Liv’s expression changed subtly at Demus’ words. Liv stood there, peering into the box, and slowly parted her lips.

“… I’m not in a position to wear such valuable jewelry. I don’t have the right clothes, and there is no place for me to wear these. So I’ll just leave this here, and I’ll wear it whene—”

“In other words, you just need the right clothes and place.”

“Pardon, sir?”

Setting down the wine glass he had been twirling playfully, Demus pushed himself up and walked over to Liv. He picked up the envelope she hadn’t noticed, hidden beneath the box.

What came out of the crisp envelope was a ticket to the opera.

“You’ve already got the place, so you just need to match the clothes.”

Liv, who had been staring at the ticket with blank eyes, snapped her head up and looked at Demus.

“Are you going to take me along as your partner?”

“Is that surprising to you?”

“I…”

Her green eyes were filled with mixed emotions. Demus smiled faintly at her as she pursed her lips in speechlessness, then reached into the box and pulled out something.

It was a sparkling diamond necklace. The necklace made of tiny diamond woven into a mesh of thin gold strings was designed to wrap around her collarbone. He hadn’t picked it out himself, but the moment he saw it, he knew it would look great against Liv’s pale skin.

And as expected, he was absolutely right.

Demus, who had dug into the tightly covered bath gown, put the necklace on her himself.

“Since that brat of the Eleanor family you’re close with has been digging up about me, this will come to surface at some point.”

“Isn’t it something you can prevent?”

“It is, but I don’t see why I have to.”

A cold necklace landed on her skin, which was warm from the bath earlier. Looking up close, the fine hair on the back of her neck was rising up. Demus ran his thumb over there and whispered in Liv’s ear.

“Do I have to hide it?”

Liv couldn’t easily answer him. She apparently believed that her relationship with Demus would continue in secret forever. As proof, her face seen at an angle was pale.

“I see you are not satisfied with our relationship, Teacher.”

“No, it’s not, but rather…”

Liv, hesitating, lowered down her gaze. Liv fiddled with the necklace on her neck and then spoke as if lamenting.

“It’s more than I deserve.”

“Why don’t you be honest, Teacher?”

Demus removed his hand that had been playing with the necklace and her nape, and this time picked up an earring. It was an earring delicately crafted with a big and clear diamond.

“Do you truly desire to keep this relationship hidden from the world?”

Demus touched Liv’s earlobe. The thick earlobe was clean, as if it had never been pierced. After staring down at it, Demus checked the back of the earring.

The tip of the straight gold pin was pointed. He figured a needle wouldn’t be necessary.

“You don’t want anyone to see you standing next to me?”

No way. In essence, human desires are always destined to escalate. Once they engage in what they deem improper, it’s only a matter of time before they yearn for something greater, something far beyond their current limits.

Demus knew that Liv was quite swayed by him, and she would no doubt be hungry for more.

After a moment of hesitation, Liv lifted her head slightly. He was expecting her to be at a loss from his favor, but she was surprisingly calm.

“If I stand by your side, my Lord…”

Liv’s eyes stared back at Demus.

“How long will that last?”

Well, Demus himself was curious about it. How long should he keep Liv by his side?

He was an avid collector. But then, a collector is not someone who sticks with a single object indefinitely. Having never been this obsessed with a single thing before, Demus wasn’t sure how long his whims would last.

One thing was for sure, at least for now, he was quite fond of Liv. Enough to be willing to make this relationship public and flatter her.

“You just need to make sure I don’t get bored with you, Teacher. And so far, you’ve been very good at it. Why don’t you have a little more faith in yourself?”

“Ugh!”

Liv crumpled her face and let out a short scream. Demus, who had been playing with her earlobe, had pierced her flesh with an earring. Liv’s long lashes fluttered from the sudden pain.

A sparkling diamond earring nestled in the red, swollen flesh.

“It looks good on you.”

Rubbing his index finger and thumb over and around the burning earlobe, Demus narrowed his eyes.

“See me earlier next time. We have a few shops to stop by.”

He muttered kindly, telling her to pierce the other one by looking at the mirror, and slipped the earring into Liv’s hand. After that, he turned to leave, but Liv’s clear question rang behind him.

“Do you love me, my Lord?”