Odalisque - Chapter 189

The only things she had with her were the new medicine she’d gotten generously in advance, and the money she’d saved up from the early days of her extra work.

And a small pistol she grabbed at the last minute, just in case.

“I’m making you suffer again.”

“What are you talking about? Who do you think is to thank for my good health?”

Coryda furrowed her brow, berating Liv in a low voice. Liv laughed weakly at Coryda, then stared out the window in silence. In the sky outside the carriage, the sun was already setting.

They had to get to the train station before the sun went down.

***

Demus stared impassively at his subordinate, who reported with a pale face.

“They must have attended the event in the central square and then left afterward…”

The event in the central square took place at the same time as the Benediction, which was led by the Cardinal. It was a separately organized prayer event held outdoors for the many people who were unable to witness the Cardinal’s prayer in person. Naturally, all the citizens of Buerno flocked to the event.

It made it unusually difficult to follow the sisters, but that didn’t stop Demus’ men from catching a glimpse of them.

“We saw them go into a souvenir shop, and after that, we lost track of them.”

According to his men, they were waiting in a place with a clear view of the entrance. They decided not to follow them in because there were too many customers inside.

When they stayed in the souvenir shop longer than expected, Demus’ men assumed that the checkout was taking longer due to the large number of customers.

“We believe it’s not a situation of kidnapping or robbery.”

“… I suppose not.”

It didn’t make sense to kidnap two people in a crowded souvenir shop. Aside from that, it was pretty obvious that the Rhodes sisters had run away. The proof was in the piece of paper Liv had left on the desk.

Demus glanced at the crumpled paper. Relevant thoughts quickly flashed through his mind.

“We’ve searched the area around the souvenir shop, but since it’s so crowded…”

“Prepare the horses.”

After coldly cutting off his man, Demus strode off.

“We’re going to the train station.”

His man gave him a puzzled look, but he quickly prepared a ready-to-ride horse without adding another word. Swinging himself up onto the horse, Demus grabbed the reins.

The moment he realized Liv had run away, he instinctively pictured what she would do. It was only a matter of seconds for him to suppress his emotions and make a rational decision.

If she had decided to run away, her options were limited.

For starters, today was particularly crowded with tourists, and the reason she’d picked this day was to get swept up in the crowd.

She was finally able to outrun Demus’ men, so there was no way she’d choose to hide somewhere in Buerno. Otherwise, she wouldn’t last more than a few days before Demus would catch up with her, and she was smart enough to know that.

In that case, she’d try to get out of the city as soon as she was out of sight.

The best mode of transportation for her now was the train. She would probably take a shared carriage to the train station. The central square was normally home to large carriages as it was the city’s main thoroughfare.

Could they be in disguise? It would make sense to change clothes to avoid even a fleeting glance. Perhaps into inconspicuous, plain clothes.

Cold blue eyes looked up at the darkening sky. The shared carriages halted at every stop, and today, with more customers, the pace would be slow.

The streets would be jammed with all sorts of transportation, even on the boulevards, so if Demus took the fast route on horseback, he could catch up.

That is, if he wasn’t too late.

***

“Help, huh… Ask me anything.”

Camille looked surprised at Liv’s request for help, but then he nodded vigorously. Liv stared at Camille in silence, then asked.

“Are you sure you’ll help me with anything?”

“Of course.”

“What if I told you that I wanted to leave Buerno quietly?”

Liv’s question left Camille speechless for a moment. He looked quite puzzled, as if he had just heard something unexpected.

“… You want to…”

“As you can see, I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t live here anymore, so I want to leave quietly.”

“But…!”

“You are also involved in my rumors, Mr. Marcel. It would be better for you if I disappeared.”

Camille stiffened at Liv’s casual remark. He was well acquainted with social gossip, so he must have heard the rumors about himself.

After brushing his face with an embarrassed look, Camille replied with a sigh.

“About that… I apologize. I really have nothing to say because my careless conduct only added to your trouble.”

Liv looked at Camille, who apologized with a remorseful look on his face, then calmly lowered her gaze.

“If you feel at all sorry for me, then help me leave.”

“What kind of help do you want?”

Her hands tensed unnecessarily at Camille’s question. Looking down at her clasped hands, Liv took a moment to collect her thoughts before slowly parting her lips.

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