Odalisque - Chapter 271

“I should be able to handle the public stares if I’m going to stay by your side for the rest of my life.”

How could she be so mature and wise, so far different from the baron family who’d sent the invitation as if the past had never happened?

Demus barely held back the exclamation that almost escaped him. The idea of showing this woman in front of others made his stomach twist and his insides burn. He was already feeling jealous for no reason at all of the unknown reading attendees.

“You’ve changed my reputation, so I want to walk around proudly.”

“I’ll just go with you.”

“Oh, I know you have another schedule tomorrow.”

Demus could just put off his schedule. It was to meet a guest coming down from the capital, and if he put it off, Charles would collapse, but he would quickly adjust to reality. The meeting could always be rescheduled.

As if knowing Demus’ mind, Liv looked relaxed. She even smiled pleasantly, as if any lingering hesitation had been swept away.

“And if I’m ever going to wear any of those dresses and jewelry you shower on me, I need to walk outside a lot.”

“If that’s the case, you can just—”

“I also want to show off those gifts to anyone.”

Speaking softly as if soothing a child, Liv cupped Demus’ cheek and kissed him lightly.

“I’ll brag to everyone about how much you love me.”

Demus couldn’t say anything more as she said that. With a frown, he finally nodded.

“Okay then.”

Demus’ mind flashed to the dresses that occupied the entire room. It was a good thing he’d stocked up on dresses and jewelry beforehand.

If this was how it was going to be, he should pick out the best outfits and jewelry for her.

***

The venue for the reading was near Buerno’s central square.

Demus had personally adorned Liv from head to toe and took her to the front of the building. That alone would have been considered excessive treatment, yet Demus chose to wait nearby instead of going home. The reason was because it was near the central square.

The central square was, after all, the same damned place Liv had run away from him!

He had assigned Charles to meet the guest he was supposed to meet. He implied that the guests should take a tour of Buerno while they were there. Charles was appalled, but for Demus, it was more important to wait near Liv than to deal with them.

Of course, Demus was quite rationally aware that she wasn’t going to run away. It wasn’t just objective reality, but emotionally, she had accepted Demus. Just yesterday, she had told him that she would “stay with him for the rest of her life.”

It wasn’t that he doubted Liv’s heart. It was just…

So, it was, like, an aftermath. An inevitable aftermath of losing Liv once.

He had figured he might as well just attend the reading with her, so Demus had asked Liv to go with him again this morning, and once again, he was refused.

“It’s for ladies and young girls only. It wouldn’t be a reading if you came.”

Gently declining Demus’ offer, Liv left him and entered the building alone. He could easily see that the servants who greeted her at the entrance were noisily ushering her inside, but he couldn’t see the inside.

As Liv had said, the reading was a women’s event. The Baron couple, who were particularly concerned about their daughter’s reputation and safety, seemed to have given it extra care.

So if Demus followed Liv inside, it would look like he was making a bit… no, a very big deal of it. Regardless of how much the Vendons hoped to make friends with the House of Dietrion.

“I should have gotten her a proper maid.”

Demus chewed his lower lip uneasily in belated regret.

The existing maids at the Lanxess manor were of the bare minimum, so he was in the process of recruiting new ones for Liv. He’d been especially careful in selecting the maids who would attend to Liv’s personal needs, so he hadn’t yet officially hired them.

Liv had said she’d pick someone skilled from the existing maids, but how could Demus be so casual about it?

He’d only have peace of mind if he hired a maid with good attending skills, home environment, personality, health, and guarding skills. Unfortunately, many applicants fail in this guarding area.

As a result, Liv was followed by a temporarily assigned maid. She didn’t even seem to know how to hold a gun, leaving Demus doubtful that she’d be able to assist her master properly.

“It seems that the event is going off without a hitch.”

“We can’t see inside, can we?”

“Yes, we can’t see through the windows.”

Roman, who had been assigned to snoop around the reading, reported cautiously from outside the window. Demus frowned and glared at the building across the street.

If they were going to hold an event, they should have held it out in the open air, not rent a room tucked away in the corner of a building like that.

There wasn’t a single thing he liked about it.

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