Odalisque - Chapter 70

“So, I’m going down there alone?”

“There is nothing particularly dangerous inside, so you need not worry.”

“…Really, alone?”

“The Master visits here often. The basement is the safest place in this mansion.”

It wasn’t that Liv doubted Philip.

…She was just asking for confirmation one more time.

Eventually, leaving Philip behind, Liv cautiously descended the stairs. Despite it being a basement, the stairway was well lit, with no dark or damp feeling.

Only the sound of her own footsteps startled her enough to make her stop and start several times. Because of that, Liv took an unusually long time to descend the short stairs.

Hunching her shoulders, Liv finally reached the last step and slowly looked around.

It wasn’t a dark, damp, eerie, abandoned space like one might imagine a basement to be. On the contrary, it was decorated as lavishly as the rooms upstairs, if not more so.

Liv was looking around when she noticed a shadow resembling a human figure, which made her freeze in fear.

“Who…!”

She almost screamed, but then realized it was a marble statue of a person. Next to it were various other sculptures and paintings.

“The Marquis seems to have an abnormal obsession with nude art—it’s almost as if he has some kind of perverse fetish.”

Camille’s forgotten words suddenly came to mind. It seemed that the Marquis did indeed have a penchant for collecting nude art.

This was a small gallery filled with explicit nude paintings and statues—most depicting the entire body.

The works were of a different caliber compared to the few nudes Liv had posed for, painted by Brad’s brush. The vibrant muscles that looked ready to move at any moment, the vivid colors, the seductive poses, and the perfectly balanced naked forms.

Was every perfect human body in the world gathered here?

As if in a trance, Liv walked among the works. In a corner, she noticed some particularly out-of-place frames. Unlike the ornate frames around her, these were simple to the point of appearing old and worn, hanging on the wall.

They were Liv’s nude portraits.

“Oh my.”

A sigh escaped her without her realizing.

She couldn’t help it. Seeing them hung alongside such incredible works, it was immediately clear how out of place and lacking they were. Not only was Brad’s skill amateurish, but Liv’s posing as the model was awkward too.

“How could he just hang them here like this…”

Even with no one around, her face flushed. Liv cupped her burning cheeks and turned around, though of course, she was alone.

Comparing her nude paintings to the other works made it even clearer—Liv really had no talent for modeling. Even the body she had thought passable looked so plain now.

How on earth had she ever confidently disrobed before the Marquis?

And why on earth had she posed like that? Did she really stand that way during the sessions? Even a grand tree in a landscape painting would look more natural!

The problem was that there wasn’t just one nude painting.

“Did he really buy them all?”

Every one of the few nude paintings for which she had posed was here. From the first one in which she had disrobed, to the most recent, showing her profile.

Now she understood why Brad had been so confident that the Marquis would sponsor him. If the Marquis had bought every nude painting as soon as it was completed, Brad could have easily been mistaken.

She was at a loss for words, staring at the paintings when she felt a presence behind her. She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. There was only one person who could enter this place.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Liv parted her lips with a worried expression.

“Can’t you take the paintings down?”

Without taking her eyes off the paintings, she asked. She could feel his gaze on her cheek, and she turned to follow that gaze.

“Do they really have to be displayed like this?”

It was too embarrassing. Her complexion must have given away her emotions, yet the Marquis, who surely saw it, seemed entirely indifferent.

“It’s up to the buyer to decide how to store the artwork they purchase.”

“But my nudes are just too…”

Liv trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. Then, finally, she spoke again, “They’re strange.”

The Marquis nodded easily at her words. “They are certainly of lower quality.”

The other artworks, excluding Liv’s nude painting, were truly magnificent. Even just a glance at a few pieces made that clear. The Marquis was undoubtedly not a mere pervert with a peculiar fetish but rather someone who could genuinely recognize and collect valuable art.

To think he owned such high-caliber paintings… Even Liv, who knew little about art, couldn’t help but be impressed by the sheer quality of the works around her. Yet amidst all these masterpieces, there hung such shabby nudes here!

Moreover, they were placed in the most prominent spot. If it wasn’t with the intent to mock her, how could he have chosen such a blatantly conspicuous position for it?

“I don’t understand why you even bought them in the first place.”

Liv hadn’t expected an answer to her mumbling, but surprisingly, the Marquis spoke up, “I was curious.”

The brief reply came casually.

“They were so terrible that I was curious.”

Liv widened her eyes. She had assumed the reason he bought them was simply because they were nude art. She couldn’t understand why he would pay for a work simply because it was terrible.

Was he curious about who dared call this a work of art?

“What were you curious about?”

Expecting a casual answer, just as before, Liv was surprised when the Marquis paused briefly before responding in a blunt voice.

“The model.”

Liv’s eyes trembled slightly. Slowly blinking, she glanced at her nude portraits. They only depicted her back. Apart from her nudity, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the poses.

“…Did you know me from the beginning?”

Instead of answering, the Marquis shifted his gaze to the paintings. Liv wanted to ask how long he had known her, which of their seemingly coincidental encounters had been intentional, but she doubted he would answer.

The painting the Marquis looked at was the most recent one, showing her profile.

In Liv’s eyes, the woman in the painting looked miserable and pale. She couldn’t imagine what about it had caught his interest.

Or perhaps it was that very wretchedness that had piqued his curiosity.

Was it interesting to him because he had spent his life above others, looking down?

“If that’s the case, doesn’t it make even less sense for you to keep the painting up?”

This time, she received a response.

“There is no safer place in Buerno than this gallery. If you want to hide a painting, it should naturally be kept here.”

The basement was only accessible with the Marquis’s permission. The basement itself was located in the mansion of the Dietrion family, with its fortress-like gates. It was such a secluded place that it was hard to imagine anyone even reaching the front gate in the future.

Perhaps the Marquis was right. Since he owned the nudes, this basement would be the ideal place to keep them hidden.

And yet, Liv still didn’t see why they needed to be displayed like that.

“The model is right here in front of you, not in the painting.”

If the reason he wanted the nudes was only because of the “model.”

“You can strip me anytime you want.”

The Marquis’s gaze, which had momentarily rested on the paintings, shifted back to Liv. His eyes, filled with an unusual intensity, fixated on her intently.

“You speak vulgar words so elegantly, Teacher. It’s quite a curious talent.”

Though his words seemed mocking, his tone was calm, and his eyes sincere. The Marquis let out a faint laugh, almost muttering to himself as he looked directly at her.

“If it were vulgar, I’d tire of it quickly.”

There was a hint of regret in his voice, as if lamenting that he had not tired of her. Liv felt her heart drop.

She didn’t want him to tire of her. Not anymore…

“I…”

She simply wanted to get closer to this man.

“I want you to look at me, the real me, not the painting.”

She wanted the man who showed his thorns to others to reveal more of himself to her. She wanted him not to tire of her in the future. She wanted him to impulsively bring her along and show her parts of himself hidden from others, just like today.

She wanted to know sides of him that no one else did.

“So, won’t you take the painting down?”

The Marquis, who had been staring into Liv’s eyes without blinking, took a step closer. His hand cupped her cheek gently as he bent his head.

The kiss that followed was softer than any they had shared before. His tongue teased hers gently, exploring her mouth.

The Marquis bit her lips lightly, like one would bite into a soft cake, without causing pain. The gentle sensation made Liv’s heart flutter.

After planting a few playful kisses, he pulled back slightly and whispered, “As you wish.”

Liv closed her eyes tightly, barely holding back the sigh rising to her throat.

Ah, she could no longer even imagine an end to this relationship.