Chapter 76 - An Old Memory

Leo's eyes widened further in shock. That cruel girl won't pat him after that. He raised his front paws in a docile manner. His limbs were hurting so he was just resting here. He did not peek. 

Aleister's jaws ticked. Was it a tiger or a cat? ''Pretentious,'' He spoke in disdain, ''If your limbs are hurting, I can give you small wings instead.''

Just as he raised his hand, Leo grabbed it as he vehemently shook his head, his white fur swaying from left to right. No, he did not want to be a butterfly again. It is so exhausting and he won't be able to have meat. 

Aleister shook off his paw from his hand as he glanced at him solemnly, ''Did you got to the enchanted forest?" 

Leo nodded.

''Was there something unusual around the well?"

...

Esme ran as far as away from the room that he was in as she looked behind her. Seeing that he did not come after her, she placed her palm on the pillar and supported her forehead on it as she panted.

'I will back you up even if you are going against the whole world.'

'On my side, there has always been something for you.'

'You have to be mine, Esme.'

'There is one bed here, my dear moon. So, are we...?' 

''Think no evil. Think no evil...'' Esme slammed her forehead on the pillar but it went a little too hard, ''Ahh...'' She placed her palm on the forehead, ''It is all because of him,'' She gritted her teeth, trying to endure the pain as she gently rubbed the spot.

''What is she doing?" 

''I saw her slamming her head into the pillar.'' 

''Is she trying to take her life?"

''When I was coming here, I noticed that she ran all the way through the hallway in a hurry. Do you think she is trying to take her life because... perhaps the Prince...?" 

Esme turned to look at them, a hint of irritation in her eyes. 

The maids immediately stopped talking feeling a bit intimidated for a moment. 

But as they looked at her again, her expression seemed to be normal. 

As they glanced at her retreating back, one of them could not help but say, ''We were whispering to each other. She could not have heard us, right?" 

''How could it be?" Another replied, ''And even if she hears us, then what? She might just be one of the women that the Prince is bedding.'' 

''Shhh... No matter what, don't let anyone hear you.''

As Esme stepped away from them, she felt irked in her heart. How easily his name was ruffling her feathers did not sit well with her. 

''Why did he even do this? Is it too much if he does not cause some chaos...?'' She mumbled her grievances to herself as she stepped into the backyard of the manor. 

Esme glanced at the moon hiding behind a layer of clouds while her fingers stroked the flower of the plants which reached till her waist. 

I should not think about him.

She believed that as long as Arlan was found, they will go back and everything will turn back to how peaceful it was. Esme was relieved in her heart that her Aunt was nearby, and she was doing good. 

Everything will be alright. She coaxed her racing heart which was still hung over what happened inside the room but his words and actions refused to leave her alone. 

'Rustle'

''...No.''

Her hair flew to the side as she tilted her head hearing the faint voice. Is someone here? 

She picked up her gown and tiptoed towards the wall. She brought her hair to one side of her shoulder and holding the edge of the wall, Esme leaned forward. 

''Be obedient,'' The man's silver hair flew in the gentle breeze of the night as he caressed a horse's face. Under the warm glow of the lanterns inside the horse barn, Esme could see a row of animals but the man stood in front of that ordinary looking brown horse with his usual gentle expression on his face. 

''It's him again...'' Esme whispered softly. As she watched Aiden feeding the horse and laughing at it, her expressions softened slightly but she quickly shook her head. 

He was not her elder brother. 

That night she had seen him in that half-dead condition and he could not have made it given his grave injuries. Her Uncle's guards had declared him dead. And after that, the castle had caught fire.

She had not cried or mourned over his death because in her heart, Adrian was strong. 

To Esme, he was invincible and she always believed that one day, he will come to her and tell her that nothing happened to him. 

But she was 14 years old then and she was 21 now. While growing up, she knew that she should shed off any of her unrealistic hopes about him. 

He died in front of her eyes. 

So, trying to see him in someone else just made her look pathetic. 

Esme closed her eyes and she was about to straighten up when the horse neighed all of a sudden. 

''So unreasonable. Are you a horse or a pig?" The man coldly said. 

She paused in her movements. His words reminded her of a distant old memory.

"But brother, it was not his fault. I was looking around the common hunting ground when a few villagers came. They did not recognize me and they..." A 11-year old Esme spoke reasonably.

The 15-year old Adrian Reis turned to look at her, ''Did they do something?" 

''No, they just wanted him,'' She pointed her finger at the young brown horse, ''When I did not agree, they wanted to fight and so he fought with them...''

Adrian glanced at the horse in front of him, "Unless you are certain of your victory, you should not start a battle," He stroked her hair while talking to him, ''You can't see neither can you fight, did you think you could tackle them? You both should have escaped from there.''

Little Esme glanced at the horse's blank eyes and her heart ached. He was born blind and since her brother had recently picked up this young horse from a small shop in Nevesray, he was not well trained yet. And, today, he was a little injured while protecting her as those villagers had tried to beat him with a stick to tame him. 

She glanced at her dirty appearance and her dirty clothes that she had borrowed from the head gardener's son, ''Brother, I will be obedient,'' She held his hand as she sobbed, ''Don't be harsh on him.''

Looking at the tears welling up in her eyes, Adrian came to his knees as he wiped her face, ''Did brother scare you?'' His tone turned gentle. 

''You scared him,'' Little Esme pointed her finger at the young horse. 

Adrian laughed, ''I won't do that again,'' He looked at the horse, ''Come, let's get your wounds treated.'' 

The horse neighed as he turned his face to the side. He was not going after being scolded. 

Adrian patted his face, ''So unreasonable. Are you a horse or a pig?"