Nyasia wondered if this man would ever take her seriously. She looked at his ruggedly handsome face: that sharp jaw with its faint, mocking curve.
"You told me you wouldn't interfere," she scowled. "Well, you're doing the opposite. You visited Father and—"
"Killed those people?" He raised an eyebrow. "Would you have preferred I let them die on the Rashet Manor's doorstep instead?"
She exhaled.
Too annoyed to utter a word.
He slowly slumped his body against her, his arms wrapping around her back so that her hands had no choice but to grip his broad shoulders. Then he lifted his eyes, and there was a flash of amusement in them.
"Consider that a courtesy, Lady Rashet," he said, voice low. "If I truly had my way, your family would be nothing but a memory. And you'd already be in my bed, as my duchess."
Heat rushed to her cheeks.
Annoyance flared up.
"You made Father so frantic he won't stop muttering your name like a curse. Honestly, isn't there a single man left in this empire who's properly terrified of you?" she said with a sharp breath. "Or did you scare them all off already?"
"The perks of belonging to a duchy with centuries of massacre, infamy, and pure, undiluted terror," he said with a lazy shrug. "It's branding, my lady."
"Father's marrying off Brother to secure his legitimacy," she replied.
"Then that fulfills our bargain. And now," he said, his voice dropping lower, "you have no choice but to marry me."
"Who says I have no choice?"
That made him chuckle.
"I thought you'd never admit you want me." He tilted his head, a smug grin spreading across his face. "I suppose I have no choice but to accept it. The burdens of being irresistible."
His words rendered her speechless.
Then the stiffness on her face faded when she noticed he had gotten a little thinner. For the first time, she saw his skin had turned bronze-like, as if he had spent weeks under the harsh sun.
He leaned in closer, and pressed his nose to her collarbone, breathing in that familiar jasmine fragrance.
"Were you sick?" she asked.
Is this why he didn't send letters?
"I'm fine now." His voice was firm.
She sighed, wondering again.
"Why did you go to the peninsula?"
He lifted his head, meeting her gaze.
"Nasty business."
"What business?"
"The kind that will turn Tenusa upside down."
"Oh?"
A terrible instinct told her this demanded more of her than she wanted to give. She looked away. Yet his hands caught hers, forcing her to meet his eyes again.
"I didn't forget," he said quietly. "When you said you'd be with me until whatever end."
She remembered. She had said it when they made their bargain during the Rashet banquet. She just hadn't expected him to remember every word.
"Going against the First Prince?"
That made him laugh softly.
"He's going to approach you one day," he said with a devilish smile. "After all, he wants the iron mine."
She blinked.
"Is he the one behind everything?"
"Could be," Dorian said. "Do you want to attend the Queen Dowager's banquet?"
She thought about it.
The only reason she would go was to meet the mastermind behind the Jade Temple. Both Dorian and Levon had confirmed it came from the palace. And she had a feeling they both knew who it was. But they wouldn't tell her. Just now, Dorian's demeanor remained unreadable.
"Don't get entangled with anyone from the palace," Dorian said, his voice firmer now. "That's not a game you should play."
"I'm not naive," she muttered, slipping her hands away and crossing them over her waist. "Why are you here?"
His mouth moved slightly, almost a scoff.
"Why do you think I'm here? It's obvious for a lot of reasons, Nyasia Sofia."
"I don't know most of your reasons, Your Grace. Does this have something to do with that banquet?" Her brows arched.
His fingers cupped her face.
Her heart began to beat wildly.
"How well you know me," he said.
Suddenly, he rose and lifted her up, nearly making her gasp. The next thing she knew, they were on the bed. She lay beneath him, his body braced beside her, close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him.
"When Levon gets everything, you'll be my duchess, alright?" he said, his voice softer, fingers trailing along the corner of her head. "I'd wager his marriage will happen just before the banquet."
She frowned.
"You know so much."
"The Queen Dowager always holds contests." His thumb brushed her temple. "Make sure you don't win any of them. Keep your reputation modest. Low, even."
"You mean I'll get attention from the First Prince? Or the Third Prince?" she asked.
"Not just them, Sia." His smile turned contemptuous. "The Second Princess. She's a persistent pest, one you'll need to handle carefully. I wouldn't be surprised if she's already laying traps for anyone she suspects might be my woman."
Nyasia paused.
So the word had spread that Dorian had a lover. She wasn't surprised. The elite guards—including that captain—had seen her at Viridian House. The only good thing was that she had been wearing a veil.
Nyasia had been lost in thought for some time. And when her eyes finally moved, Dorian had already fallen asleep beside her and pulled her into his shoulder.
*