Chapter 46

After a brief pause, Camille muttered as if talking to himself, “It could be leveraged politically.”

Then, he shrugged lightly and continued in a casual tone, “But the Marquis is not one to be easily manipulated, so as far as I know, no one has succeeded in that regard. It’s like he’s become an unspoken, untouchable piece of fine art at this point. The kind of rare, beautiful sculpture that only a select few powerful people could ever display in their home.”

“It’s not a good thing to treat a person like a sculpture.”

“Well, the Marquis doesn’t even treat people like sculptures.”

“Maybe… maybe he’s just shy around strangers.”

Even as Liv said it, she knew it was a ridiculous notion. Still, she cautiously spoke up in his defense. Perhaps it was because of the secret bond she’d formed with him? She didn’t want to hear anyone speak ill of the Marquis.

Whether Camille believed she was genuinely clueless or not, he simply smiled and shook his head.

“From what I’ve heard, he has an extreme psychological condition that makes him hate touching anyone. He avoids handshakes and even finds it difficult to hold conversations for too long. I’ve never heard of any noble dining at the same table with him. That’s why everyone was so surprised when rumors spread that Baron Pendence had formed a friendship with the Marquis.”

Camille’s gaze shifted toward the mansion. Squinting, he studied it before tilting his head slightly and saying, “But from what I can tell, that rumor seems to be untrue.”

His voice was surprisingly serious as he spoke softly. Then, he looked back at Liv with a mischievous smile.

“Pretend you didn’t hear me say any of this.”

“Of course.”

Liv herself had felt early on that the Marquis displayed an unexpectedly fastidious demeanor. However, by now, he no longer acted particularly fussy around her. While Camille said the Marquis disliked physical contact… Liv had kissed him on the lips.

So the claim about a psychological condition seemed exaggerated—it was more likely that he simply had a sensitive personality. If it were truly a mental disorder, he wouldn’t have kissed her so deeply, even using his tongue…

Liv quickly diverted her gaze, trying to shake off the persistent memory of that day. To distract herself, she focused intently on the garden’s flowerbed.

The flowerbed, illuminated by the lights, exuded a mysterious atmosphere. It made sense why Camille had specifically mentioned this place. If their conversation had been a bit more romantic, the mood could have easily turned appropriate for it.

As Liv stubbornly continued to stare at the flowerbed, Camille suddenly spoke again, “Oh, I’ve also heard something else.”

Liv gave him a curious look, and Camille casually continued, “Since he can’t be found in any social gatherings, some say he might be a former military officer. But at least from what I know, there’s no record of that. Records of officers above a certain rank are not easily accessible, though.”

A military officer.

Now that she thought about it, Million had mentioned something similar before. Million had said there were rumors that the Marquis was skilled in killing because he was once an officer.

Suddenly, Liv remembered the image of the thug who had collapsed after being shot. And she heard the Marquis’s voice, calmly admitting that he was the one who had fired the gun.

Even recalling how he had handled the shotgun during the hunt, it was clear he wasn’t a stranger to firearms.

“Sometimes, there’s unavoidable killing that has to be done, Teacher.”

Perhaps the Marquis really had been an officer. Perhaps one with considerable combat experience.

“It’s said that his supposed psychological issues might stem from his military service, and I find that somewhat convincing.”

“But it’s not right to label someone with a disorder based on mere speculation. Health is a sensitive issue that shouldn’t be carelessly discussed.”

“You’re right.”

Though Liv dismissed Camille’s claims as speculation, part of her couldn’t help but take his words to heart. They resonated with some of what she’d seen and heard herself.

If he had been an officer, what army had he served in? Given his arrogant attitude, it was unlikely that he had held a low rank.

Could he have led his own troops? What would he have looked like in uniform? Surely, he must have looked very dashing.

If he had been a high-ranking officer, he must have been quite popular. So why was he single? How had he ended up settling in such a rural town?

Any able-bodied man could aspire to be a regular soldier, but becoming an officer was different. To become an officer, one had to graduate from a military academy—and enrolling in such an academy required a hefty sponsorship fee.

As a result, it was often second or third sons of noble families, those who wouldn’t inherit the family estate, who became officers. Of course, there were a few rare cases of people getting in purely through merit, but honestly, such cases were so few they might as well not exist.

Since the cadets were of noble status, the academy itself was a kind of aristocratic society. Even if someone from a lower status managed to enter the academy with a large sponsorship, their future could be determined before they even graduated, depending on whether they caught the eye of someone powerful.

If he graduated from the academy and became an officer, and if he held a rank high enough to make his records inaccessible, it meant he must have had an extraordinary background.

Liv, overwhelmed by her insatiable curiosity, heard Camille’s voice break into her thoughts.

“You seem to be quite interested in the Marquis. Have you always been this curious?”

Her chain of curiosity was abruptly broken. Liv took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and responded in an even tone, “I think I was just left with a strong impression after seeing him from a distance at Million’s birthday party.”

“Ah, I see.”

Camille didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t press the matter further. That made Liv feel uneasy. Perhaps because she was harboring a guilty secret, she found herself paying more attention to his reaction.

Liv fidgeted with her hands, unable to bear the silence, and eventually spoke up, “You, on the other hand, seem to know quite a lot, Teacher Marcel. It’s hard to believe you’re just an ordinary art teacher.”

“This is just the kind of information anyone could pick up if they listened carefully.”

As always, Camille responded lightly, but Liv no longer accepted his words at face value.

“Seeking out information directly is much more proactive than just listening, isn’t it?”

Camille had admitted himself that he had looked into whether the Marquis was a former military officer. At Liv’s pointed comment, he raised an eyebrow. Realizing his slip of the tongue, he gave her a vague smile.

“…Oh, you’re quite sharp.”

Camille rubbed the back of his neck with a troubled expression, as if he had more to say. But Liv spoke first.

“It may have been a bothersome request, but thank you for sharing your thoughts.”

People who had been walking near the garden entrance were now heading back into the mansion one by one.

Seeing them, Liv decided it was time to return as well and turned to go, but Camille suddenly called out to her.

“Teacher Rodaise.”

Camille’s brows furrowed slightly as he gave her a hesitant smile. He seemed to be debating something before cautiously speaking up, “You shouldn’t be too interested in the Marquis.”

His tone was entirely different from the light, teasing way he usually spoke. Liv realized he was giving her sincere advice.

Liv looked at Camille with a puzzled expression, tilting her head. “Why not?”

At her question, Camille’s frown deepened. He hesitated for a moment before finally averting his gaze and replying, “Well, I think you’re a good person.”

“Excuse me?”

Liv couldn’t understand what he meant.

She asked him again, but instead of explaining, Camille rubbed his forehead and sighed.

“I guess this is how it feels to watch a friend head down a bad path.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“If there’s anything I can help with, please let me know. You might not trust me much right now, but maybe, in a pinch, I could provide the answer you need.”

There was something vaguely unsettling in his words, but Liv couldn’t tell if Camille meant anything bad by them.

Puzzled by his ambiguous kindness, Liv eventually decided to step back.

“Thank you for the offer.”

Camille nodded without any hint of disappointment.

“We’ve spent too much time out here, haven’t we? We should head back.”

***

It was later than expected when Liv finally left the Pendence estate. She quickly made her way to the street where shared carriages gathered.

Despite the estate’s location in one of Buerno’s bustling areas, the streets were fairly empty now that darkness had settled in. That alone was enough to make Liv feel uneasy.

Pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders to ward off the chill, Liv quickened her pace.

She was just about to reach the main road when—

Neigh!

She heard a horse snort from a dark alleyway nearby, followed by the sound of hooves pawing the ground.