Odalisque - Side Story 10

“Shall I bring Miss Rodaise here?” Philip asked subtly as he placed the whiskey and glasses on the table.

Dimus glanced at him and filled his glass without answering. Philip didn’t press further and quietly left the greenhouse.

Time continued to pass, empty and meaningless.

What had he spent his days doing when Liv wasn’t around?

When he first arrived in Buerno, he was in such poor shape that he spent most of his time doing nothing in the mansion. Even after regaining his composure, he still didn’t engage in anything noteworthy.

At best, he would occasionally buy some artwork—though that wasn’t a regular activity. It wasn’t easy to find pieces that caught his interest.

Other than that, he spent his time hunting, drinking moderately, smoking cigars, or simply lounging idly.

Yes, that was everything. His days were originally filled with little ambition or meaning.

“I see.”

Realizing how aimlessly he had lived without any real purpose, he felt an unexpected sense of clarity. There had been nothing significant in his life in the past.

Without Liv, his life would truly be no different from being dead.

If that were the case, then his sensitivity was understandable—it was a matter of survival, after all.

Finding some justification for his mental instability made his unpleasant feelings a bit more bearable. It was easier for him to accept discomfort if it had a clear reason rather than lacking logic or justification. Furthermore, having a rational basis made it possible to persuade others of his argument.

In other words, Dimus had now found a reasonable argument to present to Liv, who had just entered the greenhouse.

“You came back quickly.”

“I did say I’d be home early today.”

Liv was still in the same outfit she had worn when she left that morning.

“But why are you drinking here in the greenhouse…?”

“Your hairstyle has changed.”

“Huh?”

Liv, who had been reaching for the whiskey bottle, paused and looked up. Dimus, watching her wide eyes, spoke with a cold expression.

“This morning, it looked like a fox’s tail; now it looks like a horse’s.”

“…Excuse me?”

Liv’s clear green eyes filled with confusion. Instead of explaining his metaphor, Dimus continued speaking in a dry tone.

“Did Lady Pendance show off her bathroom today?”

Liv’s expression wavered slightly. Dimus, who had been watching her closely, noticed the subtle change in her emotions. The confusion from his odd remark had been replaced by another kind of discomfort, as if he’d struck a nerve.

“Otherwise, why would you have bathed outside the mansion?”

Having confirmed his suspicion, Dimus’ lips twisted into a faint smirk, and his voice grew colder and heavier.

“Or did you go somewhere else?”

The casual follow-up question made Liv frown deeply.

“There are plenty of people who can verify where I went.”

She seemed genuinely hurt by Dimus’ suspicion, but he didn’t try to comfort her. Instead, he brought up the topic that had been tormenting his mind for days.

“Where is the canvas?”

“The canvas?”

Liv, unable to follow the sudden shift in topic, looked bewildered once again.

“The art teacher isn’t the type to lie to me, so it’s clear you took the canvas. But Philip couldn’t find it anywhere in the mansion.”

Dimus hadn’t ruled out the possibility that the art teacher was lying, but he doubted the man would risk getting caught so easily.

On the other hand, if Liv had truly intended to move the canvas secretly, she wouldn’t have acted so openly. It was probably nothing, but just bringing up the topic made his emotions spiral.

“Has returning to Buerno made you feel suffocated again? Are you trying to stay out of my sight?”

That was understandable.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the past rumors in Buerno still haunted her, leaving some lingering scars. Perhaps old feelings had resurfaced, making her want to distance herself from him. Maybe she even missed her life before getting involved with Dimus.

Surprisingly, Dimus wasn’t angry. He was simply trying to understand Liv’s state of mind rationally. After all, only by understanding could he convince her.

“I said I’d give you what you wanted, but not like this. Your actions are killing me. Fighting to stay alive is a natural instinct for any living being. So it’s only natural that I want to keep you in the mansion.”

Of course, rationality aside, his words came out more like a plea than an argument.

No, in truth, it was closer to begging than persuasion.

And he wasn’t even sure if his reasoning was logical. It might have been the strong whiskey he’d had after such a long time clouding his mind.

The only fortunate thing was that, despite everything, he still managed to keep up his usual cold and arrogant demeanor. If he had shown even a hint of vulnerability, he would have rather kept his mouth shut. Otherwise, who knew how much further his delusional thoughts might have spiraled?

In fact, Dimus thought this was a good opportunity. Since the topic had come up, he might as well settle it clearly.

“If you really can’t stand it, out of pity…”

“Wait, wait!”

Liv, who had been listening to Dimus absentmindedly, finally raised her hand to interrupt him. Seeing Dimus fall silent, Liv spoke more firmly.

“You should give me a chance to respond.”

“Speak.”

Dimus nodded slightly, his chin tilted upward—a gesture full of arrogance.

Seeing his attitude, Liv sighed heavily, pressing her forehead. Watching her, Dimus subtly lowered his raised chin.

Without noticing his reaction, Liv rubbed her temples and began to speak.

“I didn’t realize taking the canvas would upset you like this. That was my mistake. I can see how it might have caused a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

“Yes, a misunderstanding.”

Liv emphasized the word ‘misunderstanding’ as she crossed her arms.

“The canvas is at the Pendance mansion. I borrowed Milion’s old art studio for a while.”

“The Pendance mansion?”

“Yes. I wanted to work on it separately, so I didn’t bring it to Langess mansion.”

“Why?”

If she needed a studio, she could have asked him. He would have transformed the entire Berryworth mansion into an art studio if she wanted.

Sensing his confusion, Liv explained further.

“I wanted to finish it secretly and then show it to you.”

There was no need to ask who she intended to show it to. Her gaze was fixed directly on Dimus as she spoke, “And about my hair… I didn’t expect you to notice, but yes, I washed it. But it’s not what you think. I got paint in my hair while cleaning up, so I used their bathroom. I didn’t want you to find out I was painting, so I asked to use the bathroom.”

Liv fiddled with her hair as she spoke, then sighed deeply again. She took off her bonnet and placed it on the table, her shoulders slumping slightly with a hint of disappointment.

“It seems it was all for nothing.”

Muttering that she didn’t understand why this had to become such an ordeal, Liv shook her head. Then, she took the glass from Dimus’ hand and casually put it aside, closing the whiskey bottle.

Dimus, who had been watching her quietly, asked suddenly, “So, you’re not creating secrets to get away from me?”

“I don’t understand why you’d think that.”

Judging by how she moved the whiskey bottle and glass out of his reach, she seemed to believe his odd comments were the result of drinking.

Even if alcohol had played a part in loosening his tongue, it wasn’t the main reason.

This unstable mindset wasn’t because of the whiskey—it was because of Liv’s absence.

“It’s because you’re not here.”

Dimus corrected Liv’s assumption bluntly, pulling her towards him.

“So don’t start anything secretive. Or if you must, at least hide it well.”

With Liv sitting on his lap and his arms wrapped around her waist, all his chaotic thoughts seemed to vanish like magic.

Liv, resting quietly in his embrace, answered calmly, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

His arms tightened around her without him even realizing it.

Dimus lifted his head slightly to look at Liv, his eyes narrowing.

“…Are you declaring in advance that you plan to keep secrets?”

Even though he had told her to hide things thoroughly if she must, that had been an empty remark.

“Declaring? I’m sorry, but I’m a pacifist.”

Liv smiled gently at his reaction, wrapping her arms around his neck. Though their conversation could have soured her mood, she didn’t seem upset at all. If anything, she seemed to be growing more content.

Dimus didn’t quite understand which part of their conversation had pleased her, but he supposed it was better than her being unhappy.

With that thought, he tightened his embrace around her, letting the alcohol dull his senses a bit more. A strange fatigue settled in, making everything else feel trivial. All he wanted now was to stay like this, holding Liv close.