The Villain Alpha's Cursed Mate-Chapter 169: He Didn’t Harm Me

Esme sprinted down the path, determination propelling her forward despite the burning in her lungs and the stinging cold in the air. It felt as though she had been running for an eternity when a massive iron door loomed into view, its surface bristling with countless locks. The faint glow emanating from it betrayed the presence of powerful magic, and it sealed the door tightly shut.

All of these couldn’t possibly be for the boy she encountered down there... could it?

The door was no different from an impenetrable barrier, clearly designed to be unyielding from the inside. The reason behind leaving the boy’s cage became glaringly obvious to Esme, including his unexpected decline to come with her. With such a door, escape was certainly futile, and the magic used on the door was probably meant to keep him away.

"So he’s a prisoner," The thought hit Esme straight in the head, and she turned around, staring into the darkness beyond, a mix of realization and confusion etched on her face. What crimes could someone like him have committed to gain such harsh security that made escape so impossible?

Facing the door, Esme banged her fist against the iron. "Is anyone there?" She called out. "Please, someone... open the door!"

Esme flinched back when a low, metallic groan echoed from the door. Instinctively, she stepped back, her heart pounding. To her quick relief, the door creaked open, revealing two figures clad in familiar armor. Her father’s guards.

Esme barely had the chance to say a word before one of them stepped forward and scooped her effortlessly. He then turned on his heels, carrying her away from the foreboding entrance as though the urgency of leaving that place outweighed any explanation she had to offer.

"Wait!" Esme’s voice rang out as they took her away. She wanted to tell them about the boy who clearly needed help. Her words hung at the tip of her tongue, but the guard, ever brusque, cut her off before she could even speak.

"The palace is not safe," the guard declared, his tone clipped and accusatory. "Are you even aware that your father has been searching everywhere for you? This is exactly why he told you to stay home. He has enough to deal with after the king’s death, including making preparations for the upcoming war. Yet, here you are—no one ventures into that place. Do you know how upset your father will be if something happened to you?"

"Put me down." Esme uttered, her voice icy as she ordered the guard to drop her down. "I don’t have to answer to anyone but my father. Put me down now, or I’ll make sure my father hears of it."

"As a Montague you’re not allowed to act so reckless," he retorted. "Neither can you have a normal childhood like everyone else in Illyria. I’m just reminding you of the montague’s traditional rule."

The guard begrudgingly showed her respect, and though a child, Esme knew the truth, cause just as he said, there was no such thing as being a child from the family she came from. Not because of her father, but because of their family rules, and due to that, she had grown some sense of caution. She had overheard the guard’s conversation concerning how they didn’t revere her because of her worth, but because of her father’s influence.

It wasn’t what they said about her being a burden that stung the most; she could admit there was some truth in that. What truly made her feel like she had a knife plunged in her chest was when she heard their cruelest thoughts. They had wished she would die soon from her illness, because to them, her absence would free her father to focus solely on hunting those cursed demon wolves. She cried when she heard it, and a part of why she cried was because she was bound to die sooner or later from it.

The fear of death followed her like a shadow... She felt it’s presence whenever she drifted from consciousness, and a part of her knew a day would come when she would never be able to open her eyes again.

The guard locked eyes with her, his gaze defiant yet restrained. He simply swallowed his anger and set her back on her feet. Lowering his head, he spoke with a tone that betrayed both regret and lingering frustration.

"Forgive me," he said, "I spoke out of concern for your father, our Alpha. I have no intention to upset you."

Esme smoothed her skirt, ignoring his insolence since that was the least of her priority right now.

"Esme?"

Her head snapped toward the familiar voice that called out to her. There, just a few paces away, stood her father. His tense expression, which was lined with worry, softened the moment his eyes fell on her. Relief washed over him like a tide, and in an instant, he closed the distance, crouching to envelope her in a firm embrace.

"I’m so glad you’re safe," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. He pulled back to look at her face, his hands moving to inspect her with care. "Where is your shawl? Are you hurt?"

Esme shook her head gently, her lips curving into a small, reassuring smile that promised that she was unharmed. Yet, the world around her shifted, and her body swayed without warning, hence, she passed out in her father’s arms.

When she woke up again, she was in a luxurious chamber, and her father was by her side. Not just her father, but the guards who were meant to watch her were also present, including the ones who found her, and then Lennox himself.

"Ah, she’s awake," Lennox uttered, a hint of relief in his voice the minute Esme’s eyes fluttered open to meet his golden ones. His expression was one of slight worry as he leaned over the edge of her bed, and he asked, "How are you feeling now?"

Esme didn’t respond and turned her attention to her father, wanting to apologize for worrying him. She knew she passed out because she didn’t take her medicine as scheduled, but before she could say anything to him, he shook his head and patted her head affectionately.

His expression was a mix of guilt and concern before he finally spoke. "I came to check on you earlier and saw that you were fast asleep. There was something urgent I needed the guards to handle, so I borrowed them for a short while. When I returned... you were gone. I realize this is partly my fault—I should have been more cautious since you’re still new to the palace."

Esme opened her mouth to respond, but before she could utter a word, the councilman who had spoken to her earlier... when she’d stepped out for a glass of water, entered the room. His movements were brisk yet deliberate as he approached her father who had stood up from the edge of the bed. He leaned in close to whisper something in a hushed tone to her father, and she noticed how her father’s expression darkened, his brows knitting into a deep frown. With a glance at her, he seemed both puzzled and troubled.

"Poor child," the councilman said softly, turning his full attention to Esme. He stepped toward her, his tone dripping with concern, and he placed a hand on her head in a gesture that was meant to be comforting. "You must have been absolutely terrified, wandering down that dark tunnel. If I had known better, I wouldn’t have let you wander off by yourself. But you don’t have to worry, I’ll summon the priest immediately to ensure no harm has been done to you."

Esme recoiled from his touch, wondering why his demeanor had changed to someone who seemed genuinely concerned about her. "I’m fine," she replied. "And why do I need a priest?"

Rather than responding to her, the councilman turned to her father, who still wore the same confused, troubled expression on his face. "Best not to take any chances, Alpha Damon," he said to her father with a knowing look.

The expression on Lennox’s face turned menacing when he pondered over what the guard had relayed to him... where they had found Esme, and then her sudden pass out which the councilman suspected was part of the demon’s doing. He suddenly rose to his feet and walked out, his guards following him out.

"Your daughter is fortunate to have emerged unscathed," the councilman said grimly to Esme’s father. "Who knows what that creature in the tunnel might have done to her if the guards hadn’t intervened in time? The palace guards are currently about to strip him off his blindfold and gouge out his eyes."

"What?" Alpha Damon’s eyes widened in shock at the councilman’s declaration. Esme froze, her body tensing as her father placed protective hands over her ears. Yet, she strained to hear, her heart pounding at the severity of the conversation.

"Surely, you’re not serious?" Alpha Damon demanded, his voice low and edged with anger. His brow furrowed deeply as he glared at the councilman. "That’s too extreme, especially for a child."

"The order comes directly from the future King," the councilman replied coldly. "His betrothed was nearly killed by that thing. No doubt the creature manipulated her during their encounter. I still insist we summon a priest to examine her for any signs of influence."

"But he didn’t hurt me!" Esme blurted, turning quickly to face her father. "I met this boy, Father. He was kept in a cage, a very horrible, filthy cage. He helped me! He pointed the way to the exit despite being blind and made sure I got out safely. Please, don’t let them harm him. He did nothing wrong."

Alpha Damon’s face softened at her words, and he turned to the councilman who couldn’t believe the girl was choosing to side with a demon. "If my daughter says he didn’t harm her, then there’s no justification for such cruelty. I’ll speak with Lennox myself before he does something that might end up provoking the boy’s curse. I understand he’s enraged with what happened to his family, but as the future King, he needs to learn restraint... and how to rule with wisdom, not fear. Besides, he’s only sixteen and isn’t allowed to make such decisions until he turns eighteen."

"I’m coming too, father." Esme said, already getting out of bed.