Chapter 117 - Don't Regret It

Esme turned around and glanced at Liz who was now standing on her feet.

She stepped out of the place without sparing her a second glance.

As soon as she stepped out, the floor closed.

Esme looked around. She could see the portraits hanging on the wall under the moonlight. 

She was back to the hallway behind Aleister's room.

Esme pressed a palm on the wall as she panted.

Inhaling a deep breath, she picked up her gown with one hand and ran towards the end of the hallway, leaving the portraits behind on the wall. 

Just as she was reaching the end of the hallway, Esme bumped into someone.

''Ah..'' Esme stepped back from the person, dread creeping up in her heart.

Liz was still inside that secret passage after being stabbed by her. How did she reach up to her so fast?

''My Lady, what's wrong with you?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Esme tilted her head, ''Mr. Reiner,'' the person standing in front of her was none other than Keith Reiner, the head gardener and the man whom she spotted with  Liz while they were kissing, ''What are you doing here?''

Keith rubbed his eyes. He looked drowsy with his messy hair, ''Earlier, I went to meet someone and ended up…''

''Are you talking about Liz? Did you go to meet her?"

''How do you know?" Keith looked embarrassed but under her solemn gaze, he truthfully answered, ''Yes, I went to her room earlier but I don't know how I ended up sleeping there. I am trying to look for her now.''

Esme frowned, ''Come with me. It's not safe here,'' she remembered that Liz told her that she had put Keith to sleep before coming after her. 

His brows tugged together, ''My lady, did something happen? You don't seem to be alright. You are sweating all over. And where are we going?" He grabbed her hand.

''I will tell you later. First, come with me…'' Esme's footsteps came to a halt, ''Mr. Reiner, the Daven's castle is so huge. Out of all the places, why are you looking for Liz in this abandoned hallway?" her voice grew softer towards the end.

There was no response from the man.

''You seem to be fond of looking deeper into things,'' the man whispered beside her ear.

She slowly turned around and looked at Keith.

Under the pale glow of moonlight, a red streak flashed across his dark eyes.

''You too…'' her lips parted in disbelief.

''My Lady, did I scare you?" Keith looked at her with an amused smile, ''Or did you think it was only Liz?"

Esme's fingers curled around the knife that she was holding in her left hand.

''To tell you the truth, you have infatuated me since the very first day I saw you. Who knew you would end up with the Prince?" An undisguised fury flashed in his eyes as he thought about it. He let go of her hand as he spoke, ''I was the one who saw and met you first, I was the one who helped you when you knew nothing about how things worked inside the castle. I was supposed to be the one you loved, not him.''

Esme was stunned. There was no way in the world she had any inkling  about the wild  thoughts in his head. This man… had such feelings for her?

If anyone else told her about this, she would not have believed it. In her eyes, Keith Reiner was a diligent and professional person.

The sight of him kissing Liz had already surprised her but now his words left her mortified.

Keith pinched her chin, ''Why did you do it to me? Later, you even talked to me like I am a complete stranger,'' his pupils turned red.

''I saw you and Liz…''

''Are you thinking about her? Don't worry about her. She is just a pawn I needed to reach to you, nothing more…Ahh…''

Esme stabbed his wrist with all her might until his grip on her chin loosened.

She turned around and ran towards the end of the hallway but the hallway had never felt so huge before this. 

Strolling here has always been easy but now that she was running for her life, the end seemed to be moving further away from her. 

Her heart raced faster when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

''Did you think I'd let go of you this easily?" Keith grabbed her hair with his left hand.

Esme winced. She pressed her palm on the back of her head instinctively. 

His grip on her hair loosened and he walked to the front as he stood there while facing her, ''You have to be mine. There is no other way out of it,'' he placed his palm on her cheek and stroked her face gently with his thumb, deep eyes that stared at her with obsession.

Esme looked into his eyes, restraining the urge to shake off his hand. She was beyond disgusted but at this point, all she wished was for her powers to work.

'On other days, you come around and play with my body recklessly without an invitation. Now that I am trying so hard, why won't you work?' Esme couldn't have more complaints about the strange powers that she possessed.

Keith frowned, ''What are your thoughts preoccupied with? Is it that man?" his tone deepened and his fingers that were stroking her cheeks a moment ago, dug inside her skin.

Esme pursed her lips, restraining herself from making any sound. Her face was sore because of the amount of pressure he applied.

She tried to stab his chest but he grabbed her wrist, the blood from his stabbed wrist dripped on her gown as the dagger in her hand dropped to the floor.

''Don't think about him. He will die soon anyway. For you, it is just me,'' he leaned closer to her, his gaze settled on her lips.

Esme struggled in his grip but he wrapped an arm around her waist.

''Let go of me…'' Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to turn her face to the side but his finger applied pressure on her jaws, keeping her face in the place, ''No…'' A stifled sob left her mouth followed by another.

Keith paused, ''No, don't cry. I am not trying to hurt you. I love you so much. Don't cry,'' he watched as her tears turned to small white pearls as they landed on the floor, ''I am the only one who will keep you safe. You are so special that all of them will kill you.''

Esme tried to calm down but she could not stop her tears. She has been holding them back since Aleister lost his consciousness. She was scared after seeing him in that state and she was worried  that she wouldn't be able to heal him.

Normally, it would never be difficult to heal wounds for her but she overexerted herself while healing his wounds which meant that they were far more serious than she thought.

Even if she healed them from outside, it did not mean that he recovered. He even asked her to not tell the Physicians or anyone else about his condition.

She was so worried about him even though she consoled herself, tried to fool herself with the calm exterior.

As if that was not enough, the events that followed horrified her. 

''Let go of me…'' Esme wiped her tears but they showed no signs of stopping..

''Let go?" A crazed look appeared in his eyes as he pinched her chin harder, ''I will not let go of you.''

Water droplets crashed against the glass panes of the huge floor to ceiling windows as her tears landed on the floor.

Keith glanced at the sky before he turned to look back at her. It was an ordinary starry night but now it was pouring like this, ''See, I told you they will kill you because you are different. Come with me. Let's run away. I will keep you safe.''

When Esme did not say anything, his nostrils flared, ''Do you not understand it? Are you still thinking about that man? I told you that you are mine…'' with that said, he leaned closer to her.

Just when their lips were inches apart, he felt a strong grip on his neck.

''Urgh…'' Keith's eyes bulged out as he watched Esme strangling him.

He struggled to take her hand off his neck but it was as if her delicate fingers were made of iron.

If Rowan was here, he would have found this scene familiar because it happened with him the night when Esme was sleepwalking and he had followed after her to stop her.

''I told you to let go, didn't I?'' A whisper left Esme's mouth as she wiped her tears with her left hand slowly.. The heavy rain stopped seconds after. Her grey eyes were emotionless as usual but there was a ruthlessness in them, ''You didn't listen so you should not regret, am I right?" her voice was low and somewhat seductive. 

But to Keith whose life was hanging by a thread, that voice sounded like a death lullaby.