Well, it's not a no...

That was a mistake, she shouldn't have asked him - what if he simply didn't wear it for fear of chemicals or magic ruining the ring? Moreover he was probably twice her age if not older! Add in her being the daughter of a mere border farmer and - "Forget I asked, I -"

"I am available to court someone… and you're perhaps one of the better looking students I've caught daydreaming about me in the middle of class."

She felt her heart skip a beat as she sat up straight in her seat - he'd noticed that!?

"In addition, it'd hardly be the first time a student and an instructor had a courtship between each other - it's frowned upon, especially if they share classes, but it happens occasionally."

Victor brought a hand to his chin as he 'considered' it. He didn't need to mention those courtships usually were a result of a noble who was falling from grace and was effectively giving up their child to stave it off.

"But?" Dominique asked hesitantly.

Victor looked into her eyes, looking mildly curious. "Well, aside from having a young woman to decorate my arm, I get very little out of courting you - and other women will need a suitor just as you do, with more to show for it." He said, watching his student turn white as a sheet. "While I understand your predicament, and you are very beautiful, I -"

"I'll reciprocate!"

The large word coming from Dominique's mouth threw him through a loop as his brain dug up the definition. "... Explain."

Now she was beet red, and she looked surprised by her own outburst. "Um… well, I… I expect I'd have to… have… sex…" She said, struggling to get the words out through her own embarrassment. "With you, to make the courtship worthwhile on your end, I, I'll take part, I won't fight it and I'll even cooperate to… make it better."

"And how would that change for how the law says things work now?"

Dominique flinched as Victor stood up and walked over, towering over her. "Well, I'd struggle, or I'd be… passed around - if you were courting me I'd be… for your personal… use, rather than being used by everyone? And I'd, well… I'd..."

"You'd reciprocate." Victor said for her. It was an interesting offer. No doubt, sloppy seconds was by no means something he was going to go after - and it wasn't like he hadn't already been contemplating how he could make use of the law for himself. There weren't any laws saying courted couples couldn't make use of the law, only that they were given the option to say no.

There was also very few laws regarding polygamy.

If he wasn’t satisfied with her, he could court someone else and keep Dominique as well. If for no other reason than to keep his end of the bargain. Someone to fuck that he, and only he, had regular access to… was very tempting.

"Please professor - I, I'll end up in the back of some alley or worse by the end of school - I can't keep up with the entire school, I'll be overwhelmed!"