Chapter 138

She appeared to have regained her breath somewhat, yet she refrained from lifting her head and instead leaned fully into Demus. As if emphasizing the gravity of her decision, Liv tightly grasped his clothes with remarkable strength.

“You’re unaware of the determination I’ve mustered, aren’t you, my Lord?”

“Does it take a ‘determination’ to indulge my company?”

Demus retorted in a mocking voice. Liv didn’t offer a reply, merely holding onto his garments more tightly. In the past, he might have deemed the wrinkle an imperfection, but witnessing Liv cling to him so fervently, the minor crease no longer seemed like a blemish.

Demus lifted his hand and stroked the back of Liv’s head. Her soft hair got tangled between his fingers. It made her neat hair disheveled. Watching her hair gradually turn messy with his touch, Demus slid his hand down and wrapped it around Liv’s nape. He grabbed it with fervor, pulling her head up, and Liv looked up to face him compliantly.

“If you want to tell me about that determination, I will listen.”

Maybe it was a consequence of the preceding kiss. The corners of Liv’s eyes took on a subtle rosy hue, hinting at the remnants of her arousal.

“It’s fine. It’s not some sort of a big deal to you, my Lord. It’s just…”

Her lips, slightly swollen from the short yet rough kiss, curled.

“I want to tell you that this time as well, I decided to accept it.”

For the first time, Demus felt that he couldn’t read into Liv. Her straightforward gaze had always been an open book, unable to hide what was inside.

However, he couldn’t pay attention to her unfamiliar atmosphere, for Liv raised her arms, twining them around Demus’ neck, and ardently pressed her lips against his.

***

The reaction in the boutique was even worse than in Hyslop.

A woman whom the Marquis of Dietrion brought in person to have her dress tailored!

It was natural that the boutique owner and her employees were unable to take their eyes off her. Liv could feel envy, jealousy, and disbelief in those eyes. There was some genuine awe, but the negative sentiment was stronger.

Although she had anticipated it, she felt uncomfortable somewhere in her heart.

In fact, those gazes would disappear with a word from the Marquis. However, that would only for last a while. The Marquis wouldn’t be able to police her every move, and Liv would have to deal with those hostility and unpleasant curiosity wherever she went from now on. If she couldn’t get rid of them completely, she might as well get used to them. At least then she could ignore it.

But if there was something unexpected, it was the Marquis’ demeanor.

Until now, Liv had believed that the Marquis desired to keep this relationship as discreet as she did. The Marquis himself had articulated his distaste for “leaving traces.” Therefore, if he were to now appear with a woman at his side in full view of everyone, it was evident that the very “tenacious individuals” he despised would soon be pursuing him.

Resting on the bed where the heated air had yet to dissipate, Liv took measured breaths as she slowly turned her head. Once more, today, the Marquis didn’t leave the room immediately after their lovemaking session. If last time he had stayed to bestow jewelry upon Liv, today he seemed to have no such purpose.

That small gesture now sparked anticipation within her.

The subtle change in his demeanor flipped Liv’s emotions upside down. Her feelings became a tangled mess, as though someone had reached in and stirred them with their hand.

“I thought you didn’t like being talked about, my Lord.”

“I hate it.”

The Marquis, sitting on the bed with a cigar in his mouth, answered in a cold voice.

“Is there even anyone who likes it?”

As always, he was unruffled. It was always Liv who became a bit of a mess and appeared disheveled when they engaged in sexual interactions.

Initially, she believed it wouldn’t hold much significance due to the vertical, one-sided nature of their relationship. However, after she chose to covet him, the way he dressed began to unsettle her. Particularly because it was him who brought her to the boutique so openly today; he was the one who showed her off in front of others without hesitation.

“Today, you seemed to not care about it, my Lord.”

She wondered why he had decided to show this relationship to others. It was unlikely that he wanted to expose his “uncanny hobby.”

“I just know that sometimes gossip can be quite useful.”

The Marquis replied in a nonchalant tone.

“I don’t like people prying on me, not that I want to hide.”

“Since nothing is known about you, my Lord, I assumed you desired a quiet life.”

“There’s someone who wants to keep me hidden.”

Letting out a mocking laugh, the Marquis said,

“But I have no reason to oblige him.”

At times, he would nonchalantly recount stories from his presumably distant past. Whether this arose from his awareness that Liv lacked the means to share these tales with others, or whether it stemmed from a fundamental trust in her remained a mystery to Liv.