Odalisque - Chapter 101

The day was dark, but the train station was brightly lit.

Finding someone in the bustling train station, noisy enough to resemble a marketplace, seemed like a far-off task. Dismas dismounted his horse and looked towards the busy ticket gate. The station attendant was loudly announcing that the train departure had been delayed.

The attendant’s face, dealing with the complaining passengers, was covered in sweat. There was nothing more he could do, though, since it was Dismas who had caused the train delay.

“This way, sir.”

The subordinate waiting for him guided Dismas. It was to a small storeroom set up on one side of the train station. As soon as they opened the door and stepped in, the musty smell and dust in the air made breathing stifling.

“Why are you doing this to me?!”

A sharp voice echoed from inside. It was Camille, who, with an angry expression, was protesting against the men surrounding him.

When he saw Dismas enter the storeroom, Camille, who had been raising his voice, opened his eyes wide in surprise.

“Marquis Dietrion?”

Dismas glanced at the subordinates standing in front of Camille.

“Did he talk?”

“No, sir.”

They hadn’t expected Camille to speak easily. Dismas turned back to Camille with a cold expression. Camille, looking at Dismas as if finding it absurd, scoffed.

“I didn’t think I’d be formally introduced to the Marquis like this.”

“Unfortunately, I have no intention of formally introducing myself to you.”

“What sort of rudeness is this? No matter how powerful you are as Marquis Dietrion, treating someone this way is…”

“Camille Eleonore.”

Camille, who had been shouting without fear, hesitated.

“Where did you hide her?”

“What on earth are you talking about…”

“Marquis!”

Dimus’ aides rushed in behind him. They had just arrived, having been attending to different tasks at different locations. Dimus gave them orders.

“Search every train.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Check the ticket records.”

“Understood.”

Roman and Charles hurriedly turned away. Adolf, left alone, stood stiffly by Dimus’ side.

“I’ve informed the Eleonore family. We should receive a response by tomorrow at the latest.”

Camille’s expression twisted as he watched what was happening in front of him.

“Listen here!”

“The reason I’m not pulling out a gun right now isn’t because I’m scared of Eleonore.”

Dimus pulled the wrist of his glove tight.

After receiving this glove from Liv as a gift, Dimus had taken to fiddling with it for no reason, especially when she wasn’t around. The glove was something tangible, something he could touch, that symbolized a small piece of Liv’s heart.

“If I spill blood here, it makes things more complicated. I don’t want to waste time on unnecessary matters.”

Camille, momentarily at a loss for words, stared at Dimus. In the dim lighting, where everything else seemed dark, Dimus’ face stood out as unusually cold and aloof.

The man, as beautiful as a sculpture, appeared even more surreal with the shabby background behind him.

“I’ll ask only once. Depending on your answer, the dispute between our families may be settled quite smoothly.”

A faint crack formed in the otherwise composed expression of Dimus.

“Did she ask for your help, or was this your unnecessary meddling?”

His fierce gaze resembled that of a monster guarding the gates of hell.

Camille, seeing this, couldn’t bring himself to answer right away. The vague hostility on Camille’s face now included traces of bewilderment.

“You…”

“Forget the unnecessary talk and just answer the question.”

Camille, who had been mumbling, forced the confusion away and smiled.

“Treating a person like this… Urk!”

Dimus instantly grabbed Camille by the collar. He squeezed so tightly that Camille’s face turned red from the lack of air.

However, Camille refused to drop his sarcastic tone.

“Even without this… because of the rumors, she… ugh…”

“The name Eleonore won’t be enough to keep you safe, so know your place.”

“Did you tell her the same? To know her place?”

Being so close, Camille could see the slight frown between Dimus’ brows. Camille’s smile twisted even more crookedly than before.

“I’m glad I could at least help in this way.”

[You are an excellent collector, and I believe you’ll quickly find something valuable.]

“Marquis, you’re late.”

[Unfortunately, that wasn’t me.]

Dimus, unable to suppress his anger, finally acted upon it after seeing Camille’s smiling face as if mocking him.

Thud!

With a dull sound, Camille’s body rolled onto the floor. Dimus had thrown him by the collar he’d been holding. Camille let out a short groan, clutching his shoulder as if he’d hurt it during the fall. Yet, he continued to chuckle as though he found it all amusing.

Seeing Camille’s appearance, seemingly mocking him, made Dimus’ expression grow even fiercer.

However, instead of striking Camille again, Dimus turned around. Roman, who had been searching the train with other subordinates, was now entering the storeroom. Sweat covered Roman’s forehead, proving his efforts.

“…She’s not there.”

At that moment, the tenuous thread of Dimus’ reason turned pitch black.

***

Even after searching two or three more times, they couldn’t find the Rodaise sisters on the train.

They’d even checked Liv’s house again just in case, but it was just as Dimus had left it.

Dimus, staring up at the starless black sky, reached into his pocket. His fingers touched the paper, now crumpled and worn from being clenched so often.

He didn’t need to unfold it—he had memorized the content long ago. The neat handwriting and the infuriatingly arrogant few lines of text replayed clearly in his mind.

“Marquis, Lord Eleonore is still demanding to be released.”

Adolf’s voice, filled with concern, reported in. Ever since they were at the train station, Adolf had been listening to all sorts of ridiculous excuses while forcibly detaining Camille, who happened to be a direct member of the Eleonore family. Adolf seemed worried about how they’d handle this later.

After a moment of silence, Dimus asked in a cold voice, “Did they figure out the ticket records yet?”

“Charles is checking them. It seems to be taking a bit of time, likely because they used an alias, but it should be finished soon.”

Looking back at Liv’s recent actions, she likely hadn’t bought a train ticket at a ticket office beforehand, and it would have been hard to purchase one quickly upon arriving at the crowded train station. The most plausible scenario was that Camille had bought Liv’s ticket in advance.

Since Camille had been at the station, Dimus’ assumption was probably correct.

“What about Roman?”

“He’s gone to ask for the cooperation of the Buerno police.”

There was a slim chance that Liv hadn’t left yet.

If that were the case, they would have to search throughout Buerno. The easiest way would be to seek cooperation from the local police. It wouldn’t be difficult to obtain their assistance. So, Dimus had sent someone to the police station. Although it was a bit late to take action, it was better than doing nothing.

Perhaps he should have mobilized the police as soon as he sensed Liv had disappeared.

Frowning, Dimus reconsidered his delayed response.

The real issue had been not expecting that Liv and Corida would deliberately vanish.

Yes, that was the issue. Dimus had never imagined that Liv would dare decide to leave him. Let alone attempt such an escape in complete secrecy.

What reason did she have? Why would she flee like this? What was lacking?

Ever since meeting Dimus, Liv had lived comfortably, and her precious younger sister’s health had visibly improved. He had even promised to settle the damned nude painting incident himself, so why…

“You already have everything of mine in your hands, Marquis.”

That was what she had said.

“Dimus.”

Had her sweet whispers been nothing but deceitful lies?

The more he thought about it, the more his insides twisted in rage. But he couldn’t afford to be consumed by this emotion.

Once the ticket information was confirmed, he could quickly track her down.

Pursuing someone was not unfamiliar territory for Dimus. Though it had been a while since he had done it, he was a man who had lived through battlefields, and he had experience chasing down enemies and deserters.

He would catch her soon enough. Once he did, he would bring her directly to the Langess mansion. Then he would lock the doors and shackle her, ensuring she never left again.

He would make her realize just how undeserved the treatment she had received had been.