Chapter 21.2

As promised, Mia brought the organized documents to Livi’s room later that evening. A quick glance through them told her they were more than enough to estimate the supplies required for the upcoming campaign.

‘I thought she might refuse to hand them over.’

Livi frowned as she dipped her quill into ink.

She was well aware of her position in the castle. She was an outsider, a ticking time bomb who could betray them at any moment. Her success at guiding the knights safely through the canyon had earned her some merit, but not nearly enough to erase the stigma attached to her bloodline.

But the fact that everyone was being so compliant could only mean one thing. Dominic had given prior orders concerning her.

That realization made Livi frown even deeper. What exactly was Domonic planning to do with her?

She suppressed a weary sigh and dipped the dry quill back into the ink.

Sorting the documents by type, Livi began reviewing the older ledgers first. She neatly annotated sections that needed replenishment and underlined sections where she had questions. As she lost herself in the familiar rhythm of work, the turmoil in her chest finally began to settle.

She was just about to turn to the fifth page when she heard a knock at the door.

Deep in concentration, Livi didn’t even turn to look back.

“Bring the meal to my room.”

Ten seconds passed, yet the door didn’t close.

Frowning in confusion, Livi turned around to find Dominic casually leaning against the doorway.

The shock hit her so hard she nearly screamed. The only thing that kept the sound from escaping her small lips was her palm clamping over her mouth.

“You look like you’ve just seen something you shouldn’t have.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Do I need to have a reason to be here?”

Dominic’s reply was dry, almost lazy. He raised one of his brows as he let his gaze wander around the room. He examined the untouched bed, the nearly burned-out logs in the fireplace, and the stack of papers piled high on her desk. Then he strode toward her.

Until then, Livi had been frozen in place, but the moment his hand touched her cheek, she jolted to her feet. She tried to pull away, but her escape was stopped by his large hand closing around the back of her neck.

“Don’t touch me!”

“Stay still.”

Dominic pinned her struggling body down against the desk and ran his thumb across her cheek. It was only when he showed her his palm that Livi realized what he had been doing.

“And here I thought you were all about cleanliness.”

Black stains dotted his hand. They were ink smudges he had just wiped from her skin.

Startled, Livi touched her own cheek. When her fingertips came away dark, her face flushed bright red. She must have splattered ink on herself while dipping her quill earlier.

“Wipe it off.”

He tossed her a plain, rough handkerchief. It landed open across the desk.

With trembling hands, Livi picked it up and dipped it into the cup of water on her desk. Meanwhile, Dominic sat on the edge of the bed, silently watching as she dabbed at her face with the handkerchief.

His gaze followed the motion of her hand, then slid over to her cheek, and then down the smooth curve of her neck. It was a gaze so overt that it was impossible to ignore.

Livi felt like a caged animal trapped under watchful eyes. Instinct made her recoil slightly, and her voice, tinged with embarrassment, came out sharper than she’d intended.

“Say what you came to say and leave.”

“As I said just a moment ago, a husband doesn’t need a reason to visit his wife.”

“What?”

“The only thing we agreed on was what happens at night. Since we’re married by contract, I intend to do as I please with everything else. Is that going to be a problem?”

“What are you– what nonsense are you talking about…?”

Livi backed away until the desk stopped her. The cold edge of the wood pressing into her lower back raised goosebumps on her skin. Dominic held her waist with one hand and slowly leaned closer.

The moment his breath brushed against the back of her neck, Livi bit her lip hard and turned her head away.

Dominic tugged down the fabric covering her left shoulder, his fingers brushing over the faint, purplish marks still visible on her pale skin.

“If the marks had faded, I was going to put them back. What a shame.”

“Get away from me… ngh!”

“Don’t scream. If anyone hears, you’ll be the one who pays for it, not me. Why can’t you think that far ahead?”

He muttered coldly, clamping a hand over her mouth. Livi managed to breathe through her nose, her chest heaving with each breath, causing the loosened neckline of her dress to slip even lower.

“I’ll let go. If you have any sense left, you’ll stay quiet.”

Only when she gave a reluctant nod did he release her. She stumbled back the moment she was free, gasping for air and coughing, while Dominic simply watched, his gaze detached, before sitting on the edge of the bed.

As soon as her breathing evened, Dominic called out toward the door.

“Bring a bottle of wine and two glasses.”

“Yes, my lord.”

While he pulled the cork from the wine bottle, Livi returned to her desk, turning her back to him. She knew he wouldn’t leave willingly now that he’d made himself comfortable, so she had no choice but to find another way to handle the situation.

She began to straighten the crumpled papers one by one and picked up her quill.

It was an act of resistance. A desperate struggle to pretend he wasn’t there, but it only seemed to provoke Dominic in a different way.