Odalisque - Side Story 5

“No way.”

Dimus immediately rejected her statement, frowning. However, Liv asked again with a face that clearly showed she didn’t believe him.

“Really?”

“Of course…”

Of course, he wouldn’t have agreed that she was lacking compared to Luzia.

Dimus was about to say as much, but stopped when he met Liv’s gaze, her eyes staring at him quietly. His tongue, which had been about to move smoothly, seemed to freeze in place.

Neither of them had forgotten how their relationship had begun and how it had continued. Liv had seen Dimus closer than anyone else and was a woman who quickly understood what Dimus wanted.

Dimus, who had been about to say something, eventually lowered his voice slightly and admitted:

“Yes, I would have agreed.”

The old him, at least.

To be honest, there was no need for such a grand qualifier like “the old him.” It was still true now that Luzia had a higher social status than Liv and that they came from completely different worlds.

Dimus believed that, regardless of his dislike for high society, there were still distinctions between its members. Status and power were clear indicators of those distinctions. Although his perspective had become a little skewed because of Liv, that was only because she was involved. Outside of situations involving Liv, Dimus hadn’t changed one bit.

Especially back when he hadn’t yet realized his feelings for her?

Naturally, he would have acknowledged the gap in status and power between Liv and Luzia. But…

“Even if I agreed, I would have felt inexplicably annoyed.”

Yes, Luzia came from a good family and had a high status. Because of that, she might deserve to be treated with more respect than Liv. And yet…

Even knowing Liv’s objectively lacking circumstances, he wouldn’t have been able to tolerate it. He might have understood in his head that Luzia was treated as more valuable than Liv, but in his heart, he would never have agreed.

Just thinking about it was enough to make him angry again. He should remind Charles to deal with that author, Miel, even more thoroughly.

“And since it upset me, I would have found a way to make that author pay.”

Liv let out a breathy laugh at Dimus’ words.

“That’s a strange logic.”

“I’ve always been strange when it comes to you.”

Dimus responded in a nonchalant tone, reaching out to wrap his arm around Liv’s waist.

The distance between Liv and Dimus closed. Dimus could smell the strong scent of roses on her, as she had mentioned taking a stroll through the rose garden while Charles gave him his report. It was as if she was wrapped in the scent of blooming red roses, and it suited her perfectly.

“Looking back, every moment.”

He lightly bit down on her slightly parted lips, catching the faint taste of cream. He could easily imagine Liv being persuaded by Philip to enjoy a simple tea while walking through the rose garden.

Dimus imagined Liv, sitting at the white outdoor table between the half-bloomed rose petals, leisurely eating a piece of sweet cream cake—a scene that fit naturally into the daily life of Langess mansion, like it belonged there.

His lower body tightened.

“I can’t understand why it took me so long to realize.”

Liv let out a low laugh, wrapping her arms around Dimus’ neck and pulling him close.

***

It was true that Miel’s taunts had upset her.

However, the unpleasantness was easier to control than she had expected. Not only had she not remained silent in the face of Miel’s words, but the sight of Dimus barging into the reading session had unexpectedly set her mind at ease.

She didn’t need to think too hard to know that he would respond immediately to such insults.

Miel, who had crossed borders in search of a new patron, would not achieve her goal. Considering Dimus’ unforgiving nature, it was uncertain whether she would even be able to continue her work as an author.

To be honest, Liv didn’t pity Miel. She didn’t want to stop Dimus from retaliating.

To put it bluntly, Liv rather liked the fact that Dimus, enraged by her insult, would demand appropriate retribution. That was all.

‘I don’t care anymore.’

Yes, she no longer cared about how others treated her.

While working as a tutor and secretly continuing her relationship with Dimus, Liv had always been conscious of others’ eyes and the rumors that would spread. She thought her life could be easily shaken by even the slightest careless words.

Even when she returned to Buerno after confirming Corida’s enrollment in Adelinde, a part of her was still worried. But she thought she had to endure it. It was her choice, her desire to stay by Dimus’ side. Having made that decision, she had to take responsibility for the consequences.

When she met Milion again and found herself less nervous than she had expected, she thought it was merely because she was reconnecting with someone familiar.

But even when she faced Miel’s confrontation and drew attention from everyone at the event, Liv wasn’t scared or burdened.

After returning to Langess mansion with Dimus, Liv found herself wondering why she felt so at ease.

‘Is it because of this man?’

Late at night, Liv stared at the man lying peacefully beside her. The faint embers of the fireplace cast a soft glow on his face.

His long, even lashes, his straight nose, his lips closed in a line—with his eyes closed in peaceful sleep, Dimus’ face was angelic.

Liv raised her eyes without thinking, gazing at his face as if entranced. She soon came to her senses, slowly blinking. While nestled against him, she shifted slightly. When she rested her head against his bare chest, she heard the steady thumping of his heartbeat.

Even if it was only for a few hours, Dimus always seemed to fall into a surprisingly deep sleep whenever he went to bed with Liv. He breathed so quietly when he was asleep that Liv would sometimes press her ear to his chest during sleepless nights, just like now.

In the stillness of the bedroom, the sound of his heartbeat seemed exceptionally loud. As she focused on that sound, her heart gradually calmed. At the same time, her paused thoughts began to stir again.

‘On my side.’

No, rather than saying ‘on my side’…

‘My person.’

Liv’s gaze rose again. The sleeping man’s face looked so serene that it was hard to believe he was usually so sensitive. If she were to touch that face, would he wake up?

Even if he did wake up, he wouldn’t get mad at her for interrupting his rest. After all, Liv was his ‘exception.’

This man loved her. So much so that it was impossible not to know. He was utterly devoted to her. The proud, fastidious man softened his thorns and bent his head submissively only for her. Yet he was also a man who didn’t hesitate to wield his power for her sake.

His love gave her stability. The fears she had carried throughout her life no longer seemed significant—not when he supported her.

Suddenly, Liv felt her heart itch. Her emotions were overflowing to such an extent that she felt as though they might burst at any moment.

She wanted to do something special for him. To ease his worries and show him that he, too, was her ‘exception.’

Just as she could easily understand his feelings, she wished he could also feel her emotions just as easily.

Sometimes, the early hours of dawn lead people into irrational thoughts. The chaotic thoughts swirling in her head right now might just be a temporary phenomenon, like morning dew that disappears with the sunrise. But Liv had already been seized by an unusual impulse.

Staring at the peacefully sleeping Dimus, she made up her mind.

She would show him her love.

Just as he had given her peace of mind, this time, she would bring comfort to his heart.

***

Milion requested a meeting, wanting to apologize for the incident at the reading session.

This prompted Liv to rekindle her interactions with Milion. Dimus watched Liv leave for her outings, barely concealing his disappointment. Even for him, there was no way he could follow her when she went to meet Milion.

In truth, he could have, but Liv, knowing him all too well, had asked him to ‘let her meet comfortably,’ leaving him no choice.

The problem was that others, having witnessed this, began to change their approach and started to reach out to Liv again. Word got around that Liv had a soft spot for young ladies, thanks to Milion, and soon enough, people in Buerno were sending their daughters or cousins to get close to her.

The girls were around Corida’s age, and Liv seemed less inclined to draw a firm line with them, as she had in the past.

“Damn Buerno.”

Dimus thought irritably, feeling as if he was increasingly gripped by the same frustrations. His fingers tapped impatiently on the book before him.

“A ring won’t be of any use against children.”

Liv always wore the ring that Dimus had given her, but it could only deter the advances of scheming men. Young girls paid no attention to the ring; they just wanted to befriend Liv.

That very morning, he heard that Milion had asked Liv to resume the lessons she hadn’t completed. Liv hadn’t given her an answer yet, but Dimus was already displeased that Milion had even made such a request.

Seeing Milion do this, the other young ladies would likely follow suit, and Liv seemed unlikely to refuse them. Given how she had enjoyed her role as a governess, she seemed well-suited to teaching others.

What if she tried to fill the space left by Corida with these girls?