Pushing her buttons

"This..." Esme glanced at the arrow in her hand, her brows tugged together in contemplation. That day, she did not get the chance to take a proper look at it. But now, she could see the intricate markings towards the shaft of the arrow.

In the past when they were in Nevesray, she has seen the archery manuals of her elder Brother, Adrian and she still remembered a few things from it. Any arrow or bow which has such markings are never ordinary. They either hold magical powers.

When she reached the Capital City of Visteria, she was attacked by someone near the sea. And she remembered that the golden arrow which was shot at her also appeared very rare. She has never heard anything about a golden arrow.

But this one...Esme averted her gaze back to the arrow in her hand. This one was not rare. She was sure that such intricate markings on an arrow only meant one thing.

"Is it someone from the royal family? Why would they come after my life?" Esme mumbled absent-mindedly. She did not even know anyone in the Daven Castle, let alone offending them.

Aleister who was sleeping with both his hands beneath his head and his feet swinging off the round bed changed his position slowly.

Propping his forehead on his fist, he glanced at the girl who was standing near his feet while holding the arrow in her hand, "You know about that?"

"Huh?" Esme blinked, realizing that such things are only known to the members of the royal family or aristocrats, not the ordinary people like her. She was not supposed to say that aloud.

But Aleister did not seem to be surprised as he pushed himself up before pointing his hand towards the spot beside him.

"I am not supposed to sit there, My Lord," Esme was not very late to respond.

"I was saying there is some dirt here. What are you thinking about?" The man visibly rolled his eyes.

Her eyes widened and her lips thinned, "I'll clean it," She said while trying to spot the mentioned 'dirt' on the pristine silk counterpanes.

"No need," Aleister snapped his fingers in front of her face getting all her attention back onto him in an instant, "You want to sit beside me, on my bed?" His ice-blue eyes stared at her unblinkingly.

"No, My Lord, I misunderstood your intentions earlier," He was just pointing at some dirt and she thought that he was asking her to sit beside him. Esme was a bit ashamed but then, he must have done that on purpose.

"But if you are that desperate, you can take a seat here," The man said, pushing her buttons playfully in the process.

Esme opened her mouth. She paused and closed it. She then closed her eyes, inhaled a deep breath before opening them to look at him, "My Lord, let's talk about what you have called me for."

"Oh? You want to talk while standing there?" Aleister stroked his chin in contemplation before he nodded in understanding, "You must be getting a better view of my face while standing there in front of me."

Esme sat on the bed without a moment's delay, her gaze never once settled on his face to let him know that she was not fond of any such views. She moved towards the corner of the bed keeping an appropriately large distance between them.

"You seem to be very shy looking into my eyes. What's the matter, my dear moon?"

Her head snapped in his direction as she looked at him in disbelief. When she was looking at him, he insinuated that she was appreciating the view of him while standing there, and now that she was not looking at him, he was saying that she was being shy.

"You are hallucinating, My Lord."

"Aleister."

"Huh?" Esme blinked, "I don't get what you are trying to say, My L-"

"Aleister.''

She blinked once again. Was he asking her to address him by his given name? It was no less than a sin for a maid to address a Prince by his name. And that too, when it is the great Prince of Visteria who is known for his fearsome reputation. Was he doing all this on purpose to make her uncomfortable?

Out of curiosity, she followed him here when he mentioned the arrow. But now, she felt like she walked right into his trap only to become his prey for the day.

It isn't too late to run away now, is it?

She clutched her gown in her fists.

Noticing her little movements, Aleister raised an eyebrow, "It is not only the royals who possess magic, you know?" He lazily spoke dangling the bait in front of the fish.

"There are others too?" Esme glanced at him, her eyes widening slightly.

And here the fish took the bait.

The corner of his lips tugged up, "You should have heard about them."

Esme's brows tugged together as she tried to remember anything like that and something clicked in her mind.

Sister Ruby.

The copper-skinned woman dressed in a silver attire.

Esme was reminded of her. She has not seen her since that night when they talked and Ruby had mentioned that she had secrets that she was unaware of.

But till this day, Esme did not know whether that woman was a human or not because she just appeared and disappeared at her own wish.

Was he talking about her? She glanced at the man doubtfully. After all, it was Ruby who had helped them the day she protected him from his assassination and he has seen her.

Aleister raised an eyebrow, ''Don't look at me like that. you will fall in love,"

Her face flushed and she quickly averted her gaze, wondering whether there was a sense of shame in him.

"Think harder," The man said.

She frowned, suddenly reminded of something else, "....Witch?" A gasp escaped her mouth as she looked at him in disbelief. Other than humans, they were the only creature who can possess magic. Dark magic.

"Smart girl," He nodded.

"How is it possible?" Esme shook her head. After the war that broke out between humans and witches centuries ago, witches perished. And now, the lands were dominated by the human race.

The normal humans, the subjects of land don't have an ounce of magical powers in them. And then the members of the royal family are blessed with the main nerve in their body which makes it possible for them to possess and cultivate magical powers.

"Anything is possible."

She wished it was not true.

The folklores had it that once a witch laid her eyes on someone, the person will only await their death. As a child, she has heard countless tales about a witch, who fed on a human's age and suck their life essence and blood to make herself more powerful and youthful.

Right now, she wanted to look for her brother as soon as possible. But if a witch was after her, Esme would not know what to do. The strange powers in her body were all imbalanced and in a disarray...

A burst of deep laughter beside her snapped her out of her thoughts. She tilted her head to look at him.

"You seem to be taking my words very seriously," He glanced at her in amusement.

She pushed herself to her feet, "Were you not being serious?" She asked, trying to simmer the rage in her eyes.

"Who knows?"

For a moment, she almost believed that witches exist and it nearly frightened her. "You did not let me talk with Mr. Reiner and interrupted us then you just lied about knowing the origins of the arrow and brought me here with you..."

"When did I say that I know the origins of the arrow? You assumed it," He pushed himself to his feet and glanced at her blank face. She was tongue-tied knowing that it was a mistake on her part and he took the pleasure looking at the way she awkwardly bit her lips, "And what did you want to discuss with that gardener, huh? Tell me, I can be the best listener to you," His ice blue eyes flashed while he stepped closer to her.

She retreated when his powerful body towered over hers.

"I shall leave now," She nodded at him and turned around to escape from the devil's clutches.

"Stop right there, Princess," came the devil's words that had her halt in her tracks, her face going pale at the realization.