Ensnaring his Dark Moon-Chapter 192: Why?

Esme had heard from Luciana about what mermaids talk about at the tea parties. From their lovers to their jewels, from music to marriage... their discussions had a huge range of topics and Esme hoped that she would be able to put all that knowledge to use even though she barely found herself interested in those.

’’Oh, my brother is there,’’ Luciana let go of Esme’s hand and walked back towards the gates, leaving Esme standing alone amidst a bunch of women who looked like strangers because of her lack of memories.

Esme’s eyes widened, ’’Lucy,’’ she called out to the woman but Luciana was already at a distance.

Esme bit her bottom lips.

’’Please, join us, My Lady,’’ one of the women around the round table spoke up.

Esme raised a brow at their way of addressing her.

’’You are here with Lady Luciana and that too with a veil on your face so you must be someone with a special identity.’’

Esme walked towards the chair, fiddling with her veil with her fingers. They could not recognize her because of this. Should she just remove it? Even though they haven’t seen her in the past year, they should be able to recognize her without the veil.

With that thought, she tugged the veil off her face.

But as soon as she remove her veil, gasps and murmurs rose on the table.

Esme tensed. What happened?

’’Lady, your name is...?"

How could they not know her name? ’’Esmeray,’’ she replied, ’’Esmeray Reis.’’

’’Your features look familiar...’’ One of them said, ’’Red hair, grey eyes... I have seen you somewhere... Are you... Are you... the Lord’s fiancee....?"

’’How could it be her?"

’’But I think I have seen her at the Norwell Manor before.’’

’’Also, if it’s not her, who else could she be? She is close to Lady Luciana yet we have never met her before. Don’t you know that the Lord’s fiancee lives in the King’s Castle with him?"

’’But.. But...’’

’’How could a woman with no background climb on his bed?’’

’’We all know he has a fiancee of unknown origins. What are you shocked about...?"

’’We can just ask this lady here to confirm,’’ A calmer woman interrupted the chaos in the atmosphere as she focused on Esme, ’’Lady Esmeray, would you mind telling us where you live...?"

Esme’s expressions were grim by now. She gripped the veil and the comb pouch tightly in her hand, ’’The Crystal Castle,’’ was all she said before she turned around to walk away. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

And silence dropped on the table. Astonishment was written all over their faces as they glanced at her retreating back.

...

’’Lucian, do you know how impudent you are for interrupting the ladies’ tea party?" Luciana glanced at her elder brother in displeasure.

Lucian’s eyes narrowed, ’’And do you know that bringing that woman here will have consequences for you?"

Luciana stepped out of the gates and her legs were immediately replaced by a long green tail, ’’And did you forget that I am more powerful than you?" she caught the man’s neck in a tight grip, ’’Luciana, don’t forget where we stand with each other. I don’t like it when people try to control me so don’t test my boundaries.’’

’’Ah...’’ Lucian struggled, trying to get his neck out of her grip but her hand applied more pressure on his neck. Just when he felt like he could not breathe anymore, she released him. He gritted his teeth, his chest rose and fell, ’’You can do this to me but how will you answer Father and Uncle? What will you tell them if any of these foolish mermaids ran their mouths off in front of that Princess?"

From the corner of her eyes, Luciana noticed Esme tugging the veil on her face and the corner of her lips tugged up in a slight smirk.

Luciana grabbed the man’s hand and dragged him away from the place. She stopped near a pillar where they could not see what was transpiring in the tea party.

’’What are you doing?" Lucian shook off her hand from his.

’’I don’t want to attract unnecessary attention from my friends,’’ Luciana frowned, ’’What you are worried about is just so vain.’’

’’Vain? How do you think will you answer everyone if anything happened to that half-human? What will happen if any of those friends of yours ran their mouths off and told her that they don’t recognize her?"

’’Didn’t you see the veil on her face?" Luciana quirked a brow, ’’Moreover, Esme has been feeling sick lately and the King would not be amused if I, as her friend, am organizing a tea party without bringing her with me.’’

The mention of the King made Lucian calm down, ’’The King wants her here?" he asked.

’’You can ask him,’’ Luciana shrugged.

Lucian gulped.

’’And other than that, Esme is just a foolish girl. Even if someone said strange things to her then she would not necessarily be able to understand anything,’’ Luciana stated nonchalantly.

’’You are right,’’ Lucian sighed in relief.

’’Now leave,’’ she said with a smile.

Lucian clicked his tongue, ’’What kind of younger sister are you?" His large tail fin moved up and down and in no time, he was out of her sight.

’’Luciana.’’

Luciana turned around to look at the source of the voice and her eyes narrowed slightly when she saw Esme approaching her. She did not call her Lucy, but Luciana? That was so unlike her. Did that mean...

’’What happened, Esme? Why are you here instead of being at the tea party?" Luciana grabbed her elbow as soon as the woman stopped in front of her.

Esme moved her hand out of her grip, ’’I need answers," she whispered.

’’Answers? About what?"

’’Everything. I want to know what else you lied to me about," Esme slowly looked at the woman’s face.

’’Lie? What are you talking about, Esme?" Luciana frowned.

Esme bit her bottom lips, ’’I am not from this place. I do not belong here because if I did, they would have recognized me,’’ she pointed her finger towards the golden gates, ’’But none of them recognized me. They know me as Jeremiah’s fiancee, not as someone who belongs to this Kingdom, who is a part of them. They don’t know me as Esmeray.’’

’’Esme...’’

’’I lost my memories but they didn’t. They should have recognized me but they didn’t,’’ Esme’s tail moved as she approached Luciana, ’’Why?’’