Chapter 11: My dear savior
"I do want something from you," Slowly and casually, he enunciated each word as he leaned closer to her until there was no distance between them yet their bodies did not touch.
But Esme felt as if thousands of waves were rolling inside her body. Her sharp hearing picked up every minute detail from the surroundings. The dungeon was quiet and eerie and amidst the stillness, she could hear the sizzling sounds of the lava, his breathing, and his voice.
He had her trapped inside his arms and he was standing so close to her yet there remained a distance between them. He did not touch a single strand of her hair but still her heart picked up its pace as she pressed her back further on the wall. "W-What is that?" As long as it was not something impossible, she could give it to him in return for his silence regarding this matter.
Esme lowered her head. But if he asked something that she could not afford, then-
"Your name."
She snapped out of her thoughts and glanced at the man as he stepped back from her. Her heartbeats gradually returned to normal. "That's it?" She asked hesitantly. All it would take for him to set her free was her name?
A small lazy smile made its way to his face that looked no less than wicked to her, "You want to give something else? Then how about-"
"Esmeray," She interrupted before he changed his mind. With that said, she glanced at his face and this time he did not seem to have any intentions of holding her back. She slowly clutched her gown in her fist and glanced at the wooden door on her left before taking small steps towards it as all the while, her gaze remained on his face.
Aleister looked at the girl who resembled a little fawn at this moment. Her slow steps, her hesitant gaze, her sweating face, the way she bit her bottom lips every time she noticed that he was not moving from his spot, it was as if she was afraid that he would go back on his words and hunt her down.
Did she know how inciting her actions were? And how provocative it could be to normal men?
As soon as Esme reached the door, she let out a sigh of relief inwardly and quickly turned around without looking at the man again. Once she was out of here, she will make sure that their paths will never cross again.
Aleister clicked his tongue "Tsk.."
Esme stiffened when she heard the voice right beside her ear. Her eyes widened as she clutched her gown tighter than before. How is it possible? He was standing at a distance when she turned around then how...? She could feel his presence looming right behind her.
"I expected you to say something like 'You're not worthy to know my name'..." He looked at her side face, his fingers moved towards her hair as he tucked the loose strands beside her ear before leaning closer to her, "What a disappointment, my dear savior!" He whispered, his breath fanning her neck.
Esme's breath hitched at the sudden proximity but the moment she heard his words, it was as if she was struck by lightning.
A distant memory played in her mind.
'What is your name?' An arrogant boy with the most beautiful blue eyes and dirty appearance had once asked her.
'You're not worthy to know my name,' was her reply.
Esme snapped out of her daze as she turned around, "Are you-" She paused, finding no one behind her. She stood rooted to her spot as she looked around. He was standing right behind her then how did he disappear.
She heard the sounds of approaching footsteps from the other side of the lava river. It was coming from the direction she entered the dungeon.
Pressing a palm on her mouth, she slowly opened the wooden door behind her with her other hand.
The man who stepped inside was one of the guards who was standing at the entrance of this cave-like dungeon. She had distracted them with some tricks to get inside.
"Who is there?''
Esme's eyes widened.
Just as he was about to look in her direction, another man came from behind, "How could there be someone here? We are guarding here the whole time."
And it managed to distract the man momentarily.
She took the opportunity to open the door and get out of the dark corner she was standing at. And surprisingly the door led her to the halls, unlike the cave-like entrance she entered from. She picked up her gown and ran along the dark hallways without looking back at the place.
After she was at a safe distance, she held a pillar and panted with one of her hands resting on her knee. Hiding behind the pillar, she glanced in the direction of the dungeon. Giant chandeliers with four layers of candles were lit and raised to the ceiling to light the grand hallway but all she could see was a vast stretch of the walls. There was no wooden door that she escaped from.
Probably the door was designed in such a way that one would not differentiate it from the wall. Like a secret exit. She concluded as her gaze wandered around the place.
"Is she the same person who almost sacrificed her life to save you when we were in Nevesray?" Rowan glanced at the man who was casually leaning against the wall, his gaze fixed on the girl dressed in an ordinary white gown, hiding behind the pillar seemingly looking for someone.
It has been seven years since that time but Rowan would never forget how he was tied with a rope while Aleister and that white beast of his walked away leaving him alone.
Aleister narrowed his eyes, "Clingy girl," He mumbled looking at her retreating back, without bothering to answer the man.
'You were the one clinging to her inside the dungeon, not the other way around,' The words remained at the tip of his tongue but Rowan did not dare to say it aloud.
Aleister snapped his fingers and the invisible barrier around them disappeared and within a blink of his eyes, the man was nowhere in sight.
"Al-"
"Sir," The voices had him turn around.
Rowan glanced at the guards of the dungeon who were now standing behind him as he stiffly nodded at them, "What are you doing here? Do your work properly unless someone breaks inside."
The guards nodded as they bowed and left, not wanting to offend the Prince's right-hand man who had the power to have them executed in a moment.
Rowan glanced in the direction where the girl disappeared. It was an instinct that a certain Lord also went in that way.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone