as her eyes glinted. \'Tonight... I will be reeling the fish in.\'