Vulgar Marriage - Chapter 7
Chapter 4.1
Dominic laughed, clearly amused by Livi’s accusing glare.
“Yes, that’s the kind of reaction I expect from my wife. It makes all of this worthwhile.”
He pinched her n*pple with his fingernail, repeatedly squeezing the nub. He didn’t stop until the sensitive area became red and swollen with all of the rubbing against her clothes.
She couldn’t escape or protest. Compared to the helplessness she felt, this pain was insignificant. Slowly, the strength drained from her struggling body. Resistance was pointless. The more she twisted, the more Dominic chuckled in dark amusement.
When Livi finally stopped resisting, Dominic withdrew his hand and tapped the gag covering her mouth.
“I’ll take it off if you promise not to do anything foolish. If you try any tricks, I’ll break your limbs and tie you to a horse.”
Livi hesitated, then nodded. Dominic pulled the handkerchief from her mouth. The cloth was now in tatters, shredded by her biting to stifle her cries.
After pushing the damp handkerchief aside, she struggled to prop herself up on her elbows. Tied up as she was, it was difficult to find balance. She fell forward several times before eventually managing to sit up.
Immediately, she used her bound hands to adjust her clothing, covering her swollen breasts as best she could with her arms.
Dominic watched her from the edge of the bed, arms crossed, letting out a scathing laugh.
“Hah, do you still think you’re the young daughter of House Joseph?”
“…Just because my parents are gone doesn’t mean my family is ruined.”
Livi’s voice was hoarse, but determined. Dominic raised his eyebrows in surprise, then sneered.
“So you can talk? I was beginning to worry that you’d completely lost your mind with all the screaming you’ve been doing.”
Frustrated, Dominic roughly undid the top button of his shirt and dropped onto the bed. The sudden dip in the mattress nearly sent Livi tumbling forward, but Dominic quickly grabbed her shoulder to steady her.
“Don’t touch me!”
Livi cried out, swatting his hand away in a panic. The movement threw her off balance, and she collapsed, her upper body hitting the bed face-first.
“You bark at me even when I try to help. It makes me think you might actually be crazy. You’re quite confusing, dear. Look at you, still acting so high and mighty. You must be under some kind of delusion…”
“Pride that changes depending on the situation is false pride.”
Livi shot back without hesitation.
A true noble of Sevarium dedicates themselves to their country, honors their family, and carries themselves with pride.
Livi had always upheld that belief, and she could confidently say she had never wavered.
That wouldn’t change just because she had temporarily succumbed to violence. She was determined to continue living by those principles.
However, Dominic burst into laughter when he heard her.
“…Is that what you think? That Dominic Celsion, the mad dog of the North, went on a rampage and accidentally wiped out the House of Marquis Joseph? And now someone’s going to come punish me, hang my head on the city walls?”
“…”
“Do you truly believe that? That I acted without the direct orders of my beloved emperor? Hm? I am the emperor’s dog, aren’t I? The kind of beast that, by your standards, would kill its own parents if ordered.”
“What… do you mean?”
“Who knows.”
“What… do you mean by that…?”
For the first time, Livi’s gaze wavered as she faced Dominic.
The current emperor, Lontaire II, was a tyrant who had purged countless noble families since ascending the throne. Even families with a history spanning over 300 years had not been spared.
The only families that survived were those who voluntarily offered their loyalty to the emperor. All except for one.
The House of Marquis Joseph.
House Joseph was the only family that managed to retain its power without bowing to the emperor.
‘…But how did they manage that?’
Livi had always taken the rumors circulating in society with a grain of salt.
Some said that the late emperor left a secret will for his daughter[1], who had married Marquis Joseph. Others believed that House Joseph was simply too powerful to challenge. Her father, Isaac Joseph, had never explicitly said it, but there were plenty of signs.
But now, her parents were murdered, and here the killer stood proudly before her.
What went wrong? Where did it all go astray?
Without realizing it, Livi began to gnaw on her lip, a habit she thought she’d outgrown after being scolded for it as a child. Dominic pressed his finger against her lip to stop her.
“His Majesty has been patient for a long time, which isn’t exactly his strong suit.”
He snorted, covering his mouth to stop himself from laughing. Livi’s insides twisted with rage. If her hands and feet weren’t tied, she would have lunged at him by now.
After getting his laughter under control, Dominic grabbed her shoulders, yanking her forward as she tried to pull away. His lips brushed her ear, and Livi’s heart began to pound with dread.
“There was an imperial decree. The order was to destroy the House of Marquis Joseph for conspiring with the enemy country of Robben and plotting treason.”
“…”
“By now, the other extended families of House Joseph are likely being dragged to the capital. All except for you.”
Her heart plummeted into her stomach. Livi stared at Dominic, unable to process the shock. His gaze remained steady, devoid of deception.
He wasn’t lying. Regardless of what kind of man Dominic was, in this moment, he was telling the truth—and Livi could sense it.
Translator’s Note:
1. The author made a mistake here. In the first chapter, the author referred to the marchioness as the late emperor’s “sister” but here, it’s “daughter.” I’ll be changing it once it’s confirmed which one it is. ↩
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