Her initial intention to get the painting back was because she feared it would affect her job as a tutor. And she did that job to take care of her sick sister as the head of the household. She modeled nude for the same reason.

In the end, it was all about money, which Demus had solved for her in the name of extra work. So, would there be a problem if it interfered with her tutoring job?

There would be no point in getting the painting back.

“I’ll talk about that with her later.”

He was thinking of calling her soon, anyway. The kiss with her was better than he had imagined, and he didn’t find it repulsive at all.

Considering that he usually found contact with others to be gross and unpleasant, this feeling he felt toward her was clearly exceptional and special. When it came to something rare, it had to be seized quickly.

He wasn’t repulsed by touching her bare skin and saliva, so he supposed he could handle more.

Demus, not surprisingly, didn’t expect her to reject him either. The distance she had worked so hard to preserve was gone the moment she was unable to get out of the carriage.

The thought of her approaching him voluntarily made him feel better.

“If you like her, why not just keep her around?”

Charles, who had been listening to the conversation between Adolf and Demus with a puzzled look on his face, cautiously voiced his opinion. Adolf looked at Demus, inwardly agreeing with that opinion.

Demus glanced at them, and took out a cigar, indifferently.

“A great piece of art should be worth its price.”

That’s what owning an artwork is all about. Knowing the value of the work. Recognizing its value. Treating it with the value it deserves.

“Only then can it be “owned”.”

Liv was a woman too valuable to get to know only indirectly through Brad’s poor skills. Unlike her lame rear image, her front side was quite spectacular.

Her slightly skinny, moderately curvy body and surprisingly clear skin were just minor matters. What caught Demus’ attention most was her face.

Especially her sorrowful green eyes. She stared at him like she was about to burst into tears, but her words were unexpectedly measured. She looked fragile, like she could break at any moment, but the way she held on was both funny and fascinating, making him want to keep messing with her.

Moreover, he loved it when her stoic expression cracked.

Her naked expression couldn’t be seen by simply removing her clothes. This required him to do some work, but he didn’t mind it as the payoff was well worth the effort.

This had given his boring life a bit of a spark.

“If I only keep her body around, would that make her any different than other statues?”

“Do you want to possess her heart?”

Charles raised his voice a little in surprise. It was strange for Demus to do such a thing, given that he had heard pleas for him to accept the heart they offered even though he did not want it. Demus didn’t bother to answer.

Adolf, who had been watching this in silence, frowned slightly. He knew better than anyone what Demus was doing to get Liv to be by his side, and he couldn’t help but be concerned.

“That would make her crave only for your attention and love, my Lord.”

And that was one of the things Demus hated. Crying and begging for him to give his attention. Wasn’t that the reason he brought in paintings and statues in the first place?

“She is a living human being. You need to give her… a different kind of attention than artwork.”

Demus understood Adolf’s words without difficulty.

“That’s kind of, not fun.”

Demus muttered to himself. He did want to see Liv crumble down, but it would be very disappointing if what she would be begging for was something useless like love or attention. There were plenty of things in the world that cost more than that.

She was a smart woman, so he thought she’d be able to tell the difference.

“She knows her place, so I’m sure she knows how to behave if she wants to stay by my side for a long time.”

“What if she is unable to conduct herself…”

Having frequently faced Liv Rhodes, Adolf seemed to have developed some sympathy for her.

Demus stared at Adolf with somewhat annoyed eyes. Adolf flinched, realizing that he had asked too much.

“There’s no reason to keep a piece of artwork that has lost value. When that time comes, you’ll have to step up, Adolf. Isn’t that why we drew the contract?”

Adolf bowed his head. Already displeased despite his compliance, Demus gestured irritably to his aides to leave.

As he lit a cigar in his lone office, Demus thought of Adolf’s words.

What if Liv Rhodes is unable to conduct herself?

If she ends up getting as boring as everyone else?

Ah, the thoughts alone were not fun.

If possible, he hoped it wouldn’t happen… but if it did, Demus’ reaction was set in stone.

One of the virtues of being a collector is the ability to recognize what to throw away.