Dorian's finger traced the corner of her face, a faint smirk curling his lips. His brows arched. Then he spoke quietly, "I met a woman. She dared to propose marriage to me."
"Oh?" Her smirk widened. "She must be truly desperate. Because no sane person who actually knows you would ever agree to marry you, Rian."
He suddenly kissed her. Hard.
Then he pulled back and watched her, breathless, when he finally let go.
Nyasia stared into those dark eyes, her hands resting on his shoulders. She thought about it. In their past lives, after her sudden death, Dorian had gone mad enough to take women, and kill them afterward. Their bodies thrown into the Tenusa River.
Even as a ghost, she was shaken by his cruelty. Once, she had thought that being alive might make him an ordinary, decent nobleman. But perhaps she had been asking for too much.
When she didn't speak, Dorian spoke, "You may have heard false rumors about my visit in the Oshens' estate. But you know better."
She blinked at his defense.
"False rumors?" She sniffed. "I'm sure many of them are true. And as for that woman—who cares what you did to her."
That made him laugh.
He told her the woman was a daughter of the late crown prince. The prince's loyalists had turned his own daughter into a map. So that whoever found it would also find a lost heir: someone who could reclaim her birthright.
"A map?" she asked.
"A lost object."
She was curious, but she had a feeling he wouldn't tell her about it. Instead she asked, "And they thought a man like you would be interested in the throne?"
Though Dorian had become emperor in her last life, it had been for a different reason. Revenge. Not mere ambition.
But how gullible that woman had been, thinking revealing herself was a good idea. Or had she simply thrown herself at death the moment she saw Dorian's face?
He scoffed, amused. "They always assume what I want or what pleases me."
"And how did she end up at the Oshen's estate?"
His finger traced along her chin.
"That's common enough. Fallen noble families blend in as servants on remote estates before they try to rise again."
They said nothing for a while.
"What else?" she asked.
"The Ubian lands," he replied.
He explained that the Ubian lands bordered the vast Varyn territory. Decades ago, the Varyns had owned them. But during a major war, the imperial family borrowed the land as a strategic military post. The problem? After the war ended, the land was never returned.
The current emperor had promised to give it back to Dorian's father. Nothing happened. And now the First Prince had declared that Ubian would remain a permanent military stronghold. For the Varyns, that was a direct threat. There was no longer any need for a military base there. So the Varyns saw it for what it was: a quiet attack on their power.
"So you went eye for an eye. Taking the Oshens' estates," Nyasia said. "And you're looking for something?"
"The very thing I've been searching for just happened to be sitting on their estate. The irony is almost laughable," he said with a devilish grin. "I thought the First Prince would know about it. But he's too interested with military bases to remember Tenusa's history."
Nyasia only grew more confused.
Dorian smiled, watching her pout.
"We'll talk about my business after you're living in the duchy," he said gently. "You have things to handle first. And if you take too long..." His eyes darkened briefly. "I might do something again."
She pouted.
Like murdering?
Dorian leaned closer, his lips grazing against her neck, sometimes whispering her name—while Nyasia kept staring at the ceiling, her eyes a mixture of weariness and worry. There had been a time when she only admired him, never knowing the terrifying madness he held for her.
Why did I have to meet you?
What did I do to you, Rian?
And yet, when his lips found hers, she kissed him back.
...
THE NEXT DAY, Fay's eyes widened in shock when she found the duke sitting on the couch beside the lady's bed. He didn't meet her gaze, nor did her presence make him glance up. He was busy reading a book. The lady sat before the vanity mirror, combing her hair.
"My lady, several daughters from the branch families are requesting an audience in the hall."
Nyasia smirked faintly. "Already campaigning for themselves. I wonder if Brother will like any of them."
She glanced at Dorian through the mirror. She sighed. "When are you leaving? Even if you know every secret passage in this estate like the back of your hand, but Brother may have done traps to wolves."
Dorian merely rested his chin on his knuckles, his gaze still fixed on the book. "He's still doing it poorly. Only a sheep would fall for that kind of trap."
Nyasia looked away.
"Let them come to my courtyard," she told Fay. "The main hall is too formal for a simple conversation."
"I'll watch," Dorian said.
Still, his thoughts scattered the moment he lifted his gaze and saw her sleeveless dress. The moment Fay left the bedroom, he reached out and pulled Nyasia into his lap as she walked past.
"I have guests coming," she said.
"You make it sound like they're coming to your bedroom," he murmured near her ear. His fingers ran through her hair, while his other hand guided hers lower—below his belt.
Her face turned crimson.
He chuckled.
She was rendered speechless, unable to decide. So he decided for her. He unzipped. Then stopped her momentarily. Then he guided her hand slowly, firmly and leaned back when she held him. While she was moving on her own, he just watched.
She spoke when it was over.
"Are you really going to stay?"
Breathless, he pulled her into his chest.
*