章節 25: You and I...Us

Esme struggled to move but every inch of her body was limp, refusing to move. The salt water of deep seas grazed past her lips as she blew with her mouth to breath. Her motionless body continued to drown deeper and deeper until her struggles became hopeless.

'No! Save me…' The water started getting inside her mouth as she tried to scream desperately, to ask for help as she was losing her breath. Her consciousness. But the dark water seemed to be adamant on swallowing her as she felt herself getting deeper and deeper until she was suffocated.

"No-'' Esme sat up on the bed as her chest rose and fell, her eyes were covered in a layer of sheen. The nightmare continued playing inside her mind like she just lived it and she shivered, feeling a gust of chilly air sweeping past her body.

"What is it, Princess-"

Aleister did not get to finish his words as the girl pounced on him. Her arms encircled around his torso while her head was pressed on his chest, her soft gasps reverberated in the room.

A frown tugged on his forehead as he stroked her back, "Did anyone cause troubles for you?" There was no response from her, "What happened Esme?" His voice softened when her breathing turned uneven.

It was only then did she snap out of her reverie. The hands wound around his neck loosened as she slowly moved back to look at him, her fingers still clutched the material of his robe near his shoulder, "I am scared,'' Her eyes turned misty as she blinked rapidly.

"Of what?" His gaze darkened as he cupped her cheek. His tone low and dangerous, his ice blue eyes held her captive the instant they looked into hers.

For some reason, for a moment, he looked like he will eliminate anything she was afraid of. The man she was treating as an enemy since the first day they met made her feel like he wanted to protect her from everything that intimidated her.

"I-" She lowered her head slightly before inching away from him, realizing their proximity. "I apologize for troubling you, My Lord," The moment of illusion was over as she recovered from her confused state.

The palm on her cheek slid down and she tilted her head upwards to look at him.

Aleister pushed himself out of the bed as he stood there, his thumb roughly grazed past his prominent jaws and she looked at the visible scratches on the spot, "I always knew you had those kind of intentions for me," He said while glancing at her pale face, "But little did I expect that you will go all wild on me just at the first chance you got," He pursed his lips looking at her like a disappointed elder.

Her face flushed slightly and the corner of his lips tugged up at the sight of her blushing cheeks.

Esme lowered her head and gripped the sheets in her hand, for a moment forgetting all her discomfort. She pushed herself out of the bed before looking at him, "I did not do it on purpose."

"Are you talking about this?" He grabbed her hand and placed it on his chin, letting her fingers graze past his sharp jaws as he felt her fingers tremble. Her grey eyes widened, "Or this?" He tugged at her palm ever so gently and she crashed in his arms like an aimlessly flying dandelion.

Esme felt like her heart was about to burst. It was so conflicting. She has found it uncomfortable even when any man gazed at her. But why did this man manage to trespass every wall around her? And despite that, she was just left helpless and confused, not knowing what to do.

Aleister distanced her from himself without letting go of her delicate hands. He intertwined their fingers as he looked at her reddening face, "What exactly did you not do on purpose, Esme?"

Her head snapped at him. Esme? No man has ever addressed her so intimately. She glanced at their intertwined fingers. His long slender fingers and broad palm were clearly overpowering hers, "I-I…" No words formed in her mouth and she bit her lips. Her eyes looking at here and there for anything that could possibly distract him, or something that can be used by her to escape his powerful clutches.

"You?" Aleister raised an eyebrow, tightening his grip on her hand when her rebellious fingers tried to sneak away.

''I-I…" Her heart picked up its pace when he lowered his head and stared at her unblinkingly. She gulped, "Y-You..I.." No longer did she know what she was trying to say. She closed her eyes feeling ashamed of her dumb actions.

"Mmm….You and I…Us" He chuckled when her eyes snapped open in disbelief, "You are being desperate to claim me as yours, aren't you?"

"I-I should leave,'' Her voice could not hide her anger and shock. He was too much. How could he accuse her of doing and thinking such shameful things? She tried to pry her hand out of his grip.

"You are not leaving," He let go of her hand and pressed his index finger on her shoulder. With one gentle push, Esme fell back on the bed and settled upon it after bouncing twice. The velvet sheets lifted upwards by themselves and tucked her inside. She speechlessly glanced at the sheets like they were some rare creature.

What just happened? She could not comprehend at all. She tried to sit but the sheets pressed her down, "What is this?" She pursed her lips, "I want to go. You can't cage me here against my will even if you are the only Prince of this powerful Kingdom-"

"Oh~ Eager to be caged in my room? That reminds me…" He stepped back and in the next second, crystal bars rose from the exquisite wooden floor encircling the bed, "I do want to ensnare you, my dear moon," His lips tugged up forming a devious curve on that face.

Esme glanced at the cage before looking at him, waiting for him to grow two horns above his head. She would not be shocked this time.

She has lived 14 years of her life as a princess and 7 years as an ordinary villager who collected herbs to earn a few silver coins. But she has never seen or heard of such powers within 21 years of her existence.

Maybe, if Aunt was here, she might have known it. Esme thought to herself.

At this moment, she was more curious about him and his powers rather than thinking about escaping from his clutches. But she had yet to notice how her thoughts were leaning towards him.