Chapter 42: Marked by Dominic

Words : 1007 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 42: Marked by Dominic Aaron kept creeping closer, so Shiao Yi shuffled back awkwardly. "Can I examine you a little? Inside and out? Completely? Come on, just a little? Even if you say no, I wasn’t planning to let you go anyway, you know?" "I refuse!" Shiao Yi snapped. "Dominic told me not to let anyone else touch my body. I belong to Dominic. That means I’m not free to be used however you want." As Shiao Yi kept backing away, step by step, Aaron kept following, step by step. Then—thump—his heel hit the wall behind him. His back pressed against the room’s wall. He was cornered with nowhere to run. Aaron leaned in, placing both hands on either side of Shiao Yi’s head and pinning him with his arms as he looked down at him. Could Shiao Yi throw this man off? He quickly evaluated the situation. Aaron had a strong build. He looked like someone who practiced hand-to-hand combat or martial arts. "Dominic? If you’re going to lie, at least make it sound believable. Yes, the Captain is scary, but come on. That man would never say something like that. He doesn’t show interest in anyone. He’s such a good-looking man, with such a perfect body too. But not even the most beautiful person can get him to flirt. Did you know? He’s called the Iron Knight. Those eyes—cold like frozen iron! Even I couldn’t get past that. So no, no, telling lies like that is bad. You need to be punished for that." "Dominic is my superior. It’s not a lie!" Shiao Yi snapped back. "Hey, you know," Aaron said, frowning in irritation, "when you try too hard to act all innocent and cute, it just turns into something nasty." Then, with a sudden motion, Aaron grabbed both sides of Shiao Yi’s jacket and yanked it open as if tearing it apart. But suddenly, Aaron froze. His eyes locked onto Shiao Yi’s left chest. Shiao Yi looked down as well and saw the dark red mark—blood rising just beneath the skin. Aaron swallowed his saliva hard. He let go of the jacket and took a step or two back. His hands were still extended in the air, trembling slightly. "N-no way... That’s... that’s Captain Dominic’s... o-ownership mark... Y-you... you really are... his? I’m going to be killed..." Seeing Aaron turn pale and start shaking, it was Shiao Yi who ended up more surprised. Sure, he had felt Dominic sucking hard on his chest earlier, but... "How can you tell that this bruise belongs to Dominic?" Shiao Yi asked. "You really can’t tell?" Aaron said, his voice shaky. "The Captain’s magic is still clearly imprinted on it. That’s not just a love bite. That mark is full of intent—he left it to declare that you belong to him." "Eh? R-really...?" Shiao Yi stared at the kiss mark on his chest. For some reason, a strange warmth spread inside him, and he felt... happy. ... When Aaron first saw him, he truly thought the darkness of night had taken human form and descended to this world. That glossy black hair that was as dark as wet feathers, and those deep, star-filled eyes—they seemed to hold the vast, silent depth of the night sky itself. Aaron couldn’t help but admire him, he was completely enchanted. He instantly knew this had to be the mysterious boy everyone had been whispering about. There couldn’t be another person with such perfect black hair and eyes. Aaron wasn’t a fighter. His role on the battlefield was to support from the back, creating magical tools, anti-monster traps, and magic weapons. He also brewed healing potions and dangerous poisons as an alchemist. He loved experimenting more than anything—mixing materials, watching the reactions and discovering the effects. Sure, a few minor fires and small explosions had happened, but in his mind, that came with the job. Nothing to worry about. When he heard that the boy’s name was Shiao Yi, he thought that he such a beautiful name! He also had an interest in minerals and stones, so Aaron felt it must be fate. Not many magic users focused on studying the reactions and qualities of minerals and liquids. Most of them thought those areas belonged to healers. Instead, they preferred mastering fire, water, earth, or wind magic. That kind of flashy magic had its place, but Aaron preferred researching and discovery. But when Aaron tried to get closer to Shiao Yi, with perhaps a little too much interest, the reaction was immediate—and terrifying. It wasn’t just rejection; it felt like being frozen solid by ice magic or having a dozen swords driven straight through his heart. There, on Shiao Yi’s chest, bloomed a red mark—right above the heart. The mark of ownership. And it belonged to Captain Dominic. Aaron couldn’t stop trembling. In his mind, he could clearly see the Captain’s cold, steel-like eyes—merciless and deadly. If that man found out, Aaron was sure he’d be killed without question. There were only two things in the world that truly scared Aaron: his furious witch of a mother—and Captain Dominic. Compared to them, nothing else on this world was frightening at all. Aaron’s passionate crush ended in an instant... "Niter? And sulfur? Those are dangerous materials." The minerals Shiao Yi asked about were all ones that needed to be handled with extreme caution. "I’ve used those before and caused a few explosions. What are you planning to do with them?" At first, Shiao Yi didn’t want to explain. But Aaron was persistent—something he was proud of. In the end, he must have realized that nothing could move forward without Aaron’s help. So, he finally gave in and spoke. "If you heat niter and sulfur together, you can create a certain substance." "Oh! I’ve done that before! It gave off a really strong smell and burned holes in my clothes. I almost melted my fingers, too." Shun looked at him with eyes full of disbelief. "You’re doing experiments that dangerous without any prior knowledge?"

Chapter 42: Marked by Dominic

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