Chapter 74

When the day to paint the nude came again, Liv went to Brad’s studio, but he had locked it and was away.

She could understand it for once, but it was unbelievable he did it twice in a row like this.

Normally, she would have been worried about him and asked around, but unfortunately, Liv didn’t have time to pay attention to Brad. This was because she was told to bring Coryda in while the work was canceled. As for the medical treatment, she convinced Coryda with Adolf’s name, and Adolf himself came to pick them up.

And that seemed to put Coryda’s mind at ease a bit. In addition, Adolf had a way with words, and even managed to relax Coryda with some lighthearted talk during the carriage ride.

By the time they reached the mansion, the tension in Coryda’s face had completely dissipated.

“Well, here we are.”

“Woah…”

Coryda’s mouth dropped open at the sight of the Verworth mansion in front of her. Liv understood how she felt about that, so she let Coryda admire it.

This place was still stunningly beautiful despite it being her second visit after all.

“Good morning, Miss Rhodes.”

Philip, who was already at the entrance, offered a polite greeting to Liv and Coryda.

“We’ve got a cute little guest here. Welcome to Verworth Manor. I am Philip Philmond, the butler. Please feel free to call me Philip.”

“Hello, Grandpa Philip. My name is Coryda Rhodes. You can call me Coryda.”

Liv was appalled at Coryda’s casualness at calling out to Philip, and was about to interrupt her, but Philip was the first to burst out laughing.

“Thank you, Miss Coryda. If you have any questions about the mansion, you can ask me anything. Oh, and do you happen to like fruit tarts?”

“I like them!”

“That’s a relief. We’ve got them just in time for today.”

The last words were addressed to Liv. Liv flashed an awkward smile at Philip, then took Coryda’s hand and walked slowly toward the mansion. Adolf said he had to report for a while and went in first, so it was Philip who led them in.

Coryda couldn’t keep her mouth shut all the way to the parlor. Liv had visited the mansions of aristocrats before, when she was a live-in tutor, but they weren’t as glamorous and large as this one.

“Would you mind waiting here for a moment?”

The parlor was toasty warm inside, probably due to the fireplace. The maids quickly set out refreshments for Liv and Coryda as soon as they were seated. Coryda, who had never been treated in such an incredible way before, looked around in amazement.

Once the maids had retreated, Coryda, who had been looking around, leaned over and whispered to Liv.

“Liv, the owner of this mansion is the one who wants to help us, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Have you met him? What kind of person is he?”

“… He’s just a good-hearted person.”

Liv’s answer led Coryda to shoot Liv a suspicious look.

“So he’s going to help us just because he pities us? Does such a person exist?”

“He must have felt so bad about us.”

“I mean, that’s just plain weird. We’re not the only poor people in the world. Could it be that he wants something else?”

Liv thought Coryda was simply mesmerized by the spectacular scenery, but it seemed that she had a question in her mind.

“Something else?”

“Yes. Something like he fell for your beauty…”

Liv made an awkward smile as she watched Coryda ponder in earnest. Hearing something that wasn’t quite the right answer, but strangely close to the point, cut off the words of denial she was about to say.

Fortunately, before Liv could respond, the parlor door was opened and Adolf stepped in.

“I apologize for the wait.”

Behind Adolf, an unfamiliar woman appeared.

She was a thin, middle-aged woman with a monocle and a somewhat stern look. With her brown hair, mixed with sparse gray, neatly tied into a bun, she held a doctor house call bag in her hand.

“This is Dr. Thierry Gertrude. She’s the one who will examine Miss Coryda today. Dr. Gertrude, this is the guardian, Miss Liv Rhodes, and next to her is the patient, Miss Coryda Rhodes.”

“Nice to meet you, Doctor.”

Thierry eyed Liv and Coryda with a somewhat arrogant look. Liv quickly reached out her hand to shake hers, but instead of taking it, she just stared at it.

Seeing that attitude, which was not very friendly, Liv naturally withdrew her hand. Nevertheless, she didn’t wipe the smile off her face.

“I heard you’re a very competent doctor. It’s an honor to be under your care. Please take good care of Coryda.”

“Miss, Coryda?”

Thierry’s gaze locked on Coryda. Coryda, who had been frozen with nervousness, flinched at the gaze, her shoulders shaking.

Clutching the hem of Liv’s dress tightly, Coryda hung her head, her face pale white. But when she saw the doctor bag in Thierry’s hand, she turned even paler.

As if her initial excitement had been a lie, Coryda was utterly frightened. It wasn’t just because of Thierry’s aloof demeanor.

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