Odalisque - Chapter 63

Liv thought of the hunting grounds she had visited for the first time with the Marquis.

She had never accompanied nobles on a hunt before, but she had heard about it, thanks to her noble classmates at Clemence, who had grown up riding horses through hunting grounds since childhood.

Some of them not only owned private hunting grounds but also hosted hunting competitions regularly. As far as Liv knew, hunting competitions were one of the main social events for nobles.

“What happens to the animals that are hunted?”

“They’re sometimes butchered, sometimes made into trophies, and sometimes just killed pointlessly.”

The two soon arrived at the glass greenhouse. It seemed it had been recently reorganized, as the types of flowers decorating the interior had changed slightly.

More green foliage was visible than flowers. Large-leaved trees had been newly planted here and there, making it impossible to see who was inside from the entrance.

Liv’s wandering eyes caught sight of the golden kingfisher. The taxidermy was still in the same spot as before. It still didn’t look as if it was being well-treated.

He probably didn’t make trophies of all the animals he hunted. The Marquis was a man who wanted to own what he found valuable.

But it didn’t seem like he had a particular hobby of hunting rare animals either. On the contrary, according to Camille, the Marquis had a penchant for collecting nude artworks.

“Is it only art that you collect? …Statues or paintings, for instance.”

The Marquis checked where Liv’s gaze had fallen and gave a cold smile.

“One can’t taxidermy a human.”

It was a somewhat chilling answer. To say he collected statues or paintings because humans couldn’t be made into taxidermy.

She didn’t know the reason, but one thing was clear: the Marquis did not favor things brimming with life. Liv imagined a gallery filled with the expensive statues and paintings he had collected.

If it were just one or two, it might be different, but she felt that a room filled with such things wouldn’t look impressive at all.

But for the Marquis…

“You seem to be familiar with death.”

The Marquis, who was casually passing by the kingfisher, paused. He looked back at Liv with an expression that suggested her words were unexpected. Then, with an indifferent attitude, he nodded.

Encouraged by the Marquis’s lack of evasiveness, Liv cautiously continued her question.

“Have you been to war?”

“Do I look like it?”

“You seem familiar with weapons and killing.”

At the innermost part of the glass greenhouse, there was an outdoor bench covered with soft cushions and a table. On the table, there were a few books left open, suggesting that this was a place the Marquis often frequented.

The Marquis sat down on the bench, leaning back comfortably, and looked at Liv.

“You’re not afraid of that, it seems.”

“Unless you’re going to use those things against me, there’s no reason for me to be afraid.”

There were no other chairs besides the long outdoor bench. Instead of sitting beside the Marquis, Liv approached the table.

She saw a bookmark sticking out of the top of one of the books. Judging by the title on the cover, it seemed to be a humanities book.

The title was written in delicate cursive. It wasn’t hard to imagine the Marquis holding this book. Even a trivial book seemed to enhance the Marquis’s presence.

Without realizing it, Liv traced the title with her fingertip. The embossed texture tickled her fingers.

“Then, what are you afraid of, Teacher?”

Liv paused, her fingertip tracing the cursive script. Slowly blinking, she lifted her gaze.

What was she afraid of? There were too many things. Even the handsome man in front of her was a kind of fear for Liv.

Corida’s health, the constant pressure of money, the occasional difficult situations…

All of these fears were encapsulated in the words that escaped Liv’s lips.

“Survival.”

“You sound like a soldier who has survived a battlefield.”

“A battlefield doesn’t have to be covered in gunpowder and bullets.”

Liv gave a bitter smile. The Marquis rested one arm across the backrest of the bench, crossed his legs, and tilted his head slightly.

“If you graduated from Clemence, your circumstances couldn’t have been bad enough to complain about.”

“Clemence is… a good school. Since the admission fee is high, it has a variety of scholarships that even commoners can dream of. There are certain conditions, but I was fortunate enough to meet those conditions.”

Clemence Boarding School was the only achievement in Liv’s life that she could boast about. When she was admitted, she firmly believed that graduating from Clemence would improve her life.

So she endured. To not let down her parents, who supported her boarding life. And to be at least somewhat like her diverse and glamorous classmates.

“Conditions?”

“Not being a noble, having no pride, being moderately attractive, and having good grades.”

Liv listed the conditions matter-of-factly and gave a faint smile.

“The school needs a pitiable yet diligent commoner student to present each year.”

“I didn’t know looks and pride were part of the conditions.”

“You have to look decent since you’re supposed to go around school events thanking people for their pity. And you need to have no pride, enough to endure the implicit scorn of your peers.”

The hardest time was right after she was admitted. Children’s malice was pure and unrefined.

In the small society of a school, it didn’t take long for students’ backgrounds and statuses to become known. That determined each student’s starting line.

And that wasn’t the end. At that starting line, commoner students were filtered again. The school needed a voice to praise its name—a voice that would come from the recipient of the prestigious scholarship.

For several years of rehearsed gratitude speeches, a substantial portion of the high tuition was waived. Liv had no reason to refuse.

Because of that, as soon as she entered, she became the target of envy and mockery from both her commoner and noble classmates… But after enduring for a few years, she became accustomed to school life and made good friends, regardless of their status.

“The scholarships given to commoner students come from donations made by noble students when they enter. Donors want to see proof of their generosity.”

“So you were discriminated against because you couldn’t make donations.”

“I don’t see it as discrimination. At that time, I received a far better education than my peers in the neighborhood, all thanks to Clemence’s scholarship. That’s why I’m able to earn money now. How could I say I was discriminated against? I was just fulfilling the role I had in my position.”

The boarding school life was long, and within it, Liv saw a small class society. She learned where those with power and those without it stood, and what roles they played.

Knowing one’s place was the first rule of survival for the weak.

“You have an uncanny ability to know your place, Teacher.”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t survive.”

“Do you know anyone who didn’t survive because they didn’t know their place?”

Liv’s light expression subtly hardened. The Marquis saw this change but continued speaking without hesitation.

“Your parents?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

She had already guessed that he had investigated her. Perhaps he knew more details than she imagined. However, she doubted that the report included anything about her “parents who dreamed of social ascension.”

Liv forced down the nauseous feeling in her stomach and gave an awkward smile.

“You probably already know from your investigation, but my parents died in an unfortunate accident.”

“I heard they were well-known artisans. No matter how suddenly they died, it’s surprising that the two sisters left behind ended up struggling financially like this.”

“The financial hardship… was due to several factors overlapping.”

After Liv barely managed to graduate from Clemence and had to care for the ailing Corida, the family’s situation became strained. On top of that, around that time, the demand for their crafts decreased, which eroded their remaining funds. Before they could recover, her parents passed away, sealing their fate.

But all of it was in the past, a story that held no meaning now. Liv wanted to move away from this uncomfortable topic as soon as possible.

However, it seemed the Marquis had a different view.

“I heard there were many rumors about you during your school days. And your reputation wasn’t good when you worked as a live-in tutor.”

Liv averted her eyes, her face betraying a flinch. The Marquis continued speaking regardless.

“My aide suspects that you’re aiming to become a nobleman’s mistress.”

“If I were aiming for such a position…!”

“I told him you’d already have achieved it if you were.”

The words Liv had been about to say came out of the Marquis’s mouth instead.

He continued to look at her, lounging comfortably. Once he closed his mouth, silence filled the glass greenhouse. Even the usual sound of insects was absent.

It felt as if everything had disappeared, leaving only the Marquis and herself.

The beautiful and vast glass greenhouse felt like an otherworldly space belonging solely to the two of them.