Odalisque - Chapter 11

“Pardon? But I was just starting to get into the zone…,” Brad muttered, his eyes wide, but he immediately shut his mouth when he met the marquis’s gaze.

Swallowing dryly, he forced a smile and nodded. “Ah, yes. Of course. I’ll clean up! Haha.”

The marquis placed the barely smoked cigar in the ashtray and left the studio with an indifferent expression.

Brad, who had bowed several times to the back of the marquis’s head, continued to fidget even after the studio door closed. Only when the sound of footsteps had completely disappeared did he finally relax, his legs giving way as he sank into a chair with a sigh of relief.

Liv, who had been quietly observing the situation while wrapped in a blanket, gathered her discarded clothes. She had deliberately brought clothing that was easy to put on and take off, so it didn’t take her long to get dressed.

As she smoothed out the crumpled hem of her skirt, Liv cautiously asked Brad a question.

“There were no servants?”

“Nope. I think they withdrew to avoid disturbing the work. I just came back because I figured I’d get lost if I kept wandering. This place is huge.”

Liv lowered her gaze, glancing briefly at Brad as he wiped his cold sweat away with his sleeve.

When they first arrived, the number of attendants who greeted them easily exceeded ten. Considering the mansion’s size, it was only natural that even more full-time staff would be present. Since the mansion seemed to be in a secluded area, there were likely separate accommodations for the staff.

Was it possible that so many people weren’t stationed nearby the master of the house?

“Brad, don’t you think it’s a bit odd?”

“Odd?”

Liv’s eyes turned to the floor. The wine pooling there and the shattered glass fragments.

“I just don’t think the marquis is the type to drop a wine glass by accident.”

“He’s still human. Maybe it was the alcohol.”

Having regained his composure, Brad brushed off Liv’s concern as he began preparing to leave.

“I think it’s refreshing—makes him more relatable!”

Dropping the glass far enough away that it didn’t spill on him—was that really an accident?

Was he not trying to disrupt the work?

Liv bit her lower lip hard.

Was she being too sensitive? Overthinking things? Was she attributing too much significance to each of his meaningless actions, simply because she was too conscious of him?

Liv recalled the marquis’s face as he had just left. He always looked indifferent, as if everything was a bother. Occasionally, irritation flickered across his features, but that was all.

Fundamentally, the marquis had shown little interest in either Liv or Brad. He merely observed the work in silence, as they had agreed upon.

So why did she feel this way?

Why did it feel as though she had caught the interest of someone who was both malicious and cruel?

***

Despite all the unease and suspicions Liv felt on the first day, the work progressed step by step.

The marquis continued to attend each session without fail, often interrupting under the guise of making a mistake.

“Under the guise of making a mistake”—that was purely Liv’s assumption. However, she was quite certain her assumption was correct. No matter how she looked at it, the timing of the marquis’s supposed “mistakes” was suspicious.

The marquis would usually disrupt things just as Brad was getting into a rhythm, making noise to break the concentration in the studio. As a result, the nude painting was still just a barely completed sketch. Compared to Brad’s usual working speed, progress was significantly slower.

Moreover, all the work was done at the marquis’s discretion, so even when they wanted to continue, they had to stop as soon as he said so, without a word of complaint.

Liv had initially believed that the work would be over quickly, given Brad’s speed, but she hadn’t accounted for the limitations of their current environment. The marquis provided the studio, and they could only work while he was present, which was a considerable hindrance. No matter how quickly Brad worked, it didn’t matter.

Everything was determined by the marquis’s whims. At first, Brad was thrilled and praised the marquis endlessly, but even he began to notice something was amiss.

But what could they do about it? There was nothing they could do.

Brad tried to stay optimistic.

“If the marquis really wanted to make us suffer, he could’ve done it in countless easier ways. There’s no way he’d go through the trouble of giving us this grand mansion as a studio.”

Brad wasn’t wrong. If the marquis truly wanted to torment Brad and Liv, there were far less cumbersome methods he could have chosen.

Providing an entire grand mansion as a studio, preparing luxurious art supplies, sending a carriage for them regularly, and personally overseeing each session—these were all cumbersome efforts for the marquis as well.

“Don’t worry, Liv. I’ll work faster.”

Liv had no choice but to rely on Brad’s words. Regardless of the hidden reasons behind this inexplicable situation, nothing would change even if they discovered them.

It was too late to stop the work now. They had no option but to complete the painting as quickly as possible and hand it over to the marquis.

“Teacher!”

Lost in thought, Liv was startled out of her reverie. Realizing where she was, she quickly shook off her musings. The cheerful voice calling her belonged to Million.

Million was dressed to impress, adorned in a sky-blue dress with colorful floral decorations and jewelry that looked expensive at a glance. It was clear to anyone that Million was the star of the day.

Today was Million’s birthday.

“Teacher, thank you so much for coming!”

The birthday party was held in the backyard of the Baron Pendence’s residence, an outdoor party. As befitting the cherished only daughter of Baron Pendence, the party was full of care and splendor.

There were many guests, both adults and children, and it would have been easy for Liv’s presence to go unnoticed. Yet Million, somehow, spotted Liv the moment she entered and came rushing over.

A few curious glances followed her as Million ran, but Liv ignored them, smiling at the girl.

“Happy birthday, Million.”

Although she had considered declining the invitation, Liv couldn’t ignore the birthday party of a student she taught. Still, she felt awkward.

Her outfit was neat, but far too simple for the party, and the hastily prepared gift she brought felt inadequate. She was so embarrassed by it that she decided to discreetly place it among the other presents, rather than hand it to Million directly.

“My parents are over there!”

Ideally, Liv would have liked to hand over the present and leave. Baron Pendence and his wife were aware of Liv’s ailing younger sister, Corida, so using her as an excuse, she might be able to make an early exit.

Though she felt a bit guilty, Liv knew that staying at an event like this wouldn’t benefit her in any way.

“Father, Mother. Teacher is here!”

Led by Million, they approached Baron Pendence and his wife, who were busy entertaining guests. Upon seeing Liv, Baroness Pendence beamed.

“Teacher Rodaise!”

Baroness Pendence warmly took Liv’s hand and led her to meet her acquaintances.

“This is Teacher Rodaise, who oversees Million’s cultural lessons. Teacher, please say hello. This is Countess Blaise.”

Countess Blaise was Adrienne’s mother, Million’s close friend. Liv quickly and politely greeted her.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Liv Rodaise.”

“Oh, you’re the lovely teacher Million always talks about?”

Countess Blaise laughed pleasantly, accepting Liv’s greeting. Liv had always thought Adrienne, who often led around a group of friends, was exceptionally sociable. Now it made sense; she had inherited that trait from her mother.

Liv found herself feeling a small sense of warmth toward the countess, who approached her without regard for status.

“If Adrienne didn’t already have a long-time tutor, I would’ve asked you to come right away!”

“Thank you for saying so, Countess.”

“Teacher Rodaise is a graduate of Clemence Boarding School. Her academic skills are remarkable.”

Upon Baroness Pendence’s proud introduction, another lady standing beside Countess Blaise exclaimed in admiration.

“My goodness, a Clemence graduate? I must remember that.”

Initially, Liv intended to leave after giving Million her gift, but she adjusted her plan slightly. Most of the guests attending Million’s party were likely parents with children around her age. It wouldn’t hurt to stay a bit longer and make a good impression.

With Baroness Pendence’s help, Liv introduced herself to several ladies. They were all of similar social standing to the Pendence family, with a suitable level of refinement. Liv did her best to appear as a reliable and dignified tutor.

However, the interest in a young, beautiful tutor from Clemence Boarding School didn’t last long. Soon enough, the ladies’ conversation moved on to other topics. Liv lingered a while longer before discreetly stepping away as another new guest joined the group. Million, surrounded by her friends, was busy receiving birthday wishes.

Liv hesitated for a moment. Should she leave her gift and go? With so many guests, her early departure would likely go unnoticed.

As she fiddled with the small gift box she held, someone approached her.

“Teacher Rodaise?”

Since there weren’t many people who would address her this way besides Million or Baroness Pendence, Liv looked up, a bit surprised.

The person who had spoken was a young man with curly black hair and pale blue eyes. He had a healthy complexion, with faint freckles scattered across his cheeks, which somehow suited him quite well.

He smiled warmly at Liv, his eyes widening slightly, and greeted her politely.

“Hello, my name is Camille Marcel.”