Odalisque - Chapter 82

“Sister…”

Liv, who had been checking the distance to the theater in her head and repeatedly looking at the clock on the table, turned to look at Corida. Corida was holding her flushed cheeks with both hands.

“Sister, you’re so beautiful…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean it! There’s no one as beautiful as you at the theater today! The Marquis probably won’t be able to pay attention to the opera at all!”

Liv finally burst into laughter at Corida, who was using every word she knew to compliment her. Corida’s eyes had lost all objectivity, and Liv figured that more than half of what she said was exaggerated… but it was still nice to hear.

Well, it was true that today was especially fancy compared to usual.

Liv glanced at the mirror. Her previously pale face looked somewhat decent thanks to makeup, and instead of the usual cleanly tied-up hair, her locks were styled in loose waves. The hair accessory was rather simple, but the other jewelry was so lavish that the simplicity provided a nice balance.

The shape of the necklace covering her neck and collarbone required her to wear a dress that exposed her shoulders. Compared to her usual attire, it was quite revealing, but it was a style currently in vogue among the upper class.

The dress, made of smooth cream-colored silk, cinched tightly at the waist, subtly accentuating her figure. Without the accompanying cape, she wouldn’t have had the courage to step outside.

“How are the shoes? Do they hurt?”

Naturally, she had bought new shoes when she had her outfit made. They were plain enough to match her tailored dress. The shoes were not as comfortable as the worn-out ones Liv was used to, given their unfamiliar height and fit, but there was no way she could wear old leather shoes with an outfit like this. It would have been disastrous if even a peek of the old shoes showed beneath the hem.

“Shoes become comfortable the more you wear them, so I’ll just have to walk a lot today.”

No matter what it was, practice made perfect.

So stepping out of the house in this attire, too, would probably become easier with time.

***

Entering before the opera started would mean bumping shoulders with many people.

So they deliberately planned their entrance for just after the start of the performance. However, for some reason, they arrived at the theater slightly earlier than expected.

Dimus sat in the carriage, absentmindedly staring out the window. Liv hadn’t arrived yet, and outside, guests who had come to watch the opera were bustling around. Set against the backdrop of the sparkling theater building, each guest looked extravagant and elegant. Most of them appeared to be nobles or members of the wealthy upper class.

Dimus imagined Liv standing among them.

Up until now, the Liv he had seen always dressed modestly and plainly. Even when he had met her at the Pendence barony, that was the case. Her clothes for her tutor duties were likely her best, yet they couldn’t hide the worn cuffs or frayed hemline from years of use.

The thought of Liv standing there dressed like that felt so out of place it made him sigh.

He had given her clothes to wear and jewelry to put on. Surely, she wouldn’t stubbornly come dressed in her usual attire, letting her modest nature get the better of her.

Dimus found himself regretting not stopping by her house beforehand to confirm this. It was an uncharacteristic feeling for him—so rare that it was almost shocking—but he wasn’t aware of his own state of mind.

He still had time; should he turn the carriage around now?

“Marquis.”

Dimus’s increasingly peculiar thoughts were interrupted by Charles. Wearing a dark coat with his collar turned up, Charles approached the open carriage window.

After making sure no one outside was paying attention, he quickly got into the carriage. He closed the window to prevent their conversation from being overheard and began his report.

“We’ve confirmed that Lady Malte is on her way here.”

Dimus immediately frowned. “Have you found out who leaked my schedule?”

“Yes, Sir Roman has already taken care of the individual.”

“He’s finally showing his competence.”

Most of the people under Dimus had been with him for a long time. Especially those closest to him, like aides, private soldiers, and some key employees, were connected to him from his time in the military. Charles and Roman were also part of Dimus’s military advisory background.

Roman, in particular, had proven his prowess in actual combat. That’s why Dimus had entrusted him with general security, including personal protection.

“If necessary, she will reveal herself here.”

“…Luzia Malte?”

Detecting the suspicion in Dimus’s voice, Charles explained in a stiff tone, “It seems the annulment of her engagement to the Zighilt family ended on a bad note.”

“Ah, so she’s in need of a scandal.”

Dimus twisted his lips into a sardonic smile. “It’s not a bad idea. Using my name would certainly irk Stephan Zighilt.”

Even though they were no longer engaged, to publicly shame him like this—she had no qualms about doing so.

Well, Luzia Malte had always been that way. Quick to change her stance, always maneuvering cleverly.

Of course, her current intention with the scandal wasn’t just to divert attention from her broken engagement. Dimus could easily see the advantage she had in mind.

“It seems Malte is certain that Cardinal Calliope will definitely become Gratia.”

The fact that she was trying to stir up a scandal involving Dimus showed that they had made their calculations.

A few years ago, Malte had seemed to favor Cardinal Augustine’s chances. The biggest supporter of Cardinal Augustine had been none other than Zighilt. Dimus could easily imagine how furious Zighilt must be at Malte’s abrupt shift in loyalty.

And Stephan Zighilt.

They shared a history that was tedious and tiresome, one that extended back to their time at the military academy. It wasn’t even worth recalling.

“Honestly, with Malte’s lofty pride, there must have been a limit to how much she could tolerate that idiot Stephan.”

Dimus muttered with a sneer, then checked his pocket watch. After noting the position of the minute hand, he cracked the window open slightly.

The street that had been bustling just a while ago was now much quieter. The opera had begun.

Dimus kept his gaze on the now tranquil street as he gave Charles an order. “Make sure Luzia arrives late, just as planned.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to prevent her from arriving altogether?”

“I think it would be more effective to show her just how beautiful the woman by my side is.”

Charles looked at Dimus with an incredulous expression but remained silent.

True, Liv was a beautiful woman, but compared to Luzia Malte’s beauty… Charles’s expression made it clear what he thought. Dimus paid no attention to Charles’s barely concealed disbelief as he picked up the cane resting beside him and got out of the carriage.

Right next to his carriage, the door of another black carriage, which seemed to have just arrived, opened. With the sound of rustling, a cautious shoe tip felt for the step.

It was something he had bought for her.

The dress, the jewelry—all of it. Dimus slowly raised his gaze, taking in every detail from her feet upwards, and took a deep breath.

Contrary to his earlier concerns, Liv had dressed just as he intended.

“Marquis? Have you been waiting long?”

Liv had been looking down, making sure of her footing, and noticed Dimus a little late. She looked up at him with wide eyes, appearing slightly different from usual. Maybe it was because of her slightly heavier makeup, aware of the fancy dress and jewelry, or perhaps it was the way her hair was styled differently from her usual neat bun or loose waves.

Or maybe it was simply because she was wrapped in everything he had given her.

“I’ll be off then… Miss Rodaise?”

Charles, who had been standing behind Dimus, couldn’t hide his surprise and greeted Liv. Liv’s gaze shifted from Dimus to Charles.

Until now, Adolf had always been the one to deal with Liv, so this was her first time meeting Charles. Not knowing who he was, Liv’s face showed a hint of wariness as the stranger addressed her.

“Who are you?”

“Ah, I’m… Charles, in service to the Marquis…,” Charles stammered, uncharacteristically.

Dimus frowned and looked back at him coldly. “Leave us.”

“Pardon?”

Even in the dim light, it was clear that Charles’s face had turned red. Dimus’s expression had turned as cold as ice. Seeing this change up close, Charles quickly bowed.

“I will take my leave. Have a pleasant evening, Marquis!”

Charles hurriedly left without looking back. Dimus glared disapprovingly at the retreating figure before turning his gaze back to Liv.

She looked confused by the sudden departure, watching Charles as he left. Dimus took her hand and placed it on his arm.

“Shall we go in?”

Liv flinched at the touch and looked down at the arm she was holding.