Ensnaring his Dark Moon-Chapter 140: Hints and suspicions

Duchess Flora glanced at the wig in her hand for a few seconds before she tilted her head down to look at the person on the floor. What greeted her was a head of Teutonic gold hair.

The person inside the sac was not Esme but a familiar face whom she had seen walking around in the castle. It was Rowan, Aleister’s right-hand man.

"’Why is it you?’’ Duchess Flora asked, disbelief apparent in her voice.

Rowan glanced at the woman with emotionless eyes but he could not hide the shock in his heart. Who could have known the gentle and elegant Duchess Flora was someone like this?

Alexander slumped in the bed, his body had turned numb by now. He was relieved the moment he saw Rowan. It looks like things were still in hand. Still in hand. He kept consoling himself in his mind as he lost consciousness.

"You calculated it wrong this time,’’ The door opened and Aleister stepped inside followed by Esme who was pushing Duke Maverick’s wheelchair.

Adrian and Leo were seen walking behind them.

Aunt Greta was dumbfounded when she saw Esme. How could it be...? She could not help but wonder as she kept looking at Esme who was dressed in a male’s black outfit. Her long red was tied in a braid.

Aunt Greta turned around slowly and glanced at the wig in Duchess Flora’s hand and a distant thought flashed in her mind but it disappeared before she could catch on it.

Duke Maverick quietly sat on the wheelchair with his eyes lowered, his hands were tightly gripping the arms of the wheelchair tightly.

Duchess Flora was stunned for a moment, "How did you know?" She glanced at Esme before looking at Aleister.

Aleister walked towards the bed and placed his fingers on the King’s wrist, taking his pulse.

He sighed softly. Because he wanted to ensure that Esme will return safely to the Castle, it caused a delay in coming here. Leo was left with Duke Maverick to protect him and his guards were too weak to face this woman. So, he had ordered them to stay away from it lest they lost their lives in vain.

He was worried that something would happen to the King before they made it.

Aleister snapped his fingers and two of his shadow guards appeared beside him.

"Take him to my room," Aleister commanded without looking at them.

Esme glanced at Duchess Flora but the woman made no move to stop the King as she continued looking at her.

After the King was escorted out of the room, Duchess Flora spoke up again, "Now that he is gone, you can answer my question. How did you find out?"

"I might have known everything recently but I had my fair share of suspicions against you since the day I met you. It was not your fault. Your acting was top notch but maybe because I was raised that way, I don’t believe in kindness," Esme emotionlessly said, "Much less the kindness that comes out of nowhere. You were too kind to me and that thing has always made me think that you have ulterior motives."

Duchess Flora frowned, "You are weird," Treat humans a bit kindly and they will be your slaves for your whole life without even knowing it. All it took her was a little bit of sweet talking to be able to control Alexander and Maverick for so long.

"I feel rather comfortable around people who treat me badly, taunt me, pull my leg, or are blunt to me," As she said so, Esme stole a glance of Aleister.

The corner of his lips twitched, "Masochistic tendencies," he muttered under his breath, crossing one of his legs on the other as he sat on the bed.

Esme ignored his remark as she continued, "Even the King was strict to me and Uncle took his time to gauze me even though he did not show it. He wanted to make sure that I was the right choice for his nephew. But what about you? You accepted me, a woman of unknown origins, right away. I don’t think there is such kindness in this world and even if there is, I rarely came across it. When my own uncle could betray us, how did you expect me to believe you unconditionally?" Esme asked as she tilted her chin.

If she had to be honest, she had never trusted anyone in this Castle to this day except for Aleister and Leo. It was not that she did not try. She tried so she was able to warm up to everyone but trust was a difficult feat to achieve.

"I had my suspicions since the very first time we met in the ballroom. I was hiding at that time but now I am certain that you saw me as well."

Duchess Flora quietly glanced at her.

"I came to this castle because Mary, Liz’s aunt had witnessed Arlan’s abduction with her own eyes. She had seen the woman with whom Arlan had left and according to her, the woman was from the royal family because she was riding a royal carriage. So, I drew a sketch and disguised myself as a maid when I came here."

Adrian quietly looked at his sister. If he had not left to attend work matters that day, then Esme would not have gone through this. He raked his fingers through his silver hair in frustration. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"But surprisingly, I never found that pretty woman no matter where I looked for her. I thought she must have kept Arlan in the dungeon if he offended her somehow but he was not there as well," Esme never suspected that Duchess Flora abducted Arlan or she was a bad person but she had been wary of her.

At one time, she convinced herself that she was overthinking and she should try to trust people but Duchess Flora dropped many hints along the way.