Odalisque - Chapter 22

Bullets flying in all directions, screams of agony, bright red blood, dismembered limbs scattered around.

Death, death, and more death…

In the shattered chaos of broken fragments, someone called out for God. No, everyone called out for God. But the man knew. He knew that soon all the noise would disappear, and the world would fall silent. He knew that only the stench of blood, the smell of smoke, and a solitary figure would be left standing on the pitch-black burned ground.

God does not save humanity. Only humans can save themselves.

“Master.”

The servant’s voice was so soft it was hard to believe it was meant to wake someone. However, Dimus responded immediately, opening his eyes. Not that he had really slept—at most, he might have closed his eyes for an hour or two.

“I have prepared water for your bath.”

The servant spoke with a polite bow before quickly leaving the room. Dimus was now left alone in the spacious bedroom.

Beyond the neatly drawn curtains, a faintly brightening dawn sky was visible. Dimus slowly rose from the bed, the blanket slipping off, revealing his bare upper body.

Under the loosely draped robe, his exposed skin bore old scars. Grimacing from the throbbing pain in his head, Dimus ran his left hand irritably through his platinum hair, the soft strands brushing over his scars.

It wasn’t just the scars between his fingers. Hideous marks covered his entire body, itching constantly. Sometimes, he felt pains that shouldn’t be there; at other times, it felt as if the scars exuded the scent of blood. His expression darkened with irritation.

With heavy steps, he headed for the bathroom.

The bathwater, prepared by the servant, was comfortably warm. Dimus tossed his robe aside carelessly and stepped into the tub. He hated having others attend to him during his bath, refusing any help. Alone in the quiet room, the water enveloped him in warmth.

His cold body gradually began to warm up. Leaning back and resting his arms on the edge of the tub, Dimus let out a long sigh.

Beneath the rippling water lay a muscular figure, taut yet relaxed. If not for the scars, anyone would have considered this body a perfect work of art. Even among all the statues he had collected, none compared to the magnificence of his physique.

If not for the scars.

If not for that battle.

But there were too many things to blame. His abilities, his status, his lineage…

Dimus tried to banish his chaotic thoughts by focusing on something else. As the warm water made him feel more and more languid, it reminded him of sipping wine.

That feeling naturally led his thoughts to someone. A naked woman, her face flushed red, sipping wine.

Dimus had always liked clean nudity. Whenever his scars itched, he would calm himself by admiring the flawless human form. The sensation of insects crawling all over him would subside when he looked at nude artworks.

The sight of an uninjured, intact body brought him peace.

But that preference was always confined to art. He had never admired the body of a living person this way before.

Such arrangements were impossible. Anyone who tried to undress and throw themselves at him—regardless of age or gender—would be far too eager, and would immediately begin to fawn over him.

In that respect, Liv Rodaise’s demeanor was quite to his liking. Initially, it was merely her body that intrigued him, but her behavior turned out to be amusing as well. And yesterday—

When she chose the sofa instead of the usual bed and rolled her eyes nervously, she reminded him of a half-tamed wild cat. A cat that pretended to be on guard while slowly closing the distance.

Her slight show of trust, opening up to him a little, had been endearing enough for him to reward her with wine.

“…Twenty-five.”

Dimus remembered the expression on Liv Rodaise’s face when he mentioned her age. She had looked embarrassed.

It wasn’t hard to guess why. As far as he knew, she was unmarried, and at twenty-five, most ordinary women had already settled down. Some might even have had a couple of children by then.

Society’s treatment of a woman past the usual marrying age was harsh. Most would assume that Liv Rodaise had some fatal flaw.

But such things held no significance for Dimus. Engagements, marriages—was there anything more absurd and deceitful?

Institutions like that were merely a facade to make society appear respectable. Even without them, men and women were easily entangled. All it took was a trivial reason.

A drop of wine, for example.

Dimus tilted his head slightly. As he moved, water slid down his collarbone.

“Red wine…”

Even in hindsight, Dimus still preferred unblemished, intact bodies. However, the stain from yesterday—

“Not bad.”

Yes, it wasn’t bad. The sight of the red stain on her pale, round chest.

The skin that gave off a sweet scent of wine, rather than the stench of blood, looked surprisingly appetizing.

…Appetizing.

Dimus, scoffing at his own thoughts, glanced downward. As he realized his mouth had begun to water, he noticed that his groin had stiffened beneath the rippling water.

Seeing his half-erect cock swaying below the distorted water surface, Dimus let out a low chuckle.

Like gazing at another’s flesh, Dimus stared at his own erection. Slowly, he submerged his hand beneath the water, and the thick shaft grew even harder in his grasp.

He must be insane.

Thinking so, Dimus leaned back further, releasing the tension in his body. His long, naked form sank deeper into the tub, causing water to spill over the edge. With his eyes closed, a deep furrow appeared between his brows, and his lips parted slightly.

The low moan that filled the bathroom resembled the contented growl of a well-fed beast.

***

The time Liv had thought of as merely extra work had completely changed with just one glass of wine.

Liv wiped her damp hands on her apron and let out a sigh. The sight of water splashing onto her chest during dishwashing immediately reminded her of the Marquis’s gaze—there was definitely something wrong with her.

“You must be losing your mind, Liv Rodaise.”

Thoughts of the Marquis slowly took over her daily life, until, before she knew it, her head was filled with nothing but him.

And this was after only a few weeks. Just two months ago, he had been nothing to her, yet now, she found herself thinking of him constantly.

That man was like a fast-spreading poison—one that was not only sweet and lethal but also addictive.

“Sister, is today a day off?”

Lost in her thoughts, staring at her damp hands, Liv was startled by Corida’s voice. She turned around, her exaggerated reaction making Corida look at her curiously.

“Sister?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing.”

Liv hurriedly dried the dishes and removed her apron. Today was her day off. Recently, she had been so busy going out that she hadn’t been able to focus much on the house or Corida, so she planned to spend the entire day at home.

“You’re not going out today?”

“No. I’ve been too busy to pay attention to you or the house lately. I’ll catch up on the chores today, and I’ll cook for us soon.”

Since she had gone to the market early in the morning, the pantry was well-stocked. The extra earnings had allowed her to buy more than usual, and her bags had felt heavier as a result.

Hearing Liv speak so cheerfully, Corida forced an awkward smile.

“Oh, alright.”

Usually, Corida would be thrilled at the thought of spending the entire day with her, but today, her reaction seemed oddly muted. Liv, sensing something amiss, tried to get a better look at Corida, but her sister turned away quickly.

Liv watched Corida’s back, squinting slightly.

Could she be upset about something?

Recalling the past few days when she had been too distracted to notice that Corida had run out of her medication, Liv realized her sister had every reason to feel hurt.

Of course, she’d be upset.

Liv had always put Corida first. But lately, even Liv had to admit that her attention had been elsewhere.

Elsewhere, meaning…

Unintentionally, Liv found herself thinking of the Marquis again. Shaking her head quickly, she moved to open a small window for ventilation and gathered cleaning supplies when Corida spoke up from behind.

“I’ve been cleaning here and there.”

“Thank you for that.”

Liv smiled as she replied, approaching Corida’s bed. Corida wasn’t physically strong, and her attempts at cleaning weren’t always effective, especially with the state of their old home. If they didn’t maintain it properly, pests and rodents would take over in no time.

Rolling up her sleeves, Liv lifted the bedsheets to clean thoroughly.

“Wait, don’t—!”

Corida’s urgent cry coincided almost exactly with Liv bending down to check under the bed.