Was it because she was coming alone to the mansion where she used to come with Brad all the time?
Liv walked in silence, feeling somehow anew aware of the size of the mansion, which seemed larger than usual. Normally, she would go straight to the studio as soon as she arrived at the mansion, but since Brad wasn’t here today, she didn’t have to go to the studio.
Liv was led to another room instead. It was the drawing room where she discussed the extra work with the Marquis the other day.
It was the first time she came to face the Marquis in this mansion since the Marquis decided to stop observing the work. Liv, who stood alone before the Marquis after the servant who had led her had quietly retreated, looked at him with tense eyes.
The Marquis, sitting with an apathetic face and reading some letters, opened his mouth first without raising his eyes.
“You can’t do the work today?”
“Yes. Brad doesn’t feel well today…”
The sound of rustling paper echoed loudly over Liv’s calm voice. The Marquis, who was reading through the letter with a disapproving look, clicked his tongue as if the contents were disappointing. He hovered the end of the letter over a nearby candlestick. The paper burned to a crisp, and the flames spread.
Black ash scattered over the table.
“Then did you come here on an errand to deliver his words?”
The Marquis looked at Liv with indifferent eyes after dusting off the black ash. Liv, bewildered, opened her mouth to answer him, but the Marquis went on before her.
“If the painter didn’t show up, the model didn’t need to show up either.”
Liv’s shoulders slumped as she felt the Marquis’ gaze on her. His gaze seemed to see right through her.
About what she was thinking, about why she bothered to come all the way to this distant mansion and face the Marquis.
“I… came to explain Brad’s situation, but I also wanted to thank you for the help you gave me…”
“I remember receiving your thanks on the same day.”
There was a subtle boredom in the Marquis’ eyes. Swallowing hard, Liv looked at the Marquis, then lowered her gaze.
She let out a low, hot breath through her open lips and then said, doing her best to make her tone as calm as possible.
“… My extra work is separate from painting work. I haven’t heard if it’s still on hold, so I’m here.”
A moment of silence fell over the drawing room after Liv’s articulate answer.
Liv, who had been looking down at her feet, waiting for the Marquis’ answer, looked up in wonder, for the silence was longer than she thought.
The Marquis, whom she thought was burning the remaining letters, was staring at her. Liv opened her eyes wide as she made eye contact with him.
The Marquis, accepting Liv’s puzzled look, raised his mouth slightly. It was a very faint smile.
“You’re diligent.”
His tone was nuanced as if he was praising a student for not skipping class. Liv’s cheeks turned red at the sight of him acting as if praising her for being commendable.
If he had ridiculed her instead, asking if she had known the taste of money and was trying to increase the number of additional work hours even once, she could have bravely ignored him.
She really couldn’t figure out how to respond to being treated like a child like this.
The Marquis continued on before Liv’s embarrassment could fade.
“How is your injury?”
“It’s getting bet… Oh.”
Liv, who was answering while repressing her embarrassment, paused. Only then did she realize that there was still a livid bruise on her leg.
The reason the Marquis made her sit naked was to see her clean body. Certainly, he didn’t want to see a body stained with bruises and scabs.
She had no need to come like this in the first place.
Liv bit her lips, sighing at her foolish judgment. She waited for an order to leave that would soon come from the Marquis.
But what ensued was something she didn’t expect.
“How is your ankle?”
The Marquis’ gaze shifted to her skirt. Liv inadvertently took a couple of steps away to avoid that gaze. But she immediately recognized her behavior and stopped quickly.
“It’s, it’s all right, my Lord.”
She didn’t go out much except for Millian’s class. Her ankle was getting better and it had gotten to the point where she could forget she was injured unless she was running hard.
The Marquis nodded to Liv’s answer and raised himself. Having burned the remaining letters at once, he brushed off his darkly stained gloves and walked past Liv.
“Let’s start the extra work early today.”
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