Odalisque - Chapter 55

Liv hesitated as she accepted the pouch handed to her by Adolf.

Adolf spoke in a serious tone, his eyebrows furrowing slightly, “I didn’t foresee this happening, and it was my fault to dismiss your question with a laugh. I apologize. I’ve included as many as I could find for now, but if you run out, just ask. I brought the least harmful ones available on the market. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Liv looked down at the pouch in her hands with a complicated expression.

That’s right. I should take them.

Contraceptives were not exactly medicines openly distributed. Still, they were in high demand, with a wide range of varieties—from the cheap pills used by prostitutes in brothels to the expensive, high-end ones used by noble mistresses.

This one must be… the latter.

“From now on, Dr. Gertrude will conduct a monthly examination of you, Miss Rodaise. It’s a simple procedure, so there’s no need to be concerned.”

It was an act of kindness. Given what happened today, she might find herself spending such times with the Marquis more frequently in the future.

There was no intention of bearing a child for him—if she were to become pregnant, she would certainly have to terminate it. It was far better to prevent such a situation in advance.

Liv understood this logically, but she couldn’t shake her feelings of sadness.

In truth, she had felt this way since she washed herself earlier. The sight of her body covered in his careless marks made her feel strange. She thought of his back as he left the room after finishing, just as he always did after extra work. It was odd.

After all, it had been her who provoked him.

And it wasn’t surprising that Adolf was giving her contraceptives, given that he knew everything that had happened, but even that left her feeling cold.

To be in such a state—accepting contraceptives from one of the Marquis’s aides while still fresh from a bath—she was no different from a prostitute.

She couldn’t even deny it.

“Thank you for thinking of me,” Liv said, lowering her gaze to hide the shame creeping over her chest.

Adolf turned to leave, telling her to call him when she was ready to return.

Once the door closed, she was alone again. However, she didn’t feel like staying in the cold room for long.

With her damp hair hastily tied up, Liv left the mansion.

***

She was worried about Brad, but the Marquis’s warning echoed in her mind, and she couldn’t bring herself to visit his studio. It was cowardly of her.

Camille, who had left Liv with some cryptic words, now frequented the Baron’s residence even outside of class hours. As a result, he often ran into Liv when she visited to teach Million. Each time they met, he greeted her warmly, and Liv responded with an ambiguous smile, keeping her distance from him.

Corida’s treatment had also begun. In place of the suspended painting work, Liv started visiting the Berryworth mansion regularly for Corida’s treatment. Corida had been nervous at first, but as time passed, she gradually let her guard down.

Eventually, Corida even began visiting the Berryworth mansion’s library. It was a gesture of generosity from the Marquis.

Liv, who had always been worried about Corida’s education, was grateful for this kindness. On top of that, Adolf, who had grown close to Corida, would spend time with her in the library, offering help. It wasn’t quite a formal lesson, but it was enough for Corida to engage in conversations about the books that piqued her interest.

Seeing this, Liv also wanted to teach Corida what she knew, so she stayed by her side. However, Corida seemed to prefer talking with Adolf alone. In the end, Liv had to take the hint and step aside.

It was the same today. Corida, who was chatting about something Liv didn’t understand, nudged her away, telling her to go do something else if she was bored.

What could there possibly be for Liv to do at the Berryworth mansion?

Though she felt a pang of sadness, Liv couldn’t express it, knowing full well how much this time meant to Corida, who had always been stuck at home alone.

“Kicked out again today, I see.”

Liv, who had been staring blankly at the library door, turned around. It was Philip, approaching with a mobile tray. He always brought snacks for Corida when she stayed in the library. Though Liv told him it was unnecessary, he would only chuckle and show no signs of stopping.

In fact, the snacks Philip brought were made with ingredients carefully selected under Thierry’s guidance. With that level of care, Liv found it hard to refuse.

“Seeing as we’re already here, why don’t you wait a moment? She’ll be out soon,” Philip suggested before stepping into the library.

There was a burst of laughter from inside, and before long, Philip returned without the tray, apparently having left it in the library.

“This way, please.”

Philip smiled warmly as he led Liv along. Unsure of the reason, Liv followed him.

The two of them walked down the hallway and stepped outside. After only a few steps, the entrance to a lush arboretum came into view.

“You may remember—I once mentioned that there’s a glass greenhouse inside the arboretum.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“While you wait for Miss Corida and Adolf’s reading discussion to finish, you might enjoy looking around. There’s a comfortable spot to rest inside the greenhouse.”

Liv looked at the arboretum thoughtfully. Corida typically spent about an hour in the library, which meant Liv had to find something to do for at least that long. Previously, she had used the time to prepare for Million’s lessons, but today she had forgotten her materials.

There wasn’t anything else to do in the mansion, so taking a stroll as Philip suggested didn’t seem like a bad idea.

“Alright, thank you for letting me know.”

With Philip’s words to take her time in mind, Liv walked into the arboretum.

She could feel the cool, refreshing air filling the space. Unlike other meticulously groomed gardens, the Berryworth mansion’s arboretum had a free-spirited appearance. And yet, it didn’t look messy—there was something fascinating about its beauty. Occasionally, she could hear the unfamiliar calls of birds in the distance.

The greenhouse Philip mentioned wasn’t far away. Made of translucent glass, it appeared dome-shaped from the outside, giving it a mysterious quality. The surface sparkled in the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

“Wow…”

Creating such a greenhouse from glass—that was no ordinary feat. No wonder Philip had been so eager to show it to her.

Unable to help herself, Liv approached the greenhouse, her mouth agape in awe. The frosted glass obscured the view inside, allowing only the vague outline of lush greenery to be seen, as if a curtain was drawn, concealing the interior.

Liv carefully pushed the handle, and the door opened without a sound.

The first thing she saw was a colorful array of flowers. The moment she took in the flowers filling the greenhouse, a sweet and fragrant aroma reached her nose.

Wide-eyed, Liv looked around as she stepped inside. Flowers of various sizes caught her attention at every turn.

There were more than just flowers. She noticed a small stone-carved waterfall fountain. The sound of gently flowing water mixed with the floral scents, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

Walking slowly along the path leading deeper inside, Liv found herself captivated by the flowers, as if in a trance.

Click, clack!

Somewhere nearby, there was a rhythmic knocking sound. Liv looked around, searching for the source, and soon spotted another fountain. A horizontal bamboo tube was catching water from above, tilting like a seesaw before returning to its original position.

But what really caught her eye was the golden kingfisher perched above the flowing water.

A golden one?

Liv didn’t know much about birds, but she was sure there were no birds with such vivid golden feathers. She couldn’t hide her amazement as she stared at the kingfisher.

The bird was poised, as if ready to plunge into the water at any moment. Its long beak seemed on the verge of opening, and its neatly folded wings appeared ready to flap.

But no matter how long she waited, the kingfisher didn’t move.

“It’s a taxidermy.”

Startled by the sudden voice behind her, Liv quickly turned. The Marquis was standing there, leaning on his cane. Judging by where he stood, he must have been inside the greenhouse all along.

“Ah, I didn’t realize you were here…”

Liv trailed off and took a small step back. The Marquis, seemingly unbothered, turned his head toward the kingfisher.

“The feathers were dyed with paint mixed with gold dust during the making process.”

Gold dust—no wonder the color seemed too vivid.

Liv’s mouth fell open at the sight of the pointless luxury, casually displayed in the greenhouse by the Marquis.

As she gazed at the kingfisher in disbelief, the Marquis slowly approached her. Despite her attempt to put distance between them, they ended up standing very close.

With his imposing frame so near, she couldn’t help but be acutely aware of his presence.

And the fact that it was someone she had been intimate with only heightened her awareness.

Liv lowered her gaze quietly. As silence fell between them, the only sound was the soft trickling of water.

It was the first time she had faced the Marquis since they had sex. With Corida’s treatment ongoing, they hadn’t had any extra work since then. Liv’s extra work schedule had always been irregular, and without the Marquis’s call, she could only wait indefinitely.

Maybe he wasn’t satisfied with the sex.

Or maybe, after sleeping with her once, he lost interest.

Those thoughts had crossed her mind. However, Liv had vaguely assumed otherwise. If the Marquis had truly lost interest, he wouldn’t have been so generous with Corida’s treatment.

And now, seeing the Marquis’s behavior, Liv felt her assumption had been correct.