Chapter 16.1

“The affairs of a Knight Order are generally classified.”

“Meaning…?”

“The servants believe I saved my wife from execution. They have no idea I was the one who led the charge against your family.”

Dominic chuckled as he reached for her. He grabbed Livi’s wrist and yanked her forward, dragging her from the doorway and shoving her down onto the bed. She didn’t even have a chance to resist.

“Ugh… What on earth are you doing?!”

“Take it.”

He pulled a dagger from his belt and shoved it into her palm. When Livi only narrowed her eyes in suspicion, refusing to take it, he pried open her fingers and forced it into her grip.

“Go on, swing it. Use everything you’ve got. You can even use that pathetic magic of yours if you want. Since I asked, there won’t be any repercus—”

Before he could even finish his sentence, Livi had already begun chanting.

Last time, she had aimed for his throat. This time, she went for his crotch. She infused the dagger with an acceleration spell, sending it shooting straight for his thigh.

Dominic had fully expected her to go for his neck that he reacted a second too late. His hand barely caught the blade before it could plunge into his leg. He stopped the worst of it, but a thin line of blood split open across his palm.

Drip. Blood trickled from his hand. Dominic glanced down at it, then let out a small chuckle.

“So, how does it feel to give it your all, only to land a scratch?”

“…”

He tapped his finger against his palm before wiping the blood off on his sleeve. The few drops barely left a stain on the fabric. In a day or two, there’d be no trace of them.

Livi’s expression twisted in frustration.

“At this rate, even if you had a hundred chances, you still wouldn’t be able to lay a finger on my neck. That’s hardly fair, don’t you think?”

“Stop beating around the bush and spit it out.”

“Bribe the maids. Hell, you can even try to sway the knights. I’ve already made it clear you’re a woman I treasure dearly, so if you play the part of the duchess who’s passionately loved by her husband each night, they might just buy it. From what I saw earlier, you looked like you enjoyed it quite a bit. Or am I wrong?”

His dry gaze flicked down her body. Before Livi could snap back at his insulting stare, he pushed her shoulders. Dominic pressed her into the mattress, using his body weight to pin her down.

There was nowhere to escape.

“You said there would be no repercussions—”

“Shh, this is a gift from me to my wife, not a repercussion.”

“What kind of nonsense—agh!”

Dominic’s teeth sank into the curve of her pale neck, making her body jolt. She quivered like prey surrendering to a predator as he bit her again.

His teeth—firm, not sharp—pressed into her soft skin, leaving a round mark. The rough way he nipped her made her squeeze her eyes shut, half-expecting him to really break through her flesh.

But just as the sharp pain of his bite lingered, something hot brushed over her swollen, red skin. A sticky sensation trailed over the mark before he sucked again. His intent was impossible to mistake.

Horrified, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked hard.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“Stay still.”

Dominic paid no mind to her struggling and continued sucking at her skin, his tongue tracing over the marks he had left.

Why is he sucking on my neck? Livi had no idea what he was doing.

Every time his lips latched onto her neck, heat pooled beneath the surface of her skin, spreading like tiny embers sparking across her throat.

Livi kept squirming, trying to escape, but Dominic grabbed her chin and held it firmly in place.

“I told you to stay still.”

“Stop it! This is weird. I said stop!”

But Dominic didn’t stop. His lips dragged slowly over her skin, making it feel like a snake was slithering across her throat. Livi kept pushing at him, but he used his free hand to pin her wrists down.

Red blotches bloomed across her pale skin. Trapped beneath Dominic’s knee, Livi bit back a whimper, turning her head to the side.

Cold air stung her exposed skin, making her instinctively seek out the warmth of his lips wherever they pressed against her. The sensation was horrifying. She would rather be lashed across the back with a whip than endure this.

When she gasped and shoved him away, Dominic finally pulled back.

Livi pushed herself up onto unsteady feet and stumbled toward the mirror. Except for the spot where her neck was wrapped in bandages, her skin was covered in deep red marks, as if she had contracted some kind of disease.

Disgust rolled through her. She scrubbed furiously at her slick, saliva-coated skin with her sleeve, but no matter how hard she rubbed, the marks wouldn’t disappear. If anything, the friction only made them redder.

Livi stared at the red blotches with a crazed look on her face. They looked like tattoos, like the brands they burned into the flesh of slaves. Filthy. She felt absolutely filthy. She couldn’t stand it.

Yes, she had made a deal with him, but that didn’t mean he had the right to touch her whenever he pleased. Abandoning her futile attempt to rub them away, Livi turned and shot Dominic a murderous glare.

He sat casually on the bed, one leg crossed over the other, rolling a cigar between his fingers. Calmly, he brought it to the candle flame, lighting it. The entire time, those lifeless, gray eyes never once left her.