Ensnaring His Dark Moon - Chapter 136

”Esme, are you having mood swings, or are you just embarrassed after yesterday?” he whispered in the woman’s ears before swords started clashing in the room.

”We can discuss about yesterday later. For now, I want to go back to my Kingdom. And you should stop trying to force me to stay.”

”Let go of her,” Adrian snarled when Aleister did not budge at Esme’s words.

Duke Maverick glanced at his wife before sighing, ”Aleister, let go of Esme.”

”Can you stop being like this? When things don’t work the way you want them to, you only know how to force them to go your way and I hate this about you,” the words slipped from her mouth even before she could think over it.

”Fine,” Aleister loosened his grip on her hand, ”If that’s what you really want,” he raised his hand and stepped back from her. Looking at her for one last time, he turned around to leave.

”Al, I…” Esme’s brows together, ”I didn’t mean it like that.”

He paused for a moment but in the end, he left without looking back at her.

“I will go and see if the packing is done,” Esme glanced at her Aunt.

“Brother, you should take some rest,” After Esme left, Duchess Flora said to the King when she noticed that he was dozing off, ”It’s good this way or else he would have been stressed if he witnessed this,” she whispered to Duke Maverick.

Duke Maverick massaged the spot between his brows, ”Children are a bit impulsive. I will talk to Aleister. Please don’t worry about it,” he said to King Elias.

The man nodded, ”We will talk to Esme,” he held Marlene’s hand and stroked her fingers when he saw the tensed look on her face.

Duchess Flora shook her head, ”We will go there. You should talk with Princes,” she pointed her chin at Adrian and Arlan before she pushed Duke Maverick’s wheelchair and walked out of the room.

Marlene’s shoulder slumped when she looked at them. Adrian was standing there with clenched fists and closed eyes and Arlan was holding his arm tightly. She was too focused on Esme and Aleister to notice this. It looked like Adrian had barely restrained himself from punching Aleister.

”Throw that jerk out of my sister’s sight,” he snarled, ”Or I won’t hold myself back the next time.”

He swatted away Arlan’s hand and walked out of the room.

Marlene leaned on Elias’ arm, ”Do you think someone jinxed us? Everything was going so well. Esme and the Prince looked so happy together.”

”Let’s see how everything goes,” Elias considered staying here for some time but in the end, he decided against it because there was a lot of work waiting for him back in the kingdom.

…

Esme quietly entered the room as she watched the maids packing her clothes.

She glanced at Aleister who was standing near the window with a glass of wine in his hand, ”Is it done?” she asked the maids.

”Yes, My Lady,” they bowed at her.

”You all can take my luggage to the royal carriages outside.”

All of them looked curious but they did not say anything.

Their curiosity was justified because they had yet to know about Esme’s identity as the Princess of Nevesray. So they could not understand where would the Prince’s lover go inside the royal carriages of Nevesray Kingdom.

Some of them who had heard the rumors about Arlan and Esme could not help but wonder if she was running away with the Prince of Nevesray after betraying their Prince. No wonder Prince Aleister looked so gloomy.

After they left, Esme glanced at Aleister’s back quietly, ”I am sorry. I did not mean anything that I said.”

When the man did not respond to her, she spoke quietly, ”I will leave now…”

Just as she turned around to leave, he spoke up, ”Esme, are you possessed?” he turned around to look at her.

She glanced at him with a frown on her face, ”Why are you talking to me in that tone?”

”What about you?” he stepped towards her, ”Why are you acting like this? One day, you are confessing to me about your feelings, about how seeing me with some other woman makes you jealous and the next day, you want to leave me.”

Esme sighed, ”It’s not about that. I…”

”Not about that? What then? Do you want to deny everything that happened yesterday or whatever happened between us during all our time together?” he stepped towards her and grabbed her shoulders, ”Are you going to deny everything? Or are you going to say that you were drunk and you don’t mean anything you said?”

”You are hurting me,” she winced when his grip tightened on her, ”Stop behaving like this.”

He glanced at her with bloodshot eyes and his grip loosened on her, ”I can never understand what’s on your mind, Esme.”

She stepped back from him, ”Why do you even need to understand me? Don’t forget we are not some real lovers. It was just a pretense in the first place so stop acting as you own me…” she turned around and walked out of the room.

Her footsteps came to a halt when she saw Duke Maverick and Duchess Flora outside the door. Her lips parted.

Duchess Flora wiped the tears from her eyes, ”Esme…. don’t mind his actions. Brother’s health condition is not good so don’t take his words to heart. Can you please…. stay with him during this period? He needs you…”

Duke Maverick sighed.

”Stay with him?” Esme glanced at Aleister who was looking at her from a distance, ”I can not tolerate him. He is unreasonable.”

”Neither do I enjoy your company. Just get out of my sight right this instant,” Aleister threw the wine glass in his hand to the floor.

”I am leaving. You don’t need to order me around.”

”Don’t show me your face ever again.”

Esme’s eyes teared up, ”Rude jerk!” she mumbled under her breath and ran away.

Duke Maverick and Duchess Flora glanced at each other helplessly. ”I thought they would look so nice together. Why is this happening?” Duchess Flora sobbed.

Duke Maverick leaned back on the wheelchair as he quietly stroked his wife’s hand.. He did not know what to do.