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“Hence the fancy presentation?”
“Precisely,” I say with a grin. “I am an artist, after all. Here’s some paquir that goes well with this dish.”
I pour her a glass of red wine, its fruity aroma hitting our nostrils immediately. I can’t help but feel proud of myself as I hand her the drink. I had promised her that she would be taken care of, and the excellent idea of personally cooking our evening meal is certainly going well.
We tuck into our crioch, eating in comfortable silence for a few minutes. My hunger soon becomes satiated enough to strike up a conversation. I pick up my glass of paquir, swirling it around before taking a small mouthful.
“Althia,” I begin.
“Valkus,” she replies, amusement in her voice.
“You’ve been in the manor for a while now.”
“Almost a month at this stage.”
“Time flies when you’re having fun,” I remark. “It’s safe to assume by now that you’ve settled in, correct?”
“Yes, it’s like this has been my home all along.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Things certainly got off to a rough start here.”
“You can say that again.” She laughs. “At least your parents don’t give us trouble anymore.”
“They backed off quicker than I thought. How about Yiosha? Has she been treating you well whenever I haven’t been by your side?”
“She’s been fine ever since the day you told her off.” She drinks from her glass before continuing. “I still get the feeling that she doesn’t like me, but don’t worry, nothing to be concerned about.”
“No one here has to like you, they just have to respect you.”
“Thank you for standing up for me all this time.”
“Why wouldn’t I? You deserve to be treated just as well as everyone else.”
“I’ll never forget that, not for as long as I live. To go from barely scraping by and living under the threat of daily attacks to living a luxurious lifestyle with the protection of a… very special man… has been, well, literally life-changing.”
She cocks her head, very subtly biting her lip as she refers to me that way. It fuels me with an overwhelming sense of pride. It’s as if she knows of my mission to break her down and truly claim her as mine like she’s teasing me.
I raise my glass to her, and she follows suit.
“Let me renew my promises to you that no harm shall ever come your way, not as long as you’re living under this roof with me.”
“Good, I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.”
We toast one another and drink the rest of our paquir. The rest of the bottle is shared between us as we finish our meal and spend the evening chatting away.
I’m relishing this time we’re spending together. While I certainly have my fantasies of what I wish to do to her, I take mental note of how her presence over these past few weeks has impacted me.
I lived life on a constant edge before she came around, subject to constant scrutiny by my parents and my sister, fulfilled only by my passion for art, which was once upon a time my only escape.
With Althia, she’s cast a whole different vibe over my daily life. No longer do I wake up every day in dread of what criticisms are coming my way. I have something new to live for, someone that invigorates me. Better yet, I know the relationship between her and myself is only beginning to blossom.
“Phew.” She groans, rubbing her forehead lightly.
“Are you alright?” I chuckle. “Had a bit too much to drink?”
“No,” she mutters before yawning. “I feel tired all of a sudden.”
“Hmm, it could be the dinner we’ve just had.”
