Liv thought again to the looking floor she had adopted the Marquis to.

Though she had by no means joined in on an aristocratic hunt earlier than, she had heard of it. It was due to her aristocratic classmates at Clemence who have been used to using horses within the looking grounds from a younger age.

A few of them have been from households that not solely owned personal looking grounds but additionally organized periodic looking tournaments. So far as Liv knew, looking tournaments have been one of many principal social occasions within the the Aristocracy.

“What occurs to the hunted animals?”

“They are often slaughtered, taxidermy, or find yourself in a meaningless killing.”

The 2 reached the greenhouse very quickly. It had been rearranged, displaying a barely totally different number of flowers inside.

She seen that there was much more inexperienced grass than flowers. In between, there have been new timber with massive leaves, so whoever was inside can be utterly invisible from the doorway.

As Liv’s eyes darted round, a golden kingfisher got here into view. The taxidermy was nonetheless in the identical place she had seen it earlier than. Taking a look at it once more, it didn’t look so effectively maintained.

He wouldn’t taxidermize each animal he hunted. The Marquis was a person who wished to personal one thing of worth.

Nonetheless, he didn’t appear to have a pastime of looking uncommon animals both. Moderately, in response to Camille, the Marquis had a pastime of gathering nude art work.

“I suppose the one factor you actually acquire is artwork. …Issues like statues and work.”

The Marquis seen the place Liv’s gaze had landed and flashed a chilly smile.

“Properly, we will’t taxidermize a human being.”

It was a considerably spooky reply. He collected statues and work as a result of he couldn’t taxidermize people.

She couldn’t determine the explanation, however she may inform that the Marquis was not a fan of dwelling issues. Liv tried to think about the gallery of pricey statues and work he had collected.

It’d work if there was just one or two, however she didn’t suppose the view of such collections displayed in a single place would look cool.

However for the Marquis…

“I feel you’re accustomed to dying, my Lord.”

The Marquis, who had handed the kingfisher casually, stopped. He seemed again at Liv with a shocked look on his face, however then he nodded nonchalantly.

Seeing that the Marquis wasn’t significantly dodging the query, Liv was inspired and continued her query.

“Have you ever been to conflict?”

“Do I seem like that?”

“You appear accustomed to weapons and killing.”

Within the innermost a part of the greenhouse, there was a desk and an outside bench with padded cushions. There have been additionally just a few books on the desk, wanting moderately messy as if they’d been learn, suggesting that this was a spot the Marquis typically frequented.

Sitting on the bench, he leaned again in familiarity and stared at Liv.

“Seems to be such as you’re not scared by that.”

“There’s no purpose for me to be afraid, except you’re going to purpose them at me.”

There have been no chairs in sight, aside from the lengthy bench. As an alternative of sitting subsequent to the Marquis, Liv walked over to the desk.

She may see a bookmark protruding of the highest of the e-book, and the title on the duvet urged it was a e-book about liberal arts.

The title was written in delicate cursive. She may simply think about the Marquis holding this e-book. She had the sensation that even a small e-book may make the Marquis stand out.

With out realizing it, Liv ran her fingertips throughout the title. The bumpy texture tickled her fingertips.

“So what scares you?”

Liv, who had been tracing the handwriting along with her fingertips, paused. Blinking slowly, she raised her gaze.

One thing she was fearful of. There have been so lots of them. Even that lovely man in entrance of her was a kind of concern for Liv.

Coryda’s well being, the handful of cash that may sometimes strangle her, the embarrassing conditions she generally discovered herself in…

The reply that tied all of it collectively flowed out of Liv’s lips.

“Surviving.”

“You discuss like a soldier on the battlefield.”

“A battlefield doesn’t must be coated in gunpowder and bullets.”

Liv drew a bitter smile. The Marquis rested one arm lengthy on the bench’s backrest, crossed his legs, and tilted his head stiffly.

“For those who graduated from Clemence, issues wouldn’t be so dangerous for you that you just’d be whining.”

“Clemence is… a very good college. For the reason that admission charge is kind of costly, there are numerous scholarship applications, so even commoners can dream about attending that faculty. There are some necessities, however happily, I used to be capable of fulfill them.”