Ten days had passed since Sasha had turned Mrs. Becker's room upside down in a fit of rage. The Count’s return was imminent, yet the Countess had still failed to find a single shred of evidence regarding the theft. She had scoured the entire mansion, desperate to identify the person who had sent the whistleblowing letter, but her efforts were clearly in vain. 'Is it even possible to find someone based on a single handwriting sample etched in a Mother’s memory?' On the day Sas

The last time she had checked, his Loathing level stood at 60. The urgent reason for her to return home had vanished for the moment. If she wanted to wring out his compassion and lower his Loathing level, now was the time. Just then, she felt a familiar pressure in her chest, as if her lungs were trying to expel something. [Odette] “Cough! Cough!” As expected, a violent fit of coughing erupted. Her right hand, which she used to cover her mouth, was quickly drenched in crimson

She was startled. The gallows? Me? Why would she be sentenced to the gallows? And why was the Crown Prince so furious? Is it because I refused to dance with him? Or because I avoided him every time he tried to speak to me? Was her father’s claim about saving her life somehow connected to the gallows? Or did it involve the murder her brother had committed in the past? Was that execution being reinstated? She knew nothing. Despite the chaos swirling inside her, she had no choic

[Odette] "Vi... Viktor." He stared at the woman before him, her sudden coughing of blood a sight so foreign it felt surreal. Why her? Why is she... like this? Her mouth and hands were stained crimson. Her face, usually so composed, had turned ghostly pale in an instant. Her eyes were those of a lost child, wide with a terror that no one could mistake. Is it even possible for her to look like that? He struggled to process the scene. To him, Odette had always been an insufferab

[Viktor] "What a relief, honey. I thought I was going to miss a masterpiece. I only get to see you die once, after all." The words made her skin crawl. How could someone say something so wretched with such sincerity? He was an insufferable bastard. What kind of curse is on me today? Why do I have to deal with this guy on top of everything else? [Odette] "Let's not meet a second time. Never step foot in my territory again." She recalled the words he had once spat at her. Yet,

The bracelet had once made headlines in the newspapers. It was a notorious magical tool used to sever the hands of a young boy who had secretly stolen from his master after promising never to do so. The price was astronomical, and since only two pairs existed on the entire continent, they were famously difficult to obtain. However, Odette happened to have a high-grade sapphire necklace and garnet earrings that needed to be disposed of immediately. Thanks to those jewels, she

The housekeeper and the head maid stood behind the Countess like soldiers awaiting orders, their faces set as if they had been anticipating this day for a long time. [Sasha] "Search that woman's room! Every inch of it!" [Becker] "Madam! This is too much! You are only doing this because you envy the authority the Young Master granted me!" The uproar drew the rest of the household. Servants and maids abandoned their chores, rushing to witness the scandalous scene unfolding in t

Karl had been dragged away by the Count and locked in the annex's underground dungeon. On his back, a freshly seared mark of servitude—a slave brand—was plain to see, having been added only this morning. It was a cruel trace left by Zion, who had insisted on branding Karl once again directly over his existing scars. [Ulrich] "Tsk, tsk. I really have no desire to inject you with these drugs. But since my daughter insists, I have no choice." As the layered more restraints onto

Hostility burned within those crimson eyes. Zion and Karl never had a bad relationship, even in the "Reverse Harem Route." Even in the story path where they shared Charlotte, they were usually indifferent to one another, respecting each other's boundaries. [Zion] "You have absolutely bizarre taste. No money, no power. You actually like a boy who can only survive by clinging to you like a parasite?" She wondered if something was physically wrong with his mouth for such vitriol

[Ferdinand] "What is taking you so long? …And you, what are you doing in that dress?" Zion was expected to arrive with Karl at any moment. When Odette failed to appear, Ferdinand had come to find her himself. [Odette] "Mother gave it to me as a gift. How does it look to you, Brother?" She offered him a radiant, innocent smile, as if she were completely unaware of the tension she was causing. He ground his teeth, his voice a low, savage growl. [Ferdinand] "Tsk… That damned wom

Unlike the tents of other traveling gypsies, the interior of this shop was as neat and tidy as a modern coffee house. However, the silk curtains blocking out the natural light, the plush black carpet, and the soft glow from silver candelabras gave the space a mysterious atmosphere typical of a fortune teller’s den. In the center of the room, a woman sat on a sofa, cradling a crystal ball. Behind her, a celestial map drawn in glowing paint shimmered faintly, creating an eerie,

The Count’s private bedroom was filled with the sound of ragged breathing until one of the two figures entangled in the sheets rose. It was Mrs. Becker, her expression weary. [Ulrich] "After all those exhausting negotiations with Zion, all I managed to get out of him was Karl! Dammit!" [Ulrich] "There isn’t a single person as repulsive and vicious as Marquis Kleist." He had spent the entirety of their secret tryst complaining about the Marquis. Only after he finally fell int

[Odette] "Oh, brother. Have you returned from the Imperial Palace?" She wore an expression of wide-eyed innocence, staring directly at his horrified face as if she had no idea why he was upset. [Ferdinand] "Why are you sitting here all by yourself without any supervision? Answer me! Who gave you permission?" He had likely just come back from seeing Zion at the palace. Zion’s capacity for mockery knew no bounds; after tormenting the Count with false hope and the discarding him

[Maid 1] "What on earth are you talking about?" [Maid 2] "During the Foundation Festival, a fortune teller set up a shop in Canaris Plaza. She predicted that the Crown Prince’s berserk symptoms would vanish as soon as the festival ended!" [Maid 1] "Wait, is that the place right across from the Count’s casino?" [Maid 2] "...You know about it too?" [Maid 1] "Good grief. That woman even said a meteor shower would fall on the final day of the festival!" The other maids began to c

The golden light faded from his eyes, returning them to a perfect, chilling violet. His expression shifted into one of genuine surprise, as if the fact that his brainwashing had been broken was truly shocking to him. [Zion] "That was... impressive, Albrecht. Are you a Transcendent rather than a Purifier? I’ve never seen anyone withstand that before." The wretched man actually looked as if he were admiring her. [Zion] "You’ve got me there, Albrecht." He admitted defeat, yet he