Chapter 177

177 v. Quid Pro Quo

It was barely a few months before she surrendered to her parents’ will. She had to bite her tongue and bear everything unless she wanted to lose her family for good.

To say she is now being manipulated by both her family and Dominus will be by far correct. There is no way out of this web.

To put it simply, Dominus calculated his every move to trap her like this. She crumpled the paper containing the design proposed by the gown stylist and threw it in front of her bridal team.

She didn’t want to act out but this level of stress is already killing her. Why can’t he understand that forcing her like this won’t make it easier for her to accept him?

In fact, it will be even worse than before. She felt her shoulders shake uncontrollably as she let out a cry.

The stylist hurriedly picked up the design and promised to revise it, while the wedding coordinator and her team stood up as if faced with an untamed animal who will leap at them at any time.

“What is going on here?” Dominus’s booming voice startled her and the rest of the people surrounding her.

She just kept on crying as Dominus motioned for everyone to leave. He hurriedly went and knelt in front of her.

“My queen,” his voice was filled with concern, thawing her ice-cold heart.

.....

She refused to answer him nor look in his direction, “Please look at me, my love. Please tell me what is wrong. Did anyone make you upset?”

He lifted her chin so that her eyes will meet with his. She wanted to tell him it was him who made her feel so miserable inside.

That in fact, he is the sole reason why there was no way she felt she could be happy about the grandiosity of this upcoming wedding. In fact, the more he spends on this wedding, the more she felt like she was being bought.

“I hated the design,” she said simply, her eyes teary-eyed.

“Then what’s wrong my love? You can just tell them the changes you wanted to be had,” he held her hand and squeezed it gently.

That he was a man full of contradictions irked her even more. How can he be so caring and at the same time so cruel?

She wanted to see at least one part of him as a mere cover-up and yet such was not the case. He has been too patient with her in fact.

She had demanded so many changes just after he had spent a lot. Be it on the motif, the menu, or the gowns she wanted.

She was obviously doing all these to make things difficult for him. She knew money won’t be an issue for someone like him who has more money than he could ever spend in a lifetime.

But her attitude has been too sour, throwing tantrums every chance she gets. She knew at least, that part he ought to notice and be mad about, and yet he has been nothing but calm about all her behaviors.

“You know you can change everything as you wanted. For as long as we can get married next month. I do not want to disappoint our parents. You know how they are worried about this situation we are in. They are right my love, it indeed is not a good thing for an unmarried couple to be residing in one estate. People will be sure to say something about it,” he continued in a soothing tone, making her even more confused.

Does he not know that she was acting out on purpose just to irritate him? Then why is he taking everything in stride without so much as a reprimand?

She bit her lower lip trying not to say something nice to him. He deserved the way she was treating him.

In fact, even if she spends all his money it will still not be enough to make up for everything he has done to her life. He has ruined everything and deprived her of basic human courtesy, which is allowing her to make her own decisions.

“Hey, I brought a little something,” he grinned when she so much as looked at him curiously.

She blushed seeing him smile like that. He must be out of his mind to reward her impetuous behavior like this.

“Here,” he took out a small velvet box from his pocket and handed it to her.

She frowned a bit, knowing whatever that thing inside is, must have caused a fortune. She didn’t want to receive gifts like this from him.

It was something that made her feel like she had no right to complain. He is the perfect fiance after all, rich, handsome, tall, powerful, and all so generous.

She didn’t want that confusion about his being sweet to her brings. She didn’t want to have any reason to hesitate about leaving when the opportunity comes.

He opened the box and let out a pair of dangling diamond earrings that reflected the light from the setting sun. She couldn’t help but gaze at its beauty as it lay open. It managed to mesmerize her with its radiance.

“May I?” he asked softly, waiting for her approval.

She nodded, still unable to stop herself from gawking at the pretty jewelry. She will of course express her dissatisfaction with herself later once she has at least gone past the initial giddy feeling of being gifted something so precious.

She may claim not to be materialistic but there are just some things ladies are born to appreciate. One of which is fine jewelry.

He leaned closer and took off her old earrings which are tear-shaped rubies that have become one of her favorites. She looked at them as he lay them carelessly on top of the table.

“Not there, here,” she mumbled, spreading her palm.

He chuckled, “Of course, my queen.”

She widened her eyes at him when he let out a laugh as he gently placed her discarded earrings in the palm of her hand.

She held on to them with such care as she proceeded to replace them with her new pair of earrings. She couldn’t wait to see how she looks while wearing them.

She is weak of course, just like any person has weaknesses. She does have a penchant for being gifted expensive things.

She carefully placed them inside the now vacant velvet box, filling up the space his new gift occupied just a while ago.

“Are you pleased?” he asked, this time a bit with confidence.

Ahhh, she hates that he is exploiting her weaknesses. Just because she loves the real expensive gifts he gave her made him feel like her affection increases when the value of the things he gifts her increase.

She pouted as she thought about how she now owned a room full of expensive jewelry just a pair of each can already purchase an expensive luxury car or a downpayment for one of those fancy houses.

That he spends so much on her is not something she is proud of but nonetheless enjoys. She pouted more as he laughed.

“If you do not like them, my queen, then I should remove them and have them returned to the shop immediately,” he teased her.

“A gift is a gift. You are not allowed to touch them,” she insisted, feeling her heart start to soften a little bit once again.

The problem with softening her heart bit by bit is that she becomes unaware of how much of her hatred is being chipped away over time.

She fears she will one day find she has no more anger to hold on to. That of course is something that can be considered beyond worse.

“Of course my love,” he grinned, touching her neck, and sliding his finger down her skin.

He padded his fingers on her shoulders and looked at her, “It will be bad not to thank your knight properly.”

She pouted and pressed a quick kiss on his cheek, “Is that okay?”

“Ahhh, that will be good if this is just a piece of ordinary diamond jewelry. For it is not just the carat and the stone that makes this pair valuable,” he hinted, watching her eyes grow in excitement.

“Tell me! Tell me exactly what makes this valuable?” she pinched his arm when he let out another chuckle.

“They were once pieces of jewelry belonging to the late princess of England. I do think you quite hold her in high regard, don’t you? I do know you were reading those royalty magazines in the library. At least one of the little birds managed to tell me. How you were quite so fond of her fashion sense and royal bearings despite not being born into royalty herself,” he teased her.

She blushed as he mentioned her habit. Who can blame her, she was quite an icon not just to her country but to the whole world itself.

Even fashion houses will readily agree to her testament. For a luxury handbag line has even been dedicated and named after her.

Since he already knows this secret of hers what use is there in denying this from him? Not like she could return his gifts anyway!

Sure she dislikes them but some of them were not so bad to keep. She justified in her head, aware that she herself has become a creature filled with contradictions.

“What do you want for them?” she asked him, pouting.

Yes, she knows her other self will be way disappointed in her later on. But what use is there in denying herself some happiness when logic dictates she couldn’t return them even if she wanted to?

“A quid pro quo,” he said, leaning closer to her as she looked up at him with trembling lips.

“Are you willing?” he asked in that classic deep voice of his that reverberates through her soul.

“Aye, I am,” she whispered, making him smile wider as he claimed her lips triumphantly.

Damned rules about dating and engagement. Those rules don’t apply to kidnapped princesses.