Odalisque - Chapter 79

“Liv! I’m so glad to see you. I’ve been searching for you everywhere. Do you have any idea how shocked I was to hear that you suddenly moved?”

It had been a while since she’d last seen Brad, and his face looked significantly gaunt.

Liv, who was watching him with a somewhat wary look, calmly asked, “How did you find this place?”

“That’s not what’s important, Liv. We need to talk. It’s really urgent. It’s about our work.”

Hearing the word ‘work’ made Liv flinch. She realized that she had completely forgotten about the work she had been doing with Brad for some time now.

Technically, the contract for Brad’s nude painting was still valid; it was merely on pause.

“Let me move these things inside first.”

“Yes, yes!”

Even though Brad nodded eagerly, there was an anxious glint in his eyes as he glanced around nervously.

Had he gotten involved with a swindler?

A dark unease began to stir within Liv. She couldn’t tell if it was worry for Brad or for herself, once his nude model.

They considered going to a nearby coffeehouse, but the subject they needed to discuss was sensitive, so they decided it would be too dangerous to talk in a public space. After much deliberation, they agreed that Brad’s studio was the most suitable place to talk.

It had been a long time since Liv last visited Brad’s studio, but it was still cold and stale.

Having grown used to the pristine mansion of the Marquis, Liv couldn’t help but frown as soon as she stepped inside Brad’s studio. The overwhelming scent of cheap paint made her head ache.

“Uh, I should at least make you some tea…”

“It’s fine. More importantly, what’s this about our work?”

“What do you mean?! We need to start working on the Marquis’s nude painting again!”

Brad’s eyes widened, and he raised his voice instantly. However, when Liv didn’t respond, his anxious expression returned.

“I, I wasn’t well for a while and couldn’t work. But now that I’ve recovered, I want to resume.”

“…Brad. Do you honestly think the Marquis believed that excuse?”

“Excuse? What are you talking about, Liv?”

“You said you were planning an exhibition in the capital.”

At Liv’s calm words, Brad’s face turned pale.

“Did you take a good look at the exhibition hall?”

Brad, who had been staring at Liv blankly, slowly grimaced.

He had told Liv about his plans for the exhibition, but he hadn’t mentioned anything about going to the capital to check the exhibition hall. From his reaction, it seemed he could easily guess who Liv had spoken with.

“…Did you tell my wife about the venue fee? Was it you?”

“Is that important?”

“Of course it is! Because of that, my wife has… How could you do this to me, Liv? You just destroyed an entire family!”

Brad’s agitated words and disjointed accusations gave Liv an idea of what he must have been through.

Liv pressed her forehead and took a deep breath before speaking calmly, “Your wife didn’t know about the venue fee at all. Are you saying you couldn’t have predicted what kind of problems it would cause?”

“Liv!”

“I told you it seemed strange back then. I told you to deal with it before it got worse.”

“Ha! Aren’t you just so perfect!”

Brad, who had been grumbling under his breath, suddenly rubbed his face with both hands, cursing quietly. Then he mumbled as if confessing.

“You’re right, Liv. I was foolish. I must have been blinded by the hope of having an exhibition. I admit it, I should have listened to your advice.”

Brad’s face was flushed, and his shoulders drooped as he paced nervously around the studio.

“That’s why I came to you now. You gave me honest advice back then! You’re the only one who can help me now. Please, Liv, help me.”

“How can I help you?”

When Liv shook her head, Brad’s eyes flashed, and he took several steps toward her, grabbing her arms with a tight grip.

“No, you can help me! You’re the woman who suddenly appeared next to Marquis Dietrion, right? Reddish-brown hair, green eyes—that’s you, isn’t it? Right?”

Brad’s voice trembled with excitement as he mentioned that he had heard the rumors and was convinced it was her.

She had a feeling that denying it would be pointless. Besides, lying to escape the situation might only come back to haunt her later.

So Liv chose to remain silent, neither confirming nor denying it.

“If the Marquis keeps giving me commissions, it’ll all be sorted out. As long as the nude paintings keep selling, the problem will be solved.”

His grip on her arms hurt. Liv struggled to free herself and took a step back, shaking her head once more.

“That’s not something I can do.”

Brad, who looked like he was about to kneel at any moment, gritted his teeth at Liv’s repeated refusal and shouted in frustration, his face twisted in anger.

“How did you even get the Marquis’s attention?! It was all because of me! I painted you!”

“Brad.”

“Please, Liv. I could really die like this. I barely managed to escape this time. If they catch me again, I’ll disappear without a trace.”

It seemed Brad really was cornered. Even setting aside his usual poor circumstances, his appearance now looked no different from that of a vagrant.

The smell of stale sweat and musty odor mixed with the scent of paint that filled the studio. His beard, left untrimmed for who knows how long, was scruffy, and his hair stuck out messily beneath his hunting cap. His sharp gaze, his eyes bloodshot, indicated he hadn’t slept properly in days.

How could someone become so haggard? What kind of swindler had he gotten tangled up with?

“Earlier, I saw your new home. I know your circumstances. The Marquis gave it to you, didn’t he? I have my pride, so I won’t ask for that. Just save my life. Please?”

Brad forced a smile, his voice pitiful.

“My wife and children have all left me. There’s no one left by my side.”

A part of Liv wanted to turn away without listening to anything more. But she couldn’t—she had no idea what Brad might do if she coldly pushed him away now.

Brad was the painter she had worked with on the nude paintings. And Liv’s history as a nude model was something that absolutely couldn’t be exposed.

“What do you want from me?”

“Just say something to the Marquis for me. Please?”

“There’s no way the Marquis would listen to me.”

Brad seemed to think she was some great courtesan. Someone who could twist a man’s heart with just a word, who could make him dance to her tune with just a touch of her fingertips.

Yes, the Marquis treated Liv well. But it was because she knew how to behave and avoid displeasing him. He himself had told her to act wisely.

And it was none other than the Marquis who had warned her to keep her distance from Brad. Delivering Brad’s words would only backfire.

“How about I lend you some money? Use it to deal with whatever’s most urgent.”

Liv offered another option. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to satisfy Brad at all.

“This isn’t something money can fix!”

Grinding his teeth, Brad finally lost control of the anger he had been holding back and raised his voice again.

“Is it such a big deal to just say a few words on my behalf? You’re living in luxury thanks to me! Do you really think you could’ve become the Marquis’s mistress without my nude painting?!”

Liv’s face went pale at Brad’s crude outburst.

“What did you say?”

“Don’t play dumb! I always knew it would come to this. I knew you’d eventually seduce someone!”

Brad twisted his lips.

“Shouldn’t you be grateful to me for advertising your body to the Marquis? I made it possible for you to seduce the greatest nobleman in Buerno!”

Brad’s explicit and unfiltered words fell over Liv like icy daggers. It felt as though she had been slashed from head to toe.

Liv’s lips quivered in unnamable emotion. She bit down hard on her molars.

“We can’t have a proper conversation like this.”

Liv abruptly turned her body. Only then did Brad, who had been ranting furiously, snap back to his senses. As Liv reached for the doorknob to leave, Brad grabbed her arm desperately and spoke hurriedly.

“Liv, Liv! I misspoke. Please, just wait a moment! Liv!”

Liv forcefully shook off Brad’s arm and gripped the doorknob tightly.

Instead of immediately opening the door, she took a deep breath. Without looking back, Liv spoke in a restrained voice, “I’ll tell him, but I can’t influence his decision.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much, Liv!”

Brad, filled with joy, kept expressing his gratitude. Liv didn’t look back at him once as she left the studio.