Odalisque - Chapter 123

Lost in half-thoughts, Liv nodded absentmindedly but then paused.

Corida glanced at Liv’s face before speaking casually, “That marquis has severe insomnia, doesn’t he? He’s leaving despite not having recovered, which has made Dr. Thierry quite anxious.”

Corida, who had been pouting her lips while chatting, turned to go study. Even after Corida left, Liv remained in place.

“Ha…”

Liv let out an involuntary sigh. No matter how she looked at it, Dimus’ actions were sudden and rushed—so much so that even his subordinates were taken aback. She was tired of agonizing over his erratic and unpredictable behavior by herself.

Clenching her teeth, Liv strode over to Dimus.

“The transportation…”

“Marquis.”

Standing in the middle of the lobby, Dimus, who had been giving instructions to Philip, quickly turned around at Liv’s call. His immediate response was something Liv had grown accustomed to during her time at the mansion.

The idea that his interest had waned didn’t make sense, not when he reacted to her voice this way. Just look at his eyes.

“Are you busy?”

“What is it?”

“If you’re not busy, I’d like to ask for a moment of your time.”

Dimus hesitated for a moment at Liv’s request, then frowned slightly and averted his gaze.

“Well…”

“Do you have no intention of giving me any of your time? If so, I’ll ask you here.”

Liv continued without hesitation, “Are you tired of me now?”

Liv’s blunt and candid question caused not only Dimus but also the bustling staff to freeze momentarily. The employees glanced at Liv in surprise, but under Philip’s sharp glare, they quickly dispersed. While Philip tactfully cleared the area, Dimus remained still, staring at Liv with a hardened expression.

He processed her words over and over before he finally understood.

“Ha, tired of you?”

“Yes.”

Dimus’ face twisted coldly in an instant.

“Are you happy that I’m leaving? Because you think I’m tired of you? Sorry to disappoint, but I won’t fulfill that hope. So…”

“Then why has your attitude suddenly changed?”

Dimus, who had been speaking sharply, paused. Liv looked him straight in the eyes.

“I can’t figure you out, Marquis. Just when I think I understand you, I don’t. And now…”

The words that had flowed freely suddenly caught in her throat. It was the surge of emotion that stopped her. Liv bit her trembling lower lip, trying to suppress her feelings, and then spoke calmly, her voice subdued.

“I’m tired of guessing and imagining on my own.”

If he had thought of her as merely a mistress, he wouldn’t act this way.

Living in the mansion with him, Liv had come to that conclusion. She wasn’t his mistress—far from it. She wasn’t even a courtesan. She had never heard of a nobleman washing a courtesan’s feet with such care.

His restless behavior when she wasn’t by his side, acting like a child who had lost his mother, his joy at receiving gifts when she merely made requests, the way he ignored everything to stick close to her despite his subordinates’ objections—all of it.

All of it was far from ordinary.

“Please, just make it clear to me.”

“Make what clear?”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

They were having the same conversation they once had in this lobby. The only difference was that Liv didn’t have a gun in her hand this time.

Despite her question, Dimus’ expression didn’t change much. He remained indifferent.

“If I give you an answer…”

Dimus’ blue eyes darkened deeply. He hesitated for a while before finally parting his lips slowly.

“Would you put even a withered rose in a vase?”

It was an unusually cautious question for a man who was always so arrogant and aloof.

But the gaze that followed the careful question was intense and persistent. It was hard to believe that this was the same man who had refused to even look at her, claiming he would leave her behind.

Liv could tell without much difficulty that he still wanted her. If he wished, he could easily make a place for her among his luggage. Perhaps, in his mind, he had imagined it dozens of times. If he forced her, she had no power to resist.

And yet, he gave her no commands.

“Marquis.”

Liv called out to him, her voice tightly restrained. She took a deep breath and finally let out the question she hadn’t been able to ask that day.

“Do you love me?”

Dimus’ brow furrowed slightly, but no emotion showed on his face.

Half-expecting his answer, Liv felt her heart sink at his rather dry reaction. Had she misunderstood again, hoping for something on her own?

Though she had grown accustomed to the recent changes in Dimus, Liv still remembered the way he used to sigh and click his tongue at her. How he acted as if he’d grant her anything, only to draw a line when she got too close, telling her to know her place.

As memories of the past resurfaced, a hint of fear appeared in Liv’s eyes. She quickly averted her gaze to hide it, but Dimus had never taken his eyes off her in the first place, so her effort was futile. He must have noticed the feelings she had just revealed.

“I’m going to the capital to put Lady Malte on trial.”

Dimus continued in a flat voice, “I’m going to hold her accountable in front of everyone. She lost her dignity as a great noble and acted recklessly out of personal feelings.”

It wasn’t an answer to her question. Yet, Liv didn’t have the courage to press him as she had earlier.

Was his refusal to answer a way of indirectly responding? Maybe he was using such sophisticated means to show that her question wasn’t even worth answering.

As Liv slowly blinked, ready to let out a sigh of resignation, Dimus’ voice reached her ears.

“I plan to publicly condemn her for spreading nonsense about someone I hold dear, calling her a mistress, and for openly insulting and dishonoring her.”

Liv, who had been looking down, raised her head. Dimus met her gaze directly, his blue eyes unwavering as they bore into her own.

“What do you think this feeling is?”

Dimus spoke again, his gaze locked on her.

“There’s only one name I can think of for this feeling.”

Liv couldn’t even breathe. She felt as if her heart had plummeted.

“I just don’t know if you’ll agree with me.”

After murmuring softly to himself, Dimus fell silent. Only then did Liv, hearing the softened tone at the end, manage to move her lips, which had felt sealed shut.

“…Do I mean that much to you? Or is this just stubbornness because I won’t bend to your will?”

Whether he sensed the faint distrust in her question, Dimus let out a sardonic smile.

“Stubbornness? Letting go of unnecessary emotions is cleaner and easier for me.”

He added in a cold tone, clearly denying her words, “With everything else, I’ve never felt a sense of lack—except when it comes to you.”

Liv stared blankly at Dimus. His platinum hair, swept back elegantly, his cool blue eyes, his arrogantly raised chin—all of it was the same as she knew. The face that had always spat out harsh mockery and disdain.

She had been the one to ask if he loved her, but hearing his response, it still didn’t feel real. The fact that Dimus wore his usual cold expression only added to the surreal feeling.

Not knowing how to react, Liv remained silent, and Dimus frowned slightly as he watched her. Whatever crossed his mind, his expression didn’t look particularly pleasant.

He licked his lower lip before speaking slowly, “Cardinal Calliope will soon become Gratia.”

Dimus’ expression soured at the mention of Cardinal Calliope. He paused briefly before continuing, as if making a decision, his voice smooth and clear, “Thanks to that, I’m about to become Gratia’s unofficial bastard.”

Liv’s eyes widened at the unexpected revelation.

As if uninterested in her reaction, Dimus quickly continued, “Officially, I’ll be known as a noble who took Gratia as his patron and godfather. It’s obvious whose favor the sly ones will seek.

Dimus ran a hand through his hair and let out a short sigh.

“So, there won’t be anything I’ll be lacking in the future either. I won’t lose the trial, and your life won’t be affected by it.”

It seemed Dimus believed Liv was worried about the trial with Malte causing her some disadvantage. Since she had already suffered because of Luzia in Buerno, perhaps he thought she was afraid of facing similar difficulties again.

When Liv still didn’t respond, Dimus, who seemed ready to say more, clicked his tongue and closed his mouth. He turned away completely, as if he had nothing more to say.

Watching his retreating back, Liv found herself speaking without realizing it.

“Even if you win the trial, you’ll still be ridiculed as a foolish man who made unnecessary enemies because he was blinded by a mere woman.”

Dimus paused and glanced back at her.

“If that happens…”

He tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes.

“Then maybe, to avoid getting tangled with me, no one will dare set their eyes on you.”

Dimus, now with a brighter expression, murmured casually and laughed.

And Liv stood there, dazed, until Dimus, satisfied, left the lobby after giving her a light kiss on the lips.