Odalisque - Chapter 217

How could so much water come out of a human body?

Liv cried so much that she finally collapsed. Thierry, who was stationed outside the mansion, examined her and found that the exhaustion of the run, coupled with the fact that she had been strained for days without eating, had taken its toll on her health.

“Is it serious?”

“She just needs to get enough rest and eat well. Apparently, she didn’t have a good lifestyle while traveling.”

“… She didn’t sleep much and barely ate.”

Coryda replied in a sour voice and glanced at Liv. After staring at Liv, who was lying down with a pale complexion, Coryda turned her head to look at Demus.

It was practically the first time Demus had ever come face to face with Coryda, though he’d seen her from afar, read about her in reports, countless times.

Coryda’s shoulders twitched as she met Demus’ cold eyes. Still, her lips twitched as if she had something to say. Coryda, who seemed to hesitate for a while, finally glared at Demus with a determined expression.

“My sister is much more precious.”

It seemed that she was trying to sound menacing, but unfortunately, in Demus’ eyes, it was only absurd.

As Demus stared back at her without saying anything, Coryda continued in a firm voice.

“I’m on my sister’s side, no matter what.”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Frowning, Demus retorted in a cold tone.

“She has sacrificed her life and everything to raise you, and you shouldn’t be ungrateful.”

“I have no reason to be ungrateful, but even if I were, what does it matter to you, my Lord? This is between me and my sister.”

As expected from someone who was Liv Rhodes’ sister.

Annoyance flashed in Demus’ eyes at the impudent retort. Sensing it, Thierry sneakily grabbed Coryda and pulled her toward her.

“The patient needs to rest, so let’s get out of here.”

She’s lucky that Thierry’s sensible.

Just as Demus was thinking that, Coryda protested in a gruff voice.

“Just me? What about him?”

“The Marquis will leave on his own.”

“How could I believe that and leave him alone here with my sister?”

Coryda narrowed her eyes. It was Coryda’s will that had made her meekly follow Adolf, but her trust in Demus seemed to be a different matter.

Well, when Demus and Liv had locked themselves in the mansion for days on end, Coryda had seemed pretty shaken up outside. And when the mansion had finally opened its doors, Liv was unconscious and the mansion was a mess, so she must have been so surprised.

Of course, understanding her feelings didn’t make Demus willing to be easy on her.

“Your sister hasn’t told you who gave you that lifeline, has she?”

Demus asked in a cold voice, causing Coryda to visibly stiffen. There was nothing she could say about her treatment and medication.

Coryda bit her lip as if speechless, then spoke up in a loud voice.

“I’ll pay it back!”

The distrust and vigilance in her eyes softened a bit, but she was still determined.

“I’m going to succeed and pay it all back, so don’t you dare use me to threaten my sister!”

“Take her out.”

“I won’t stand still if you give my sister a hard time!”

Thierry grunted and pulled Coryda away. The loud voice gave Demus a headache, and he clicked his tongue low. Once Coryda and Thierry left and closed the door, it quieted down a bit.

Demus pulled out a cigar out of habit, trying to light it, but suddenly stopped.

On the bed, Liv was quietly asleep. He had always thought of her as a quiet person, but now even her breathing was so quiet it was barely audible unless he listened closely.

He used to love how she moved so quietly, but now he found it annoying. He wished she would just wake up and get angry, cry, or make some noise.

“What is it you want, my Lord?”

He answered that he wanted her, but that answer was somehow not good enough. This desire for possession was different from all the other collectibles he had gathered in his basement.

“You’re the one who told me to know my place.”

Philip was right. His behavior was already too much for a mere mistress. It certainly wasn’t the behavior expected towards a prostitute either.

Demus ran his fingertips down Liv’s emaciated cheek and chewed on the tip of his tongue. He was wondering.

“If you were like him, I wouldn’t have run away.”

What’s the difference between me and Jack Karyn?

“It would’ve been easier if I didn’t have any feelings for you so I could shoot you like I did him.”

What’s the name of that feeling you have?

Demus felt like he could put a name to his feelings once he heard that.

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