Odalisque - Side Story 13
Side Story 2: Canvas on an Easel
The child was lost.
The realization came late, only after being swept away for a long time by the crowd. The surroundings were unfamiliar.
It all started because of the intoxicating songs and lively atmosphere that made the child wander about as if enchanted, drawn further by the sweet aroma. The child, now alone amidst adults wearing colorful and ridiculous masks, hugged a small basket of candies close.
It was the candy seller, who had given the basket to the child, thinking the child was cute, that had led the child this far into the unfamiliar plaza. The child had been overjoyed to receive the gift, only to realize the situation afterward, but by then, the candy seller had vanished.
“It’s the Harvest Festival, so there are lots of people around. Don’t cause trouble and behave quietly. If you act up, the scary man will come and get you!”
The child’s face darkened rapidly at the memory of their mother’s stern warning. To avoid meeting the “scary man,” the child had been good, listened well, and even ate all their food.
But now, it seemed today’s mistake might lead to an encounter with the scary man. The thought almost made the child cry. Tears began welling up as the child anxiously glanced around, hoping for help.
But the adults around were all too busy enjoying themselves. They either didn’t notice the child, or they didn’t see any reason to care. And approaching them was difficult—everyone was wearing a mask. Just when the child, holding back tears, was about to finally give in to sobbing—
“Are you alright?”
With a worried voice, someone bent down to meet the child. The child, momentarily forgetting about the tears, looked up wide-eyed. Staring blankly at the person who had addressed them, the child watched as they knelt to match eye level.
“Do you live around here? Where are your parents?”
The child opened their mouth unconsciously.
“Shh! If you’re good, the beautiful angel will come down and bring you a gift. Alright?”
Suddenly, the child realized—mother’s words were always right.
“Angel!”
“Huh?”
When the child exclaimed, the angel looked puzzled. The round, gentle brown eyes were so serene that the child, without hesitation, concluded this person was indeed a kind angel.
“Did you come to bring me a present?”
“…What?”
“But you don’t have to give me anything.”
At the child’s unexpectedly mature declaration, the angel frowned slightly.
“…Um, alright.”
“Instead, could you help me find my mom?”
When the child mentioned their mother, the reality of being alone sank in again, and the tears began welling up once more. They should have stayed by their mother. What if they met the scary man before finding her? It was terrifying to think how angry mother would be…
“You seem to be lost.”
The angel gently patted the child’s small shoulder, looking troubled while glancing around.
“Where’s your house? Do you remember where you lost your mom?”
“I got candy, but my mom wasn’t there.”
Seeing the basket of candy clutched tightly by the child, the angel chuckled.
“You shouldn’t just follow someone because they offer you candy.”
“A man gave it to me.”
“Still, if you wanted candy, you should have gone with your mom.”
“I’m going to share it with mom.”
“I see… well, that’s true. I’m not really in a position to talk, am I?”
The angel seemed to mutter something else but then nodded, seeming resigned, and stood up. They held out their hand to the child.
“Let’s get out of this plaza first. There are too many people here, and it’s not safe to stand around.”
After a moment’s hesitation, hugging the basket tighter, the child carefully took the offered hand. The warmth of the slender fingers spread through their grip.
Strangers might be dangerous, but angels are kind!
This isn’t disobeying mother’s words—so the scary man won’t come and take me!
***
Liv was lost.
After looking around the plaza three times, she concluded that Dimus had gone missing while she had gone to a nearby shop for a moment. She had left him there to wait in the plaza.
She could imagine a few possible reasons.
Today was the Harvest Festival, and the streets were overflowing with people. Dimus wasn’t in his usual carriage either. There were spontaneous parades popping up here and there, making it even harder to navigate. Everywhere, masked groups moved about in colorful clusters.
And she and Dimus had decided to wear masks too, as he didn’t like being the center of attention. Ironically, this helped them blend in with the crowd.
Perhaps if they had brought a guard, things might have been different. But today was supposed to be just the two of them—Dimus had decided they should try walking through the streets like a regular couple after seeing young lovers enjoying their time.
Riding a carriage with guards was comfortable, but they had wanted to blend in, just like the other couples. Liv agreed; it seemed fun to try for a change.
If only she had known this would happen, she would never have agreed to such an impulsive plan.
Or perhaps coming to a strange city to enjoy the Harvest Festival was the root problem.
An unfamiliar place, a festival, traveling on foot—in hindsight, it seemed like a recipe for disaster.
‘He hasn’t punched someone already, has he…?’
Just standing there, Dimus exuded arrogance from head to toe—always a prime target for trouble. Normally, his face and status acted as a buffer, but today both were concealed. It wouldn’t be surprising if he had already gotten into a scuffle with someone.
Dimus wasn’t one to avoid trouble when it came his way. If someone challenged him, he wouldn’t back down—he’d fight first and settle things later with money and status.
‘No, no. If there were a fight, it would be far louder than this.’
If Dimus had gotten into a fight, there’d be no way for the surroundings to remain so peaceful.
Liv, arms crossed, scanned the plaza again. The exaggerated masks made it difficult to pick out faces.
When one was lost, the best course was to stay put. But in a place like this, surrounded by identical masks, staying still might not help—it could easily make her lost too.
Liv sighed, her frustration evident, and looked up. Returning to their lodgings and reuniting with Roman and the guards seemed the most sensible plan.
Liv had always had a good sense of direction. Before getting tangled up with Dimus, she had mostly traveled on foot. She could navigate by landmarks and find her way back even if she got lost.
But Dimus?
A man used to traveling by carriage was unlikely to navigate a strange city easily. Even if he had a better sense of direction than her, she doubted he’d return to their lodging alone, leaving her behind.
Finally deciding, Liv began to make her way out of the plaza. She had just started moving when she stopped again.
Amid the bustling crowd stood a small child, looking lost.
The child was probably here to enjoy the Harvest Festival, but they looked far too young to be wandering alone. Hugging a basket adorned with a cute ribbon, the child stood there, only about waist-high to an adult. The wide, frightened eyes darted around, and the lips were pressed into a pale line.
Liv scanned the crowd, searching for anyone who might be with the child, but no one stood out.
“Oh dear…”
Though she really should return to their lodging and find Roman to help her search for Dimus, she couldn’t ignore a child on the verge of tears.
“Are you alright?”
She couldn’t bring herself to turn away from the child who looked ready to cry at any moment.
Seeing the child look up at her in surprise, Liv was grateful she’d removed her mask before approaching. Surely, her face would be less intimidating than a masked one. And fortunately, the child warmed up to her more easily than she’d expected.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Noah!” answered the child in a determined voice.
“I see, Noah. I’m Liv.”
“Yes, Angel!”
Hoping to correct the title, Liv had tried to introduce herself, but it was a spectacular failure. Seeing the child beaming up at her, Liv eventually smiled back. While the name “Angel” might be embarrassing if overheard, she couldn’t help but accept it.
At least being called an angel suggested that her appearance was kind enough. Finding comfort in that, Liv led Noah to a quieter corner.
“So, Noah, do you live in this city?”
“I came here by train with my mom.”
Oh, so they lived quite far away—far enough to need a train ride.
Liv sighed softly, easily understanding Noah’s words.
“It might be difficult for me to take you all the way home, so let’s get some help.”
Liv decided to find a patrolling officer first. Given it was festival time, there should be officers nearby—it wouldn’t require going all the way to the police station.
MANGA DISCUSSION
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Villainess No.121
OMGWAIT?! IS THIS COLLIDING TWO NOVELS’ WORLDS TOGETHER!?!? Cause i can swear i have read a novel where the mother ran away from hes husband while she was pregnant. and that boy’s name was Noah. Does scary man his Mom told him, his Dad?? And since they have traveled so far, it means they have escaped?!?! If it’s true then perhaps that’s was another work of this author (i will check this out) and perhaps I’m a genius.