Chapter 93 - Illegitimate

Aleister tightened the curl of his fingers on hers as he raised his other hand and tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, ''But I can see you are happy to see me here.'' 

Esme pursed her lips, ''You look too much into it.'' 

He leaned closer to her, ''Then, you are not happy to see me around?" 

''I…'' Esme leaned back, ''I did not say that.'' 

''Then I take it as if you badly wanted me here. Not seeing me for some time makes you sad,'' He said seriously as he straightened up.

Esme's heart which was hanging high became stale before beating like usual and she rolled her eyes at him. He always had things his way. 

Later that night, Esme laid on the bed as she glanced at the ceiling blankly. 

After some time, she turned to the side and averted her gaze to the cackling woods in the fireplace. 

''Are you asleep?" She asked. 

''Mm,'' came the unhurried reply from the other side of the curtain. 

The corner of her lips twitched and she did not say anything. 

''What do you want to say?'' Aleister asked. 

''Nothing. I thought you were sleeping?" 

"You woke me up, now. You have to take responsibility for me,'' As soon as the words left his mouth, she heard some shuffling sounds behind her. 

As Esme turned around, she found the curtain in between their beds was parted, letting them have a glimpse at each other. 

Aleister was sitting on the bed, leaning back on the headrest, she could see half of his face under the glow of the fire from the fireplace. 

Esme did not bother to sit as she pulled the sheets up to her neck, only letting her head peek out while she glanced at him. 

"Should I turn to your side?" He asked. 

"Hmm?" She blinked. 

"If you want to have a better view of me, I can turn to your side," he said. 

She blinked again, the corner of her lips twitched and her face grew warm, "I was not looking at you."

"I can see that," he said. 

"Something happened today," Esme said after thinking about it for a moment. 

"I know."

"You do?" She was stunned.

"You look disturbed," he said. 

Esme nodded, "Arlan... He is not my brother."

Aleister's brows tugged together. 

"He is, in a way. But he is not..."

"What are you trying to say?" He tilted his head to the side. 

Esme glanced at the ceiling, there was a turmoil in her heart that was reflected in her eyes, "He is the son of my eldest Uncle, he was born from a mistress." 

The former King of Visteria was the eldest amongst Esme's Aunt, her mother, and her Uncle. Adrian's mother had passed away a few months after Adrian's birth due to her sickly constitution. And after a few years, her Uncle had a mistress when he went to the other kingdom and that woman gave birth to Arlan. But since her Uncle did not stay there for long, he was unaware of it. 

Later after her Uncle's demise, when Esme's mother became the queen, the woman came over to meet her and told her the truth. According to her, since Arlan is an heir to the throne, she felt it was unfair to him and the royals for keeping him away. 

Esme's mother wanted to reward her but the woman said that she was doing that because she had someone whom she wanted to marry and Arlan was an obstacle in it. 

"If we say it like this, he was abandoned by his mother," Esme said as she looked at Aleister before continuing, "No one knows about my father. And my mother didn't want Arlan to be called illegitimate..."

"So, she gave him the title of her son? Of your younger brother when he is an illegitimate child?" Aleister glanced at her face.

Esme sat up before she leaned back on the headboard and adjusted her white nightdress absent-mindedly with her fingers as the sheets slid down her body. 

Aleister raised a brow as he looked at her, "Are you doing that on purpose, Esme?" He turned to the side as he glanced at her. 

"Yes?" Esme snapped out of her daze and she turned to look at him, "What did I do?" She was confused. She was just thinking about it but why was he looking at her with an accusing gaze?

"Tell me what did you not do?" Aleister pushed himself to his feet as he stepped past the curtains before walking towards her.

She held her breath as he came to sit beside her, "When you carelessly play with your hair, I want to do it too," He whispered as he brought her hair to the front, covering her neck which was exposed to his view when she adjusted her dress. 

Her heart skipped a beat, "I was not..." 

Aleister placed his finger on her lips, "Let's not talk about what you do and what you don't. We don't want you to go red by the end of this discussion."

Esme blinked and she moved her lips but as his finger grazed past her lips, she turned frigid, not daring to move an inch. 

"You want to say something?"

Esme nodded slowly. 

"What is it that you want to say?" He leaned closer to her. 

Esme glanced at his finger resting on her lips without moving her neck. How will she talk like that? 

Aleister pressed his finger a bit, feeling the softness of her lips and he heard her inhaling a deep breath, "It looks like you have nothing to say," The tip of his finger stroked her lips and Esme blinked, "Maybe you want me to stay like this," He stroked her lips again. 

If she was not before, Esme was certain that she was red by this time. And it was only then did she realize that she had two hands by heaven's grace. 

She speechlessly raised her hand and poked his finger with her index finger, slowly pushing it away, "I wanted to say you are taking advantage of me."

"I do want to take advantage of you," He leaned closer to her, letting his lips hover near her cheeks while he nuzzled his nose in her hair.

Esme could feel gooseflesh on her skin at his movements.

He said, "But you certainly don't know what it is like to be taken advantage of as I have yet to do something to you."

Esme gulped as she cleared her throat, "I don't want you to do something to me," As he leaned back, she quickly shook her head, not daring to meet his gaze anymore, "You were right. My mother did that. She took Arlan as her son so people don't know about his illegitimate status in the family," She patted her warm cheeks, hoping he won't keep looking at her. 

But even though Aleister did not touch her again, he did not bother to avert his gaze. She was a sight to see, and she never knew it. 

"Was she not afraid about her reputation? She was the Queen during that period," Aleister said, tucking loose pieces of her hair behind her ear.

"Her face... looks like an unclear reflection in the water in my mind," Esme sighed as she closed her eyes. She was young at the time of her mother's disappearance and she did not remember many things about her. 

Anastasia Reis, Esme's mother was one of the most revered Queens in history. After her elder brother's death, not only did she take over the throne but she made the Lands of Nevesray more powerful than before, and the subjects adored and worshipped their Queen. 

But doubts rose when she disappeared for a year and came back with a daughter. 

No one knew about Esme's father but Esme was accepted as the Princess, despite the opinions rising in the court. 

"From what Aunt told me, when mother brought Arlan as my younger brother, people in the court did make objections but she never wavered and as it happened before, he was accepted gradually despite the doubts that people had," Esme said. 

Aleister nodded. In a kingdom like Nevesray, people will make objections when a Prince and Princess are brought out of nowhere and given the titles. 

Esme looked at him and the expression on her face was a little complicated, her brows tugged together, "Al, how do you think should I face Arlan in the future? Do I tell him the truth or not?" She lowered her head, "If elder brother knows about this, will it change things between him and Arlan? And will Arlan be too sad and disappointed if he knows that?"

There were many questions in her heart that she did not have an answer to. And it somehow disturbed her mind. 

Ever since her Aunt told her about this, she was trying to keep these thoughts aside and not think about this but once she told Aleister about this, everything came to her at once. 

Aleister wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, his other arm shifted to her back, stroking her gently. 

Esme blinked as her face was suddenly placed on his chest. 

"It is so pleasing to hear you addressing me like that," His deep voice sounded as he pressed his chin atop her head. 

"_" But we are not talking about that. 

The corner of her lips twitched and unbeknownst to her, the worry in her heart faded gradually.