Odalisque - Side Story 23

If Liv appeared in a dream, it couldn’t possibly be a nightmare.

Even if it were a dream where Liv despised him, how could that ever be called a nightmare?

“There’s no need for you to be my god, Marquis.”

One day, those cold words echoed clearly in his mind, stirring the anxiety Dimus had barely managed to suppress, rekindling it like a smoldering ember.

In the dark of the night, Dimus woke after only a few hours of sleep. The dark bedroom was silent, and the vast bed was cold. In that emptiness, he tried to piece together his emotions, which felt as though they had been shredded by Liv’s indifferent gaze.

It wasn’t easy to calm himself alone. He had never been able to sleep deeply without Liv by his side, and as the days of sleeping separately dragged on, his sleep grew shorter and shorter. And then, a dream like this.

Dimus ran a hand through his sweat-dampened hair, closing and opening his eyes again.

Liv had said she didn’t need a god. She had told him not to become one.

But Liv, who had lost her memory… no, but once she regained her memory… Would she even regain it at all?

“Do I really…”

Do I really need to make her remember? Those memories filled with pain and negative emotions?

The question that had crossed his mind earlier in the day returned, now more forcefully.

Dimus took a deep breath and got out of bed. Out of habit, he reached for a bottle of liquor, his thoughts colliding endlessly in his head. He couldn’t tell what was right.

…No, this wasn’t really a question of right or wrong.

“All of this is really a gift from you, Dimus.”

He took a gulp of the strong liquor, a hollow laugh escaping his lips.

“Then, you’re my god, Dimus.”

It was nothing more than his ugly desire—wanting to keep facing the trusting, bright-eyed Liv who smiled at him without a hint of doubt.

***

Dimus and Liv went on several more dates.

Dimus remained consistently courteous, always behaving like a gentleman. Even when he kissed her, he did so with the utmost respect for her wishes. Of course, when Liv shyly initiated a kiss for the first time, he couldn’t help but show some impatience, but whenever she seemed to pull back, he immediately suppressed his desires and stepped away.

In that manner, they maintained a gentle level of intimacy, visiting the greenhouse and arboretum at Berryworth Mansion and even taking a tour of a small studio house where Liv received her painting lessons. Liv’s fondness for Dimus grew by the day.

Though her memories still seemed distant, her arm was healing well, and her heart felt at peace. In fact, Liv’s recovery went so smoothly that even Corida began going out more frequently, seeing how much calmer Liv had become.

The Langess mansion might have been large, but it seemed boring to Corida, as she spent nearly every day out and about.

Apparently, she was meeting friends. Liv later found out that one of those friends was Milion, the only daughter of Baron Pendance, whom Liv had once taught. Milion had sent a letter full of concern after hearing from Corida about Liv’s injury.

It seemed Corida hadn’t mentioned the memory loss, as Milion’s letter was full of warmth, as if nothing had changed.

“You were teaching the young lady of the Pendance family. I met you while visiting the baron’s residence on personal business.”

Baron Pendance’s residence was where Liv first met Dimus.

So, had Milion seen their first meeting? What did the two of them look like to that girl back then? And what did they look like now?

Liv was genuinely curious. So, when Milion said she wanted to see Liv again, Liv agreed. It wasn’t a particularly difficult meeting—she would simply accompany Corida when she went out.

It seemed best not to mention her memory loss, but it wouldn’t be hard to reminisce about the past with just a few shared memories.

Dimus hadn’t asked many questions when he heard she was going out with Corida. Though he did ask what time they’d be back, it seemed strangely serious, but Liv didn’t think much of it. Considering her injury and memory loss, she thought it natural for him to worry, even if she was with her sister.

And so, they met at one of Buerno’s finest coffee houses, which had private rooms for comfortable conversations.

“Teacher! How have you become even more beautiful!”

Milion’s exaggerated words left Liv looking embarrassed. However, Milion didn’t seem to care at all and began chatting even before taking her seat.

To be honest, Liv had felt a bit guilty for deciding not to tell Milion about her memory loss. She worried that it might become obvious in her words or actions.

But, to her surprise, Milion kept up a steady stream of chatter, requiring little input from Liv. Moreover, Corida’s naturally cheerful personality meant that the two of them hit it off quickly, soon forgetting Liv was even there.

“It’s a pity we don’t see each other often since you went off to Adelinde. No one else can even hold a conversation with me for three hours straight.”

Milion sighed in frustration. Unlike Liv, Corida let out a loud sigh, looking genuinely confused.

“Why not?”

“Exactly! Why not? I mean, even talking about the novel I read last night isn’t enough time—why is Adelinde so far away?”

“You’re right, it’s too far.”

Corida nodded in agreement. As Liv quietly listened to their conversation, she tilted her head slightly.

Adelinde. The area where Corida’s boarding school was located.

When she first heard that Corida was attending boarding school, Liv had looked up its location. To her, it seemed far too distant from Buerno. However, since Corida was on a scholarship and had a sponsor, she assumed there must have been a reason for the arrangement.

Still, thinking about it again, it seemed strange.

Why would she have chosen to send Corida to a school so far away, especially while preparing for her wedding here in Buerno? No matter how healthy Corida had become…

‘It’s not the kind of choice I would have made.’

Liv was in the midst of this thought when Milion spoke up again, her lips pursed.

“But I understand. If I had faced that kind of unfounded slander, I wouldn’t have wanted to stay in the area even for an hour.”

“Oh, um. That…”

Corida, who had been listening quietly, seemed flustered and tried to interject, but Milion, oblivious to Corida’s reaction, continued casually.

“Who would have guessed that Lady Malte of the famous Malte Duchy family would turn out to be the type to spread such malicious rumors and act so underhandedly.”

“Uh, well…”

Corida tried to say something again, but Milion, as if unaware, went on.

“Still, I’m glad everything got sorted out so quickly, aren’t you? And thanks to that, Teacher, you’ve been able to come back like this.”

Milion suddenly turned to Liv, addressing her directly. Liv responded with a vague expression.

“Yes.”

“In that sense, thank you so much for meeting me again. My mother is really regretful, too. I still have so much to learn from you, Teacher. If I’d known this chance would be gone forever, I would’ve begged you to stay as soon as I heard our contract was ending.”

It seemed that this was what Milion had wanted to say all along. Her usually lively demeanor seemed subdued, and she looked like she’d been mulling over this for quite some time, waiting for the right moment to say it. Liv, having no memory of these events, simply smiled gently in response.

Interpreting Liv’s smile as a positive response, Milion’s face brightened slightly. She regained her usual energy, her eyes sparkling as she changed the subject.

“Oh, by the way, the self-portrait you painted in my mansion’s studio—where did you hang it? Was the Marquis completely amazed by it?”

“A self-portrait?”

“Yes, your self-portrait!”

Liv let out a low sigh. She had been exploring the Langess mansion, the Berryworth mansion, and several other properties recently.

But she hadn’t seen any self-portraits.

“Oh, oh my! Look at the time! Goodness! My brother-in-law will be worried!”

“Wow, calling the Marquis ‘brother-in-law’… Corida, you’re amazing…”

“Hahaha…”

Corida hurriedly began to gather her things. Milion lamented that it had only been three hours, but seemed to leave without much fuss, aware of Liv’s still bandaged arm.

Liv remained composed until she parted ways with Milion, maintaining a calm demeanor without a single hint of disturbance. She saw Milion off with a faint smile and then boarded the carriage, Corida following behind hesitantly.

Once they got into the carriage and the door closed, the sound of hooves began as the carriage moved slowly. At that moment, Liv finally spoke.

“Corida. I want to hear in detail about the time we went to Adelinde.”

Corida, who had been glancing around to gauge the mood, shrugged her shoulders heavily.

“Well, I don’t really know the full story myself, Sister.”

“There must have been a reason to send you to that faraway girls’ school, especially when you were unwell. Isn’t that so?”

Liv’s gaze, as she looked at Corida, was endlessly gentle, causing Corida to relax unwittingly.

“Um… Yes…”

Corida blinked and swallowed dryly.

“Can you explain the situation?”

“Uh, but Sister… Dr. Gertrude said…”

“Corida.”

Liv gazed intently at Corida. Her calm gaze showed no hint of harshness, but for some reason, Corida felt uncomfortable in her seat.

Well, when you’re in a relationship, you fight, you almost break up, but then you get back together because you like each other again… It was probably like that back then too. So, surely, telling her wouldn’t cause a big problem.

…Right?