Ensnaring his Dark Moon-Chapter 193: Luciana’s mysterious lover

’’Esme, most of them are the new mermaids in our kingdom,’’ Luciana said, ’’They don’t need to know you given that they rose to their ranks only recently.’’

’’You say most of them are new... but not all, right? And if they are new, how do they rise to such high ranks that they have connections with the daughter of the great Norwell Family?’’ Esme slid back from the woman, her tail moving in an elegant wave.

’’There can be exceptions. Some of them belong to prestigious families so it’s not rare for these families to claim their positions no matter which part of the kingdom they belong to,’’ Luciana said with a straight face, ’’Even if there are old faces amongst them, they won’t recognize you because...’’ she looked around, making sure there were alone in the place before she spoke, ’’Growing up, you have been a quiet child. Shy, timid... you stayed hidden to not attract attention so you never interacted with anyone.’’

Esme’s fingers curled into a fist. That’s how she has been the past year so Luciana’s words did not sound unbelievable but something was stirring in her chest, ’’What about my family?"

She never dared to ask this question because she was afraid of hearing the answer to it.

Ever since she woke up, no one bothered mentioning her family and she assumed the worst that’s why she never asked but today was one of the days when she was not feeling like herself.

The deep sea was coursing through her nerves at the moment and she felt so bold. It was as if... she could have everything under her control, ’’What about my family, Lucy? Do I have a father like yours, who is just as strict as your father is with you? Or an older brother with whom I bickered all the time just like you do with Lucian?’’

’’You don’t have them. Oh, just like I don’t have a mother, you don’t have one too,’’ Luciana smiled, ’’But I consider you as my younger sister so I’d like you to take me as the elder one.’’

Her face dropped at the woman’s first sentence but Esme shook her head when she heard Luciana’s consecutive words, ’’I should go back to the Castle now. I don’t feel well today,’’ Esme lowered her head.

Luciana smiled as she approached Esme. She took her veil from her hand and helped her wear it, ’’Esme, no matter how dark it gets, there will always be a ray of light. Maybe almost invisible but it will be there,’’ Luciana fluffed Esme’s hair, ’’No matter what a person goes through, there will always be a voice in their heart. An almost negligible voice but it will exist. When you listen to that voice, you will know what you are doing and what you want.’’

Esme raised an eyebrow, ’’And what are you trying to say?"

’’What I am trying to say is that I don’t know about the conflicts in your head at the moment but... listen to your heart’s voice, you will know what it wants. Just don’t suppress that voice believing that it is wrong,’’ Luciana held Esme’s hands, ’’Sometimes, what’s right in front of us is nothing but an illusion and what’s real is far out of our reach. So, instead of running after what’s out of our reach which will always be a difficult journey, we end up accepting what’s closer to us. But does that compromise with ourselves benefits us? I wonder...’’ she chuckled.

Esme looked at the woman in a daze for a moment before she burst out laughing, ’’There are these rare times when I see you talking so seriously. It surprises me,’’ she chuckled.

’’Does it?" Luciana smiled.

Esme nodded, ’’And sometimes, the words you say, I don’t think they are meant for me. It feels like you are talking to yourself.’’

’’Now that’s too much,’’ Luciana scrunched her nose, "Will you be able to go back to the castle all by yourself?"

"I am not a child," Esme said.

"I know you are not a child,’’ Luciana laughed, ’’But your fiancé and the King take you as one. They will be angry if I let you wander alone.’’

Esme blinked, ’’Then, why are you letting me wander alone today? It’s unlike you,’’ Before this, whenever she came to the sea, Luciana always stayed with her.

Even though Esme never interacted with other mermaids before or she has never gone to the night market before but she has seen everything from afar.

This was the first time when Luciana did not come to escort her from the Castle to the sea.

And this should be the very first time her friend was allowing her to go back to the Castle alone. It made her happy somehow.

’’Because I need to meet someone,’’ Luciana said.

’’Someone...’’ Esme mumbled, looking at Luciana with her narrowed eyes, ’’That look on your face... Is it your mysterious lover? The person you have been meeting on various occasions in the past year.’’

’’He is not my lover,’’ Luciana clarified.

Esme’s tail moved in a swish as she appeared behind Luciana, pressing her palms on the woman’s shoulders, ’’So, he is a ’he’. I had my suspicions but this is the first time you revealed that he is a ’he’.’’ 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

’’Esme,’’ Luciana chided.

’’Lucy, I want to know more about your mysterious lover,’’ Esme pulled back from the woman, playing with the comb pouch in her hand.

’’He is not my lover,’’ Luciana repeated with a small pout.

’’But he is someone of great importance, isn’t he?" Or else Luciana would not allow her to go back to the Castle alone just because she had to meet him.

’’That he is,’’ Luciana nodded, ’’If fate permits, I’d like for you to meet him,’’ But under good circumstances this time.

Esme nodded and turned around, ’’I will see you later,’’ she said from above her shoulder and her tail moved.

Luciana watched until the sparkling grey tail disappeared from her view.