Ensnaring his Dark Moon-Chapter 264: Uncle’s life is in danger

It felt like her body was burning. She immediately retracted her hand but he grabbed it and kissed it before placing it back on his body, ’’I know I was wrong about it,’’ Not telling her about his lost link with the Defire Kingdom, not telling her that he was dying because of the overwhelming powers in his body... he did all that to protect her but it harmed them more in the end.

Esme sighed again, ’’I thought I was dreaming about last night and you were just a figment of my imagination.’’

Aleister’s face softened. Was that why she cried? He turned his head to the side and kissed the crown of her hair. There was plenty of time to show her how real he was so he did not utter any words to convince her.

’’I should leave,’’ Esme tried to sit up but he pulled her into his arms again.

’’No, stay with me,’’ Aleister kissed the tip of her nose.

She pushed his chest lightly, ’’It will be chaotic if they do not find me there,’’ she had left hurriedly yesterday and Jeremiah might have looked for her later. Or the King could have passed by her room to check on her.

But since the castle seemed peaceful, nobody had discovered her absence yet.

’’You regained your memories. Why are we still pretending?" Aleister knew there was more to it.

She was shocked when she regained her memories, she was waiting for something to happen to her.... but other than all that, there was some other reason too as to why she kept pretending that she did not remember anything.

If he had not caught on to her antics, then she would have gone pretending for who knows how long. His eyes darkened.

Esme drew small circles on his chest, ’’This...’’ she cleared her throat, ’’...wedding cannot stop,’’ she felt him stiffen under her touch.

He grabbed her wrist and locked his eyes with hers, ’’What are you talking about, Princess?"

’’We need to pretend. No one can know that I have regained my memories. No one should know that I spent last night here,’’ Esme whispered, ’’With you.’’

"You mean with me inside you?"

Esme choked on air. She glared at him but in the end, she nodded.

Aleister narrowed his eyes, letting go of her wrist as he raked his fingers through her hair, ’’And why is that?’’ She was putting him on the edge with her words.

And he had a feeling that he will not like what was coming next.

’’Uncle’s life...is in danger,’’ Esme’s lips thinned.

Aleister’s fingers paused in her hair, ’’Is it...?"

As their eyes met, all that there was in them was understanding. They did not have to say the name to know who was behind it.

His brows tugged together. He had thought about going to meet Rowan and his uncle but he could not stay there to protect them so for the time being, he did not want to implicate them either. Who could have known that his uncle was already implicated?

He continued stroking her hair again as she looked at him quietly.

’’Are you not worried?"

’’You have yet to finish speaking, Princess. It is too early to get worried,’’ he kissed her forehead.

The corner of her lips tugged up. He knew her too well at times like these, didn’t he?

*Flashback*

After Cardan left, Esme and Luciana were left alone inside the room.

"What happened between you and your father for him to transform into a beast and do this to you?" Esme’s brows furrowed.

"I told you that we had some disagreements,’’ Luciana avoided her gaze.

Esme quietly glanced at the woman, ’’Lucy, can I even trust you?" she whispered after a long time.

And that hit a nerve because a glimpse of hurt shadowed the woman’s face. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Luciana clenched her fist, ’’The reason I am not telling you anything is not that I have ulterior motives.’’

Esme knew it. She always believed her instincts.

’’It is because every occurrence in my life seems to be related to you. You have lost your memories, Es and I do not want to trigger any of them or put your life in danger. And even if I risk it, telling you something about people from the past is meaningless when you will not even know who I am talking about."

’’So, you do know about my past?" Esme raised a brow, ’’I was not just a half-mermaid your father had found from the land of humans?"

’’Everyone has a past. You do too,’’ Luciana was tired of constantly putting a facade and covering things. She decided to be as honest as she could be with Esme without risking her life, ’’I know almost everything about you. You have every right to be angry,’’ she did not meet Esme’s gaze.

’’What does your father want?" Esme’s voice was surprisingly calm.

Luciana frowned at the question. How was she supposed to say without mentioning her relation with Aleister, ’’He wants me to find a weakness of someone...’’ Luciana said after a beat, ’’...From your past. He wants to control that person.’’

Esme’s voice was calmer as she asked, ’’Did you agree?"

Luciana’s lips thinned as she nodded, ’’My mother’s room. It has been locked forever. He said he will let me step inside and have the remnants of her memories. If I don’t do what he is asking, he will burn it down. I agreed.’’

Esme nodded again.

Luciana frowned, ’’You are not going to tell me I am wrong?"

’’How is it wrong?" Esme shrugged a shoulder, ’’Your father is the one in the wrong for making you choose between your conscience and mother.’’

Luciana’s lips parted as her eyes burned. She lowered her head to look at her palms resting on her lap.

’’And even if it is wrong, I will give you a hand while you make trouble,’’ Esme contemplated over it for a moment before she added, ’’We can find some way to make it right after that.’’