Odalisque - Side Story 7

“The lesson is over.”

Dimus stood up immediately. He had to return to the mansion and meet with Philip. No one, person or item, could enter or leave the mansion without Philip knowing. If Liv had brought the canvas back, Philip would surely know.

The art teacher, pleased by the prospect of ending work much earlier than usual, quickly tidied up his things, hiding his joy.

As he offered Dimus an overly polite farewell, Dimus said in a dry voice, “The marriage is near, so it makes no difference if you think of her as the Marchioness already. There’s no need for unnecessary ‘future’ qualifiers.”

Dimus believed in correcting things that needed correction, no matter the urgency.

The art teacher seemed at a loss for words at Dimus’ statement, falling silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

“…Oh, yes.”

Though it wasn’t exactly a satisfactory response, Dimus didn’t have time to nitpick. He strode out of the studio with larger-than-usual steps, his face even more hardened than usual.

***

…Had she set up a secret place, hiding it from me?

This was the first thought that crossed Dimus’ mind when he heard from Philip that there was no canvas stored within the mansion. A cold sensation swept over his body, like a bucket of ice water had been poured over him. His fingertips tingled as if all the blood had drained from them.

Since returning to Buerno, Liv hadn’t had anyone secretly following her. They were living together now, so he hadn’t needed constant reports on her every move. He knew her general outings, but he didn’t have anyone shadowing her or reporting on her actions.

‘Was my confidence too premature?’

Dimus ordered Philip to confirm once again, and as he strolled through the rose garden, he found himself lost in thought. As he waited for Liv to return, countless possible scenarios flashed through his mind only to be dismissed. His thoughts were disorganized, his reason and emotions clashing moment to moment.

It was the most inefficient use of time imaginable. Even knowing this, Dimus couldn’t stop the chain of suspicions and anxieties from gnawing at him. The sense of control he thought he had was giving way to a lurking volatility, and he was tempted to fall back on the familiar, straightforward solutions he’d relied on all his life.

If Liv had secrets, he had the means to uncover them all. A few words to his subordinates would be enough to reveal everything.

Yet, he hesitated.

He had decided of his own accord not to pry into her affairs. All he could do now was wait for her return. And so he found himself aimlessly pacing the rose garden, doing nothing but wasting time.

Liv returned home just as the twilight of the setting sun began to cast its orange hue over the rose garden. Until that moment, Dimus had been wasting time inefficiently.

“Dimus!”

Hearing that he was in the garden, Liv came directly to find him, still dressed in her outing clothes. Her steps were light and lively as she approached him.

Dimus had intended to ask her about the canvas as soon as they met. He could tell himself he had been patient enough simply by not investigating behind her back. A slightly sharp inquiry could be justified.

At least, that was what he thought until he faced her.

“Did you come out here to greet me?”

Her eyes sparkled as she asked, her voice full of excitement. Just seeing her like that made the tension that had been coiled tightly within him for hours slacken.

“You said you didn’t like seeing the roses wither. You usually prefer the rear garden to this one.”

“…You can see the entrance from here.”

The rose garden offered the best view of the carriages approaching the mansion. Not that it made a huge difference compared to waiting inside, but he hadn’t been in the right state of mind to sit still and wait, so he had chosen the place where he could see her return just a little bit sooner.

“So you came out to meet me.”

Liv’s conclusion was correct. Though it wasn’t for the tender reason she was likely imagining now, there was no need to ruin her joy. Dimus gave her a subdued nod, and Liv’s eyes crinkled as she broke into a radiant smile.

Had her outing been particularly enjoyable today? She looked genuinely happy—happier than she’d been in recent memory.

And now, Dimus realized he couldn’t bring himself to interrogate her. He didn’t want to upset her with suspicions when she looked at him so innocently, with no idea of what had been troubling him. In the end, what escaped his lips was not an accusation but a simple comment.

“…It seems you had a good time.”

“Oh, right. I visited a lakeside today. Not the one we’ve been to—a different place. It’s not well known yet, but I think you’d like it.”

Learning that she intended to take him with her next time gradually eased the turmoil in his mind.

Of course, she hadn’t taken the canvas to some secret place for some clandestine reason. If Liv had intended to plan something behind his back, she would have been much more meticulous. The canvas was likely left somewhere in her carriage, or perhaps it was stored in some corner of the mansion that Philip had overlooked.

There was no reason for her to hide anything from him. Liv wasn’t bound by any contract anymore. She was staying by his side of her own free will.

Still, he disliked leaving even a hint of suspicion lingering. He decided he would bring it up casually during dinner.

Surely, Liv would answer easily, brushing it off as nothing important.

***

He didn’t ask.

As ridiculous as it was, every time Dimus tried to ask about the canvas, it felt as though something was stuck in his throat, and no sound would come out. After a few failed attempts, Dimus analyzed his state with his characteristic rationality.

What was stopping him from asking?

It wasn’t hard to find the answer. He was afraid of her response. Whatever Liv’s answer might be, it was bound to unsettle him.

If she admitted there was a place he didn’t know about, he would hate the fact that she had created such a place. But if she denied it, pretending such a place didn’t exist, he would only grow more suspicious inside. Whether it was a yes or a no, he didn’t want to hear it.

Did he really need to know the whereabouts of that canvas? Was it really that significant? Wherever Liv kept it, did it truly matter?

No matter where she went during the day, she would always return to sleep beside him. That wouldn’t change.

When Liv, who had been in a good mood throughout dinner, continued to appear cheerful even in the bedroom, Dimus found himself unusually lenient. He wanted to let go of trivial annoyances.

The more he thought about it, the less important the issue seemed.

Rather than worrying about the canvas, it was far more productive to focus his attention on Liv right in front of him.

After finishing her preparations for bed, Liv climbed into bed, her skin fresh and warm from a recent bath. She nestled against him without hesitation, her body pressing partly against his chest.

She was not just in a good mood; she was almost overly affectionate. Had something particularly good happened?

Before Dimus could ask, Liv spoke first, her face bright with excitement.

“Today, Milion gave me tickets to a concert. The performers are supposed to be skilled enough to be invited by the royal family.”

Concert tickets had made her this happy?

It was such an unexpected reason that Dimus frowned slightly without realizing it.

“I thought you didn’t like performances.”

Dimus recalled the time they had gone to see an opera together.

“I remember you didn’t have a favorable opinion of it.”

“If high society’s idea of proper decorum is like that, then I’d rather not attend performances in person.”

That was what she had said back then. Despite the dark interior of the theater, people’s eyes had followed them throughout the opera, and Liv had found it extremely uncomfortable and intimidating. In fact, she had even described it as “threatening.”

It wasn’t just a matter of disliking it—it had made her feel genuinely unsafe. After that, Dimus hadn’t considered taking her to another theater.

Liv seemed to remember the same day, letting out a low sigh.

“It was like that back then.”

“And it’s not as if people’s gazes have changed much since then.”

While saying that, Dimus adjusted Liv’s position on top of him. As their lower bodies made closer contact, he could feel his arousal building, his half-erect member now fully hardening.

Liv must have felt his erection pressing against her, yet she seemed less affected than he was, more focused on reminiscing about the past.

“Things are different now.”

The green eyes that had been filled with joy suddenly dimmed, and Liv gazed steadily down at Dimus without blinking.

“Back then, you didn’t care at all about my reputation. That’s why I was so nervous.”

Dimus’ fingers, which had been about to push aside the thin chemise she wore, paused.

Momentarily at a loss for words, Dimus missed his chance to respond and remained silent.

During that opera outing… yes, she was right. He hadn’t cared about her reputation at all.

In fact, he had secretly hoped her reputation would be tarnished. At the time, he had found her public activities distasteful. He wouldn’t have minded if she had been dismissed due to troublesome rumors. Moreover, he had wanted to make a point to Luzia, deliberately fueling the gossip.

He had never discussed that day with Liv afterward.

Naturally, she had no idea that the opera visit was meant to provoke Luzia. They had never talked about it, and there was no way for her to find out, so she still didn’t know.

Dimus never imagined that he would hear such words from Liv.