Chapter 9
Could anyone be more caught up in delusions than this?
Liv was never skilled at drawing attention or delighting others with witty words. She wasn’t a storyteller, and she was certain she wouldn’t be able to handle being on stage, under everyone’s gaze.
Shaking off her pointless thoughts, Liv decided to focus on her conversation with Million.
“Do you really believe that, Million?”
“Of course not! Just look at his face. What would he gain from doing something like that? It’s all lies made up by people jealous of him.”
Million, who had been full of conviction when talking about the marquis supposedly quoting lines from novels, now laughed dismissively at the taxidermy rumors. Liv gave her a faint smile in return.
Taxidermy…
There were countless rumors about Dimus Dietrion’s past, just as little was actually known about him. So many people had heard those rumors in passing that even someone like Liv, who typically paid no mind to such gossip, knew of them.
Taxidermy was just one of many, fueled by the fact that the marquis’s mansion was isolated from the city and that the number of people invited there was so few it could be counted on one hand. It had become an eerie urban legend.
Of course, there were indeed members of the upper class who indulged in hobbies too unsavory to display publicly. Liv had heard and seen such things while attending boarding school and working as a tutor. Those kinds of interests had nothing to do with social status or wealth.
So, even if Marquis Dietrion had secret hobbies or a sordid private life, it wouldn’t be surprising.
Perhaps when he insisted on observing the nude painting session, it was just one facet of those hidden pursuits…
“Oh my, teacher! It’s Adrienne!”
Million, who had been engrossed in discussing the marquis’s rumors, suddenly brightened and turned her attention. Her close friend Adrienne was waving at her from afar, accompanied by a few others. Million jumped to her feet excitedly.
Liv quietly watched Million rush over to her friends and began tidying up the space where they had been sitting. As Million’s chaperone, Liv had to keep watch from a respectful distance. It would be wonderful if one of those girls’ parents took a liking to Liv and hired her for additional work.
Liv didn’t feel any bitterness or sorrow over her circumstances, where she had to try to impress young ladies just to secure a job. Her life was too harsh for her to indulge in such indulgent feelings.
Liv moved about busily. The man who had briefly filled her mind quickly faded away.
***
The marquis sent a carriage to pick them up from Brad’s studio.
It was a black carriage, without any particular crest. There wasn’t much that stood out from the outside, but once inside, Liv realized that there were no windows.
More precisely, from the outside, it looked like there were windows, but from the inside, she couldn’t see out. The carriage, carrying Brad and Liv, had its doors locked from the outside and traveled for quite a while to an unknown destination.
The secrecy of it all was almost suffocating, and Liv was extremely nervous, but Brad seemed utterly unbothered.
Throughout the journey, he praised the marquis for the kindness of sending a private carriage. He mentioned how comfortable the seats were, how smoothly the carriage moved, and how luxurious the interior was, all while laughing heartily. He even said that the lavish interior was more than enough to look at, so he didn’t mind not being able to see outside.
‘It’s a relief that I’m riding with Brad.’
Liv actually felt reassured. Having the carefree Brad there was better than nothing.
If she had ridden in a carriage like this alone, she would have been overwhelmed with negative thoughts. By the time they arrived, she might have been so terrified that her legs gave out, recalling all the creepy rumors about the marquis she had discussed with Million.
“We’ve arrived, Liv!”
Liv, who had been uncomfortably perched on the edge of the plush carriage seat, quickly lifted her head. Sure enough, the carriage was slowing down just as Brad had said.
Finally, the carriage came to a complete stop, and she heard the sound of a lock being undone from outside. A footman in uniform quietly opened the door and set up a step for them to disembark.
“Welcome. Please follow me.”
A servant, presumably their guide, greeted them politely. Brad, looking thrilled, flushed with excitement at the treatment they were receiving. Liv, her eyes filled with unease, followed the servant, occasionally glancing upward.
A staircase that seemed to stretch endlessly led up to an elegant mansion that looked almost like an illustration from a storybook.
The cream-colored walls held arched windows so transparent she questioned whether they even had glass. The pale blue roof tapered sharply upward, with delicate statues adorning each corner. Against the backdrop of the clear sky, the entire scene looked strikingly beautiful.
“My goodness, are we really working here?”
Brad gawked in disbelief, his head swiveling as he took in the surroundings. He looked ridiculous enough to deserve ridicule for his gawking, but Liv was just as surprised as he was and couldn’t find it in herself to mock him.
The mansion was massive. It stood alone, surrounded by lush gardens and vast fields, making it likely one of the marquis’s villas. Considering Marquis Dietrion’s reputation for avoiding people, it made sense for him to have a secluded villa.
Actually, Liv didn’t even know if this was a remote location. She hadn’t been able to see any of the surroundings during the carriage ride. For all she knew, it could be a private estate within the city.
Dragged to an unknown place with Brad.
Suddenly, Liv remembered the trivial rumors she had shared with Million. At the time, she had brushed off all the dark, sinister stories about the marquis as mere gossip.
‘In a place like this, someone could be killed and it would be easy to cover up…’
All the servants here were surely loyal to the marquis. Even if something happened to her or Brad in this place, no one would ever know.
Like being turned into a taxidermy specimen, for example.
The thought sent shivers down her spine. For some reason, she suddenly remembered the marquis’s detached gaze as he had looked over her bare back. At that moment, it felt as though he hadn’t seen her as a person but rather as an object, something to be evaluated.
Would he wear the same expression when looking at a taxidermy specimen?
“Liv, what’s wrong?”
Brad’s concerned voice jolted Liv out of her thoughts. Brad, who had gone ahead, was now looking down at her from the top of the stairs. Seeing both Brad’s puzzled face and the indifferent gaze of the servant waiting for them, Liv quickly started climbing the hard stone steps.
Once she caught up to Brad, the servant turned again.
The grand entrance to the mansion slowly opened, revealing an opulently decorated interior. As they had been informed in advance, the staff stood in two lines on either side to welcome the guests.
It felt like stepping into the jaws of a snake—one disguised in brilliant, colorful hues to lure its prey. As she looked at all the dazzling, almost painfully bright sights, Liv unconsciously tried to suppress her growing unease.
The heavy door closed behind them.
***
Whenever Liv undressed at Brad’s studio, she would always shiver from the cold air.
Over time, she grew accustomed to the chill, but in the beginning, she would tremble from the cold. Especially during winter, she would come back from modeling sessions only to fall ill with a terrible cold. Brad’s studio was drafty, with no proper heating.
Brad’s wife disliked how much time he spent at the studio, so she refused to spend any money fixing it up. Even though Brad called himself an artist, he made only a meager income, and it was his wife who supported their household. Perhaps Brad’s impulsive spending was out of fear that his wife would take away even the small earnings he made from his paintings.
Of course, Liv didn’t concern herself with the circumstances of Brad’s household. What mattered was that the conditions in his studio were terrible.
That was why this place stood in such stark contrast.
“Oh, wow! Look at these vivid colors! And just feel the softness of these brushes!”
Brad was in awe, his mouth spilling out exclamations nonstop.
Even Liv, who knew little about painting supplies, could tell that everything in the studio was top quality. Brad looked like he might faint from excitement as he examined each of the provided materials.
Even when he sat down at the canvas, his admiration didn’t stop. Liv, with a half-resigned expression, positioned herself in front of the canvas. She, too, was secretly impressed with the well-equipped studio, though not to the same degree as Brad. The sofa and bed provided for her were, unsurprisingly, the highest quality.
What surprised her most, however, was how warm the studio felt.
Brad often mentioned that painting was a sensitive process, affected by temperature and humidity. He would grumble about his wife’s unwillingness to spend even a penny to make the studio more suitable for his work. Because of that, Liv never complained about the cold air in the studio.
But here, it was definitely warmer than Brad’s studio. It was so unusual that Liv rubbed her exposed arm slowly. Despite the warmth, she had goosebumps.
“I had it prepared so that nothing would interfere with the work. Is there anything else you need?”
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