Bring her down

From the sack that was swinging back and forth above the lava river, a head popped out and that beautiful face, she recognized it in an instant. It was that maidservant. That woman. She seemed to be hanging by a breath. She looked like she will die within a moment.

The heat of the lava waves made her face red as she was hung there, her body tied in a rope, while her long hair was hung upside down. Once they caught flame, they will burn.

Esme glanced at the man who was lazily sitting on the throne, "I didn't tell you to keep her like this. She will die."

"Getting soft-hearted, are we?" Aleister glanced at her disinterestedly.

"It is not about getting soft-hearted. Once she died, I will never get to know the truth," And even if she did not admit it, but she has never seen someone so ruthless and it made her uncomfortable despite knowing that he helped her capture this woman.

"And how do you want me to keep her for you? Should I have invited her over for tea? Do you think she would have been honest with you in that way?" Aleister raised an eyebrow, "Isn't it better like this? Once we trace something wrong in her, we drop her down and it is the end of her story."

Esme pursed her lips, "A life doesn't matter to you at all. You truly are cruel," What he said was true. The woman would not confess anything unless she was on the edge. But it deeply shocked her how casually this man spoke about ending a life when this woman hasn't even done anything against him.

"A life? Life is the most fragile thing I have ever seen. Unless you are strong, you will be fed on. Who lives and who dies. That's not something which really affects me," He stated emotionlessly before he started playing with the flames on his fingertips.

Esme glanced at him quietly for a few seconds before looking at the flames on his fingertips. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity at how he did it but she refused to question him on that.

Esme glanced at the woman who was tied in the sack. She was slowly regaining her consciousness. "M-M-My Lord…" She spoke slowly despite her parched throat, "My Lord, I beg you…Let me go…I have not done anything…I beg you…'' She cried as tears rolled down her cheeks, her breathing turned uneven. With such a beautiful face, she looked like a fairy while sobbing.

Esme glanced at the man who was sitting on his throne, playing with the flames, unfazed by everything.

When the man did not respond to her, the woman glanced at Esme with begging eyes, "M-My Lady, I haven't done anything. I beg you to spare me-''

"Bring her down,'' Esme glanced at the man who was seemingly unfazed by everything.

"Beg me?" Aleister raised an eyebrow.

Esme narrowed her eyes.

''Tsk..'' The man snapped his fingers and the rope snapped while the woman was thrown to the ground still wrapped in that sack.

Esme retreated a few steps back, "We met in the afternoon, inside the ballroom. Don't you remember me?" She was astounded by the naivety in her eyes.

"This is the first time I am seeing you, My Lady," The woman earnestly said as she looked at Esme. Given her looks, one would never forget her if they came across her even once and she was sure that she has never seen this lady before.

Esme's eyes widened, "You…. Have you been to Seran village before? It is a small village in the outskirts of Visteria," From the corner of her eyes, she saw the man pushing himself to his feet as he walked towards her but his presence did not affect her neither did she felt conscious about revealing anything. Perhaps because she knew that if he had intentions of harming her in any way, he would have done so the day he got to know who she is.

"My Lady, it is the second time I have come to Visteria. The first time I came here was two years ago as Her Grace Duchess Flora is our Princess' distant Aunt…But I have never been to anywhere here. I don't know anyone," The woman came on her knees while begging her with her hands clasped.

She wanted to believe that the woman was lying to her but her instincts told her that she was speaking the truth.

"How could you not?" Esme's brows tugged together. If it was not her then whom did she paint? How could it be? She did not look like she was lying but then they met in the ballroom today and there was no doubt in it.

The heat around the place made her feel burns on her skin as the more she contemplated about it, the more her head ached. She pressed a palm on her forehead and her vision blurred.

''Esme!"

She heard his voice filled with concern the moment before her consciousness faded.

…

Aleister did not know what was going on in her mind. He wanted to tell her that the woman was telling the truth of not knowing much about Visteria but he was sure that she would not listen to him given how adamant she was on her stance.

She was losing her calm the more she spoke and he could sense that while standing behind her. Just when he was thinking about it, she fell back suddenly. "Esme,'' He grabbed her hand as he effortlessly pulled her into his arms. He patted her cheeks, "Esme!'' Her face was burning. His eyes darkened as he carried her in his arms before walking out of the dungeon.

The guards bowed to him, shocked by his presence in the dungeon as they did not where he went inside. They glanced at the lady in his arms, thinking that it must be the Prince's rumored lover.

They watched as the man carried her in his arms like a treasure while his powerful steps never came to halt.

As soon as Aleister was out of the place, he walked towards a wall and closed his eyes. The next moment when he opened his eyes, he was standing in front of his room.

"What happened?" Rowan who was walking towards him frowned looking at Esme.

Aleister's brows tugged together, "Call the physician," His voice rising towards the end as he stepped inside his room before making his way towards the bed.