Odalisque - Chapter 14

The excitement she had felt was fleeting. The most pressing matter was the cost of the medicine. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how expensive a new drug would be.

“But Liv, since you work for a noble family, maybe you could use your connections to get it somehow?”

Liv gave an awkward smile. The pharmacist seemed to take it as shyness on her part.

Whenever the topic of her job came up, Liv would often try to change the subject, but the oblivious pharmacist always brought it up again. It seemed he meant well, perhaps trying to flatter her.

Unfortunately, Liv only found it uncomfortable.

“Liv, isn’t it the Pendence family you work for?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“See! It’s already all over town! They say that the Pendence family is really close with Marquis Dietrion. Have you ever seen him? They say he visits often, like they’re practically best friends!”

Million’s birthday party had only been a short while ago, yet the rumors had already spread throughout the city. Liv thought about how popular the marquis must be and forced a regretful expression.

“I only go there to teach and leave right after. I’m not sure.”

Liv’s convincingly casual act seemed to do the trick, as the apothecary sighed without suspicion.

“Huh, what a shame. I used to think the marquis was some kind of ghost, but I guess he really is a living, breathing human. The servants at the Pendence estate can’t seem to stop gossiping about him! As if any of them have actually seen more than just his back from a distance.”

“I see. Here’s the money for the medicine.”

Liv subtly tried to end the conversation by paying, but the pharmacist kept chatting away, undeterred.

“Liv, if you time your visits well, maybe you could catch a glimpse of the marquis from afar. Try asking the student you’re teaching.”

“What would I gain from seeing the marquis?”

“What do you mean? You could try to catch the eye of one of the handsome men working for him! I bet they get paid quite well. Important folks like the marquis are always surrounded by dozens of attendants, surely there’s at least one decent guy among them!”

It seemed today wasn’t going to be an exception.

Liv’s expression turned bitter. The pharmacist had been making similar suggestions ever since they first met. He’d tell her about sons from good families or men with stable jobs, always giving his unsolicited advice.

Liv knew he said such things out of pity for her—caring for a sick younger sister while making a living alone. The pharmacist seemed to think that marriage was the best way for Liv to escape her difficult circumstances.

It wasn’t just talk; he’d even tried to introduce her to men in the past, carefully selecting potential matches as if he were genuinely invested in finding her a suitable husband.

It never ended well. Liv had reluctantly accepted his arrangements a couple of times but eventually made it clear, politely yet firmly, that she didn’t need his help in that regard. Since then, he’d shifted to making these kinds of “helpful” remarks instead.

“No, thank you.”

“Liv, you can’t take care of Corida all on your own forever. The world is a harsh place, you know? You should meet someone nice before it’s too late. Even if he’s older, with your looks, you could easily win someone over. I only say this because I think of you and Corida like my own daughters.”

“I appreciate the concern, but I’m not interested. Do you have all the medicine ready? I should get going. See you next time.”

Liv quickly said her goodbyes, gathered the medicine, and left. Behind her, she could hear the pharmacist calling out, “Don’t just ignore my advice!” as if his voice were trailing after her. Liv pressed a hand to her aching head and quickened her pace.

She intended to head straight home, but as she stood at the entrance of a narrow, dirty alley, she paused and, on an impulse, changed direction.

She knew she should hurry back to give the medicine to Corida, but she couldn’t bear the heavy weight pressing down on her heart without finding some way to ease it first.

She walked aimlessly until she found herself at a familiar chapel she often visited.

For a moment, Liv felt a pang of emptiness, realizing that this was the only place she could think to go. But she had nowhere else to turn.

Feeling drained, she slumped her shoulders and trudged into the chapel. Someone in the courtyard greeted her, but she was too weary to respond.

Liv chose a secluded spot at the far end of the chapel. She didn’t even look up at the statue of the deity, nor did she pay attention to who else might be there. She simply sat down, placed the medicine packet on her lap, and stared at it in silence.

Medicine.

She had to spend everything they had on this small packet of medicine. All the money she had painstakingly saved for their living expenses was gone, just for this tiny handful of pills.

Liv traced the edge of the packet with her fingers, biting her lip hard.

In truth, she didn’t believe in God.

She had never thought that fervently praying would somehow help her overcome her hardships.

Because God had never once answered her prayers.

“……”

Drip.

Round teardrops fell onto the medicine packet. No matter how hard she bit her lip or clenched her jaw, she couldn’t hold back the tears once they had started.

“Liv, you can’t take care of Corida all on your own forever.”

In truth, caring for Corida by herself was incredibly difficult.

Sometimes she resented her late parents, blaming them even though their deaths weren’t their fault. She had cursed them for leaving her with such a heavy burden.

“The world is a harsh place, you know? You should meet someone nice before it’s too late.”

She didn’t want to keep struggling to make a living, missing her chance to settle down like everyone else.

When she graduated from boarding school, Liv had her own dreams for the future. In those dreams, she imagined herself living a happier, more stable, and more loved life.

Why wouldn’t she? After all, she, too, had been a girl full of dreams.

She knew the pharmacist’s suggestion wasn’t a bad one. But she couldn’t bring herself to sell her love and marriage for the sake of escaping her harsh life, just to gain a little more comfort.

To others, her reluctance might seem like foolish pride, but to her, it was the last shred of dignity she had.

…In truth, she, too, longed to be cared for by someone. She just refused to throw herself at someone like an object for sale, holding onto that last bit of pride.

Her vision blurred with overflowing tears. Liv squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the wetness on her cheeks and the relief as her tear-drenched eyelids grew lighter.

Swallowing her sobs, she slowly opened her eyes. After blinking a few times, the tears cleared, and she saw the medicine packet—and a neatly folded handkerchief placed on top of it.

A handkerchief?

Staring blankly at the square piece of cloth, Liv’s head shot up. Standing beside her was a tall man she hadn’t noticed approaching. He was gazing at the statue, but she recognized his face.

“…Marquis Dietrion?”

Today, perhaps because of his pitch-black frock coat, his face appeared even paler than usual.

Looking up at him from below, his face seemed as handsome as ever, with long eyelashes that particularly caught her eye. The slow flutter of his lashes reminded her of a butterfly’s wings.

The marquis, who had been staring straight ahead in silence, suddenly tilted his head slightly. A few strands of his platinum hair, neatly swept back, fell across his forehead.

“God may listen, but He doesn’t grant wishes.”

The words were muttered cynically, barely loud enough for Liv to hear. But the chapel was so quiet that she had no trouble understanding him.

“The power to achieve something lies with humans, Teacher.”

His low voice was chilling, yet somehow alluring, like the song of a siren.

His blue eyes, which had been fixed on the statue, flicked down to Liv.

“So, pray to me.”

The marquis’s lips twisted ever so slightly. The faint hint of a smile appeared. For a moment, it felt as if time itself had stopped. The man, whose expressionless face alone had captivated everyone, was now giving a faint smile—no one could have resisted falling to their knees before him.

Liv was no exception. She stared up at the man who stood over her, enthralled. That fleeting moment of eye contact felt like an eternity.

“Who knows? A miracle might happen.”

A miracle.

The word he spoke carried a sweet allure, tempting her.

Would a miracle really happen if she prayed to the marquis? Could this man grant the prayer that even God had ignored?

But why was he saying this to her?

Even as she felt dazed by his beauty, a part of Liv’s mind was filled with doubt. Didn’t Marquis Dietrion dislike her? Wasn’t he tormenting her because he was displeased about the painting?

As if sensing her suspicions, the marquis’s smile vanished, and he turned away without hesitation. Watching his retreating back, Liv felt a sudden urgency.

Realizing she had no time to ponder what this meant, the opportunity now felt like a blessing she couldn’t afford to lose.

“I need money!”

The words burst out of her like lightning—a raw, unadorned plea.