Odalisque - Chapter 29

Kindness?

Dimus sneered involuntarily. Was there any word less fitting for him?

“Didn’t Adolf tell you the contract wasn’t terminated?”

“Are you suggesting that this place will be the new work location?”

“Of course not.”

This small house was far from Dimus’s taste.

“I want our contract to proceed smoothly.”

Dimus crossed his long legs and clasped his hands on his knee.

“The main reason I insisted on forming a contract with you was because I found your bare form appealing. I don’t want any damage to it. And besides, I don’t want to see you distracted by unnecessary worries, affecting your work.”

Dimus’s blunt words made Liv’s face flush. The guarded demeanor she usually maintained had vanished, leaving her defenseless and visibly flustered.

She seemed to struggle to even understand what Dimus was saying, and Dimus found her reaction rather amusing. Watching her desperately held pride crumble bit by bit was quite satisfying.

“That’s why I took care of it.”

“Took care of it…?”

“Yes. This house. The thug, of course, wasn’t intentional, but that, too, was your luck.”

Liv wore a confused expression. Normally, she would have politely refused, saying she was fine. But after the recent ordeal, she was unsettled, looking fragile enough to break if nudged slightly. It was as if she would follow if gently pulled.

“It just so happened that I visited your neighborhood today, quite surprising timing, don’t you think?”

“…What brought you to my neighborhood today? If it was about this house, you could have mentioned it during the extra work.”

Liv managed to ask calmly, pretending she had regained her composure.

Dimus glanced lazily at Liv’s hands, pale from the tension, and replied in a languid tone, “Who knows? Perhaps you were desperately calling for me.”

Liv’s eyes wavered significantly. She opened her mouth as if to speak but then lowered her gaze without saying anything.

Dimus watched her silently, her exhausted expression lost in thought. He consciously leaned back, pressing against the shabby sofa. Though the cheap couch was uncomfortable, he deliberately sprawled into it, speaking in a nonchalant tone.

“Do you still seek God at the chapel?”

Sometimes, dealing with an enemy requires patience.

You wait until they’re within range. Until you’re certain that your bullet will completely sever their breath.

This wasn’t just a rule for the battlefield. To capture something, one had to be patient. The target didn’t always have to be an enemy. Whether it was prey or something else.

Dimus’s deep blue eyes, calm and lowered, recalled what had happened earlier. The woman trembling, quickening her pace, and the thug chasing after her.

“Shall I go help?”

It was Dimus who stopped Adolf from intervening right away with a gesture. Dimus, standing silently in the darkness, held his breath. It had been a long time since he’d held a gun, but his blood boiled as if he had fired just yesterday.

Yes, this feeling.

He might have thought that.

The muzzle aimed at the target without the slightest tremor. The darkness presented no obstacle to him.

Even when the woman fell to the ground in an unsightly manner, Dimus didn’t pull the trigger. He waited a little longer. He waited until he was in perfect range, until Liv Rodaise fell into his grasp, gauging the moment when she would be entirely at his mercy.

And finally, when the thug raised his hand, and terror etched itself on her face.

Bang!

The woman, who looked as though she might burst into tears any moment, lifted her head the instant the shot rang out. Her eyes, wide with disbelief, stared at the miracle that had unfolded before her.

That same woman now looked up again, seated before him.

Dimus realized she was seeking an answer. She wanted to know who had saved her. Was it some god above, or…

This time, Dimus gave her a clear answer.

“I was the one who fired the gun.”

Dimus watched as her face crumbled helplessly and allowed a faint smile to form on his lips.

It was a long-awaited, satisfying sense of victory.

***

The new house was in a quiet, ordinary residential neighborhood, far removed from where they used to live.

Their previous home had been cramped, the neighboring houses packed tightly like chicken coops. But the new house was entirely Liv’s, with no adjoining walls. Naturally, it was better in every way compared to their old place.

Last night, they had moved here in such a rush that Liv hadn’t even thought to look around the house. After all the tension had eased and after sleeping in late, it was already midday by the time she opened her eyes. It wasn’t until afternoon that Liv and Corida finally started exploring the house properly.

“Sister, are we really going to live here now?”

“Yes.”

Corida seemed amazed by the spaciousness, given that they had always been in a small, single-room house. She was busy exploring, her eyes filled with curiosity. Liv smiled at Corida’s excitement and turned away quietly.

The house had everything they needed, so all they had to do was move in. Still, it didn’t feel real to Liv that they were now going to live here. The Marquis had casually suggested they stay in this house, and though everything was much better now, the rent hadn’t changed.

The new place even had a small yard. The market was closer, and the route to the Pendence estate was much safer. Since the neighboring houses were some distance away, there was less concern about prying eyes. The police station was nearby too.

Sure, it was far from the chapel they used to attend, but given the uncertainty of whether she’d ever go back there, the distance didn’t bother her. In fact, she was relieved. The distance gave her an excuse not to go.

“Do I really get this room to myself?”

“Do you like it?”

“Of course!”

Corida beamed as she spoke, carefully placing the music box she had brought, her most cherished possession, on the windowsill. She looked genuinely happy.

If Liv had known Corida would be this happy, she would have moved into a place with a separate room for her sooner.

Lost in thought, Liv let out a hollow laugh. Without the Marquis, she would never have been able to indulge in the luxury of picking rooms. The thought was nothing but an empty dream.

“I was the one who fired the gun.”

The chilling voice echoed in her mind. Liv had no idea how to push away a man who had saved her without hesitation. She had kept her guard up, unwilling to accept more attention than she could handle, but last night, all her defenses had crumbled.

Liv admitted it to herself: the Marquis had easily crossed the line she had drawn.

He was a man who could provide everything she needed at that moment, and as long as Liv could hold his interest, he seemed willing to offer even more generosity.

Everyone called him unpredictable, sensitive, and antisocial, but at least Liv was closer to him than they were.

‘He may have an unusual hobby, but perhaps he’s better than I thought.’

He might simply be someone who kept few people around him, but a genuinely good person. At least, that was true for Liv.

To her, he was a greater presence than God.

“By the way, sister, who was that man we saw yesterday?”

“That man?”

“Yes, the one who brought me here.”

The person who had brought Corida to the new house was Adolf. He had returned with Corida just as Liv was finishing her conversation with the Marquis. It was absurd from Liv’s perspective, especially since she had warned Corida not to trust strangers. Apparently, Adolf had informed Corida that Liv had injured her leg.

Still, it was unsettling how easily Adolf had charmed Corida.

After leaving behind Liv, who had been too stunned to react, Adolf had smiled warmly and left. Corida seemed to have had a memorable conversation with him.

“He was someone I met while arranging for this house.”

“The landlord?”

“No, not the landlord… just an agent.”

The Marquis had left before encountering Corida. After he departed, Liv had spent quite a while sitting idly in their newly acquired home.

If not for the pain in her leg, she might have dismissed everything that had happened over the past few hours as a mere illusion.

“That man was way cooler than Mr. Pomel.”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

At least Adolf hadn’t treated Liv poorly, which was a relief.

Come to think of it, Adolf had treated Liv like a gentleman from the very first meeting. Even the Marquis… though his words were often harsh, his actions were always considerate. He had lent her a handkerchief, saved her from a thug…

Speaking of which, what happened to that thug who got shot yesterday?

Liv doubted the Marquis would have left things unresolved, but what if the thug survived and sought revenge?

Liv had seen the thug spit up blood and collapse with her own eyes, so she knew how unlikely it was. But once the possibility crossed her mind, she couldn’t shake the unease.

“Corida, I’ll be stepping out for a bit, so stay home.”