Chapter 19
Elaine didn’t really know what Dominic did for work. All she knew was that he helped Her Majesty with state affairs, alongside a group of up-and-coming young nobles—men whom her brother Fernando didn’t particularly care for.
“I’m a proper adult now. I should be able to understand things like that.”
Elaine thought of Vanessa and the way she handled Fernando. Vanessa was a woman prone to jealousy, but she was also someone who drew a clear line between personal feelings and public duty. Elaine found that trait very admirable—very mature.
But Elaine couldn’t manage that same level of calm. Not yet. Her whole body itched with the urge to go find Dominic herself, unable to stand the thought of him not coming straight to her. Still, she fought it down, determined to wait patiently—for now. Of course, she planned to make him pay for making her wait. Later. Thoroughly.
After the butler left, Elaine took the opportunity to look around Dominic’s study. As she traced the spines of books on the shelves with her fingertips, the scent of paper and old ink seemed to envelop her.
That smell reminded her of Dominic. The scent of his study was just like the scent that lingered on him.
Elaine smiled to herself, thinking that waiting for him in this quiet space wasn’t so bad after all. But even so… she still wanted to see the real Dominic—not just the traces he left behind.
She lazily pulled out a book and sank into a soft, leather sofa. Just as she relaxed into the seat, her fingers brushed against a long strand of red hair.
It looks just like Vanessa’s.
She held it up, inspecting it closely. But it was rougher, coarser—almost like a botched dye job.
Or maybe it’s Bella’s…
Yes, it resembled Bella’s more. Poor Bella, who admired her mistress so much that she tried to dye her own hair red—only to end up with a patchy, uneven mess.
Noblewomen’s hair was never this coarse. They used fragrant oils to keep it soft. This strand clearly belonged to someone of lower status—perhaps a servant.
The maids here must be careless. Leaving something like this behind…
Elaine once again felt a twinge of pity for Dominic’s modest household. At Aiola, any servant who left hair in the master’s private quarters would have been dismissed immediately—and would never find another position with such good pay or benefits. That fear kept them sharp.
To Elaine, the state of one’s servants reflected the master’s wealth. And so, in her mind, Dominic now firmly became “a poor but capable new noble who had gained Her Majesty’s favor through merit.” If he had been poor and incompetent, there was no way he’d be assisting the Queen.
She hadn’t yet realized that no one in Dominic’s house had such long red hair. Had she been left alone just a little longer, perhaps she would have started to question it.
But in that moment, the door opened—and Dominic entered, cutting her thoughts short.
“What were you thinking about so deeply?”
He walked in with elegant strides, smiling as he caught sight of Elaine staring off with a serious expression. Unfortunately, he didn’t see the red hair still caught between her fingers.
“Dominic…!”
Startled and delighted, Elaine dropped the strand of hair and stood.
“How dare you make me wait!”
Her words were full of mock indignation, but her face and voice were bright with joy.
“Forgive me, Elaine. I had to write an urgent letter to the Queen.”
“Oh? So you’re telling me you were late because you were writing to another woman?”
“…Pardon?”
For a brief moment, Dominic’s expression went completely blank. After all, the Queen was nearly thirty years older than he was. Though she surrounded herself with youthful lovers, her wealth and power held no allure for Dominic.
Common sense alone made it obvious—Elaine and the Queen weren’t remotely comparable.
Finally noticing the teasing smile spreading across Elaine’s face, Dominic chuckled and narrowed his eyes.
“If I’ve made you wait, then I deserve punishment. But to have my chastity doubted—that’s a cruel accusation, Elaine.”
“Then prove it. Show me your chastity.”
Elaine rose from the sofa and threw her arms wide, walking straight into him. Dominic welcomed her without hesitation, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
“I missed you, Elaine.”
He lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Does that prove my chastity to you?”
“Just a kiss on the forehead?”
Elaine giggled and rose onto her toes. Their lips met gently, then pressed together more fully—no longer clumsy like before.
“Mmm… mm…”
Once, just kissing had left her breathless and overwhelmed. Now, she knew how to respond. Her lips moved more confidently, matching his pace, drawing warmth from the contact.
But even though the kiss looked languid from the outside, Elaine’s mind was quickly going fuzzy from the sweetness.
Without realizing it, her hand slipped downward—only to freeze when it landed on something firm.
Dominic’s thigh.
And only then did she realize that they were now on the sofa—and that she was straddling him.
Dominic reclined lazily against the back of the sofa, his fingers gently tugging at the pink ribbon tied around Elaine’s collar. Still dazed by the haze of pleasure and proximity, Elaine blinked back to her senses the moment she felt his warm, lingering kiss brush against her skin.
“Wait… Dominic.”
“Hmm?”
“This isn’t a bed. And… it’s still broad daylight.”
Dominic’s dark eyes curved faintly as he looked at her—utterly amused.
“My innocent little Aiola.”
Even after the kisses they’d just shared, hearing her say something so adorably out of place made him chuckle. He looped an arm around her waist to keep her close and brushed a playful kiss against the bridge of her nose.
“Do you really think love only belongs in bed, and only in the dark?”
His voice was low and velvety, almost dangerous. Elaine swallowed hard, her breath catching in her throat.
“I loved you just as much in that dark room, on that old bed, as I do now—here, in the light, on this sofa.”
The way he said love made something flicker behind his eyes—a flash of something deeper, more unsettling. And just like that, Elaine felt a jolt of fear, not unlike what she’d felt that first night.
“Do you… only love me in bed?”
“O-of course not…”
She responded instinctively, already caught in the pull of his words. The sound of her own thoughts, spinning in uncertainty, echoed in her head. Dominic couldn’t help but laugh, openly this time.
“They don’t teach proper courtship in House Aiola?”
His tone was playful, but there was a sharp edge beneath it.
“My brother is… well, quite conservative about such things,” Elaine stammered.
“Fernando Aiola? Conservative?” Dominic let out a dry, bitter chuckle. The man he knew had hardly been so innocent at her age.
Cowardly Fernando. How unfair, to leave his sister this unaware. Dominic had every intention of restoring balance to that unfair scale.
“Dominic…?”
“Don’t think about anything else,” he whispered, gently cradling her face. “Just look at me—the one you love.”
Elaine looked into his deep, curling gaze, then slowly wrapped her arms around his neck. She didn’t need to say “Okay, I’ll look only at you.” Words would vanish anyway, lost in the press of their lips.
Soon, she was blushing, breathless, and trembling. Her delicate figure melted into him, and Dominic smiled faintly, watching her fall into his rhythm.
“Dominic, Dominic…” she murmured.
“Shh. Lower your voice, Elaine,” he whispered back. “It’s still daylight. And we’re in the library—not the bedroom.”
He continued teasing her gently as he spoke, never letting up. “What if a servant walking by hears you?”
Elaine flinched at the thought. This house was far smaller and less private than Aiola—maybe her voice would carry. She pressed her hands against his shoulders, shocked by how firm he felt under her palms. Meanwhile, her own clothes were a mess, while his appearance remained perfectly composed.
“A-ah…”
She let out a soft, embarrassed sigh. Unlike last time, she was sober now—and that made everything feel even more awkward. She avoided his eyes, her gaze flitting about until a quiet chuckle from Dominic drew her attention back.
“Are you embarrassed?”
She couldn’t speak, only nodding, cheeks red. He brushed back the hair from her forehead and kissed her softly.
“You didn’t seem so shy that night…”
Dominic had a way of flustering her with just his words. Not only his words—his voice, his touches, even his gaze held a power over her.
Elaine was overwhelmed. And the more she fumbled, the more amused Dominic became.
As her hands brushed against him again—softly, almost unintentionally—Dominic could feel her trembling. She no longer feared pain, not this time. Instead, the sensations were sweeping her away, stronger than she remembered.
Her eyes fluttered open, cloudy with heat, as she looked up at him. Her initial hesitation was melting into something warmer, more vulnerable.
Dominic stared at her face. The fear was fading. In its place, wonder and surrender. Watching her fight to stifle every little sound—pressing her lips together to hold back any gasp—gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.
Is she really trying not to make a sound because of what I said? About the servants?
Servants, to nobles, were little more than furniture. That a noble lady like Elaine would be that conscious of them—it amused him. Or maybe she was pretending to be modest, like a bashful maiden.
Either way, it was… wickedly endearing.
Dominic leaned in, determined to tease her until she couldn’t hold back any longer. Until her voice filled the room. Until it echoed down the halls—maybe even beyond the manor walls. Let the world know: Elaine Aiola was not so reserved after all.
