Chapter 111 - Not A Human

Esme had a hunch that all these matters were related to each other but how?

And apart from everything else, she did not want to leave that person…

Esme closed her eyes as soon as that thought crossed her mind.

''Pretty lady…'' 

Arlan's voice snapped Esme out of her daze. 

She found him looking at Duchess Flora who smiled sweetly at him, ''Have we met before, little Prince?" 

''I am just a few years younger than my sister. How am I little?" Arlan's whined, ''Oh, I remember now. I saw your portrait on the Castle wall and I was thinking who this pretty lady could be.''

''Don't be rude, Arlan,'' Marlene narrowed her eyes at him. 

''I complimented her. How was I being rude?" Arlan rolled his eyes. Their Aunt had a problem with everything they did. 

''Then I shall thank the Prince for his compliment,'' Duchess Flora smiled. 

Duke Maverick leaned closer to Duchess Flora, ''My wife is indeed beautiful,'' he whispered into her ear. 

''You…'' Her cheeks turned red, ''He is a child. But is it proper for you to say such things at such places?" she glared at him. 

Duke Maverick shrugged. 

''It's good to see everyone is happy,'' Esme softly said. 

''Indeed. Only if that unfilial son was here,'' Alexander massaged the spot between his brows. It looks like the time for another proper discussion with Aleister was approaching. He was becoming more and more unruly.

And the mention of that person took Esme back to her original thought where she strayed away from. 

About not wanting to leave him.

After dinner, Esme paced back and forth in the room. She patted her cheeks which were turning hot with each passing second, ''Why would I think like that? Why would I not want to leave him?'' her thoughts flew back to the kiss they shared in the garden and she bit her lips.

Esme tugged her hair, ''Uhh…'' she walked towards his bed and picked up the pillow before poking it hard, ''You… You are not allowed to do anything to me from now on. I must be having such thoughts because of seeing you all the time. But I didn't see you around all day long and I don't even know where you are then why I am still thinking of you?" she threw the pillow away in annoyance.

But a moment later, she grabbed it again, ''Can't you inform me before you leave? Why must I wake up in an empty room every day? It is very unpleasant….'' Esme realized something wrong with her words, ''But it's more improper to wake up to his face.''

She hurriedly threw the pillow away, ''I must be out of my mind….'' She was even talking to a pillow. That man angered her to the point that she lost her calm. 

Esme was about to inhale a deep breath when she heard a loud crashing sound near the window.

She was startled.

As soon as she turned her face towards the window, her eyes widened in disbelief at what she witnessed.

''Al,'' she rushed towards the man who was lying on the floor with his back leaning against the wall. His face was deathly pale, ''What happened to you?" she grabbed his hand but it felt cold to her touch.

Esme patted his cheek, ''Wake up…'' she was about to say something when her nose caught the metallic scent in the air.

She slowly moved and looked at his back, her gaze landing on the pool of blood on the floor. She could not see it earlier because she was squatting while facing him and he was wearing all black clothes.

But now that she saw the pool of blood, she could see it dripping from his drenched clothes.

''Aleister, what happened to you? Wake up…'' Esme patted his cheeks, ''You… Did he die?" she hesitantly extended her finger towards his nose to see if he was still breathing.

''I'm still alive. Bad for you,'' Aleister mumbled under his breath without opening his eyes.

''You are so detestable,'' Esme gritted her teeth, ''You were awake all this time then why were you lying like a corpse when I was so worried?"

''It's rare to see you being concerned about me,'' the corner of his lips tugged up in what she would call an arrogant smirk.

''If I had a word to describe you, it would be a colossal jerk,'' she said indifferently.

''My dear moon, quit spitting profanities at me. I am a man of morals, I get offended by these,'' he shrugged.

Esme's reactions shifted briefly but since he had his eyes closed, he did not notice anything, ''But you are a jerk. There is no going back on it,'' she was about to stand up when he grabbed her wrist.

''I am weak and fragile at this moment. Can you bear to leave me here, lying like this?" he opened his eyes and the pair of ice-blue eyes looked straight into her eyes.

Esme clicked her tongue, shaking off his hand.

''Sss…'' Aleister pressed his palm on his chest.

''Can you stop with the pretense? I am not falling for it again,'' Esme walked towards the bed.

Hearing no response from him, she frowned, ''You…'' She turned around to look at him and her lips parted when she saw the blood dripping from his chest down to his palm.

Esme picked up her gown and ran towards him. ''Can you stand up?" She tried to pull him up but his wound was inflamed in the process, intensifying the bleeding.

''As much as you hate me, is it inhumane of you to kill me like this?" he mumbled under his breath.

''I have better ways to kill you.''

''Not that you are a human though,'' he sighed.

Esme froze, ''Did you discover something? Where did you go? Who did this to you?'' Initially, she was so nervous after seeing him in this condition that she did not think about anything else.

He must be pulling her leg as usual. She thought.. Yes, that must be it.