Request

The next two days were vague in Livy's eyes. Ever since Arthur kissed her that night, the time they'd seen each other had been so little, that she hadn't been enjoying her holiday anymore and was daydreaming a lot. They weren't even in the same room and he seemed to be constantly with Evander discussing something. The man is very busy.

Unfortunately nothing happened after Arthur kissed her, that night he rushed out right after nearly making her heart pop. She thought Arthur would do more, have sex with her for example? Or sleeping in one bed together while cuddling until morning?

No way! No fcking way!

Shit! What the hell was she thinking? Does this mean she really has dirty thoughts just because she's in love?

Livy sighed as she looked out across the golf course, where a wide, flat meadow stretched from right to left. It was still on a private island. Her activities with Sarah were just playing and playing. This time they decided to follow Arthur and the others here.

"Can you play golf? I can't," Sarah complained.

Livy shook her head, still deep in her own dazed thoughts.

She was currently wearing a white shirt and pants, also the same white hat. It was uniform with the others too. She looked at Arthur who was sitting chatting with Evander without blinking.

"Could you take your eyes off your husband just a little?" Sarah nudged her arm. "He won't disappear in thin air even if you don't see him. Tell me, so this arranged marriage really makes you find true love, hm?"

Livy looked away. "Don't talk nonsense."

Sarah picked up the golf club and chuckled. "What did I say wrong? Your hubby is handsome and wealthy, how could you not fall in love? Look at how he fell towards you that time. He tried so hard not to press you, in the end he accidentally kissed you. Eh, wait, I thought that was actually on purpose. Livy, he kissed you on purpose, didn't he?"

Livy subconsciously pursed her lips. Seeing this action, Sarah showed a satisfied smile.

"Miss Grey, Sister-in-law, why don't you guys play? Come, come here!"

From a distance Dave waved and shouted.

"Yea, yea, wait for me." Sarah answered. "Livy, come on."

Before Livy answered, Sarah was already running excitedly.

Sarah and Dave did become close after that dinner. The two get along easily because their characters are similar; very chatty and sociable. Livy felt she could not be like them, being close to Arthur was difficult for her.

All this time, she had always tried to be the one looking for a topic of conversation when alone with Arthur. But it seems their relationship is just going in place.

Either she is difficult to get along with or Arthur is too stiff.

"Miss, are you not playing?" asked Evander who was not far from her. The man was still wearing glasses and holding a work tablet. Sitting at a table with Arthur.

Livy approached them. "How about you both?"

Before Evander could answer Arthur pulled up the chair beside him and said, "Sit down. Don't stand like that."

"Um." Livy sat down embarrassed.

"I'm taking care of some work here, so I don't play. As for him, you know that his eyesight is not good, he doesn't play."

Livy nodded and let out a short 'oh'.

Evander was back busy on his work tablet and his face was serious. While Arthur was watching him from the side, he would sometimes point at the tablet screen and say a few things. Livy felt out of place here. She sat nervously and didn't know what to do.

At this moment, the two players suddenly cheered and high-fived excitedly.

"It's really in!"

"Told you, I'm fcking good at teaching other people. If there's a golf competition, sure I can beat everyone to hell!"

"Well, I believe in you. Is there another sport you can play? Then teach me too."

"Hm ... soccer, basketball, baseball, billiards—anything. I can do anything. I'm multitalented!"

Then a clicking sound was heard. Livy's gaze drifted to the sound, which was apparently made by Evander.

"He's as good at bragging as ever," Evander said, pushing up his glasses. "Now flaunting talent, tomorrow he will seduce that girl."

"You have to act sooner," said Arthur.

"I don't think it's needed. This girl looks fine, she probably doesn't like delinquents. Isn't that right, Miss?"

Livy, who was paying attention to the conversation, was suddenly stared at and asked a question like that, immediately stuttered.

"Huh? What?"

Arthur looked at her, automatically Livy looked down. Actually her eyes had always been aimed at Arthur, so when he caught her staring at him, she looked away hastily. She didn't know if Arthur had noticed.

"Dave is a playboy." Evander said.

Livy was still a bit dazed and couldn't digest it.

"Dave likes to tease girls. I think now his target is your friend." Evander explained.

"Is that true?"

"You know how badass he can be, and that's really his character. Dave really gets along with people, that's why he can easily get people attracted to him. Because he's good at following other people's lines."

"Don't talk like that." Arthur warned him.

"You still defend him even though he often deceives you?" Evander grinned.

"I'm not defending him."

"Dave is so stubborn, doesn't he always have sneaky ways to 'knock you down'? Until last time, you still believed him even though you knew he would."

Arthur fell silent at this, pretending not to hear.

Meanwhile, Livy, who had been silent, was starting to get confused about what they were actually arguing about.

Arthur's expression didn't change at all, so no one could guess what was in his heart. Calmly, he took the tea and drank it.

Evander smiled knowingly. "That tea was also prepared by Dave, you're not worried if it's spiked with sleeping pills again?"

Arthur's hand stopped.

Evander shrugged, "Well. Just kidding."

Arthur put the cup back down. His expression was serious like an older brother who had just heard his younger brother's mischief. "I'll tell him not to mess around."

"That's good." Evander was satisfied.

"You like that girl, don't you?"

Hearing that, Evander's forehead twitched. "What the hell?"

The developments in this conversation seem to be heading in an ambiguous direction. Livy instinctively understood that what was being discussed here was still Dave and Sarah, but Arthur's last question seemed to make quite an interesting twist.

Livy looked at Evander who didn't show much expression either.

What did he say? That girl ... who? Sarah?

But in the end, Arthur said, "Dave liked him too."

Evander tried his best to deny it. "Nonsense. Yeah. By the way, this work is done. I'm going to go. Miss Livy, do you want to play with me?"

In the last half of his sentence, Evander looked at Livy.

"She's not coming. I want to take her somewhere." Arthur answered for her.

It seemed that Evander was dissatisfied with that answer and wordlessly left. After there were only the two of them left, neither of them spoke. In fact they just sat around quietly. Livy wondered if Arthur really wanted to take her away. She was nervous at the thought of this.

"Have you thought about what gift you want?" Arthur 'stared' at her.

"Gift?"

Arthur said, "If you pass the university entrance exam, didn't I promise to give you a gift? So, what do you want?"

"That really isn't necessary." Livy didn't dare look at him and kept her head down. "Aren't you inviting me to go on vacation? This is more than enough."

"This and that are different." Arthur insisted.

What's different?

With him taking her to a private island for a vacation with free accommodation, what more could she ask for? She didn't want Arthur to think she was too greedy.

She thought for a moment and realized. From the start this relationship was just a contract and Arthur may have felt that he had to be nice to make her feel comfortable. By giving lots of gifts, women will usually feel comfortable and stay, right?

Thinking of this made Livy feel bitter.

She suddenly thought of something and said, "What if I make one wish?"

"Say."

The thing she was about to ask for was one she had doubted the past few days, but she could use this as an excuse to prevent her feelings from developing too much for Arthur.

"Um, you see, the university provides dormitories for freshmen. They can choose to take them or not. But can I ..."

Her words paused for a moment as she looked at Arthur. She had always doubted this decision because they were already married. She was afraid Arthur would disapprove. His purpose in getting married was to silence his stepmother, so he definitely didn't want it to appear that this was just a pretense. Let alone living apart like this.

Livy still didn't continue, but Arthur was smart enough, she was sure he'd get the point.

Arthur's expression turned cold, even as his voice spoke, "I'll think about it."

***

The next few days they returned home.

On the way, Arthur and Livy rarely talk, that was because he was busy doing online meetings. So he shut himself in with Evander to discuss work. But with this, for some reason she also thought that Arthur was deliberately keeping his distance from her.

Is Arthur mad?

Is asking permission to live in the dormitory too much?

Arthur had no feelings for her and she thought that being alone together would not be good for her own heart. She liked Arthur, whereas like could turn into love sooner or later. She didn't want to break their contract.

Since the beginning she accepted the match was to distance herself from her aunt. She wasn't done with the plan yet. She still needed shade under Arthur for cover.

Until the next few days, Livy still did not speak to Arthur. It was the day that freshmen will enter and dormitory decisions have to be made. Since Arthur still didn't give an answer, Livy knew that he wouldn't allow her, she could only be sad.

She was having breakfast in the dining room alone, usually Arthur wouldn't be down at this hour, but she suddenly saw him coming down.

"I'll take you to the university." Arthur said after taking a seat across the table. He didn't say anything else but drank hot tea and ate a vegetable salad.

When they got to the car, Livy still didn't dare ask about the dormitory. She lowered her face.

Arthur had apparently been sneaking a glance at her and noticed her expression. "Sorry to tell you now, but I agree with your request."

Livy was surprised and looked up.

"I wanted to tell you since yesterday, but I'm busy. I've asked Evan to arrange the best room for you, it's a single room, quite spacious and the bathroom is inside."

One person dorm room?

There should be something like that, but isn't that exclusively for wealthy college students? They would pay more each month for the dormitory, whereas the dormitory chosen from the university would need only annual construction costs.

Does this make sense?

She was a student who received a scholarship!

"You don't like?"

"But that ..."

"I know you don't agree, for that I suggest two options. Room for one person or room for two people, you can choose." Arthur said without looking at her this time.

That was good too.

A two-person room sounds better than a single-person room. She didn't want to stand out too much like that. But after Livy got the approval to live in a dorm like this, why wasn't she happy?

Why does her heart feel bitter?

"So I can stay at the dormitory?" Livy asked, glancing at him carefully.

Arthur's movement stopped.

Livy knew that she was starting to waver, in fact she wished Arthur would reject this idea, even though she really wanted to go for her heart's sake. She still wished that she could be with Arthur longer and received a bit of rejection from him.

It doesn't matter if it's just a one-sided crush.

Stupid.

She's really inconsistent.

She wanted to go, on the other hand she didn't want to go either.

"That's your request, I can't refuse." Arthur said coldly.

"Is it alright, aren't we already married?"

Arthur frowned, somewhat confused as to why Livy was asking this after she had made the transfer request against her will.

Finally Arthur looked at her again. "We're not divorced. Just separated for a while. I can still take you anywhere outside of school hours."

Yes, that's true.

Why should she ask? It was her own decision though.

She could only secretly hope that Arthur would always have a reason to take her away later. She will surely be pleased.

However she started to think about it again, in order to be in a long distance relationship, they needed a means to send messages. So far she has none

his phone number, she wanted to have it now.

"Give me your phone number."

And before Livy could ask, Arthur had asked for her contact first.

... to be continued ...