[Lize] "Milady! What should we do? Your feet are a mess!" She frantically grabbed the herbal ointment that happened to be in the corner of the dressing room. [Lize] "Thank goodness there's some ointment here! I'll apply it to the wounds right away, Milady!" However, Odette took two steps back to avoid Lize's hand, then snatched the flustered maid's wrist. [Odette] "No, Lize. You must not use that ointment." She whispered as quietly as possible. [Lize] "Why are you lowering yo

Thanks to her absence from the Countess radar, Odette had managed to lower Karls Loathing by another 30 points. Another advantage was that she could now attend the ball in a dress of her own choosing. In the small dressing room on the second floor, she stood before the mirror, wearing the dress Lize had made for her. [Lize] "Milady, are you sure this dress will be alright? Think back to last year's social season... ugh. Every dress was so flashy it made my eyes hurt." [Odette

It felt as if mold were growing inside him. First came the nausea, then the stinging bitterness, then a twisting sensation... these unpleasant symptoms seemed to spread endlessly like a fungal bloom. Declan did not find it hard to guess the cause. He rose from the sofa with half-lidded, unfocused eyes. Bright sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains; morning had returned once again. Something caught at his feet and spun away with a clatter. He lowered a lifeless gaz

Steps moved here and there, unable to remain in one spot. It was a restless movement, an agitation that could be felt from a great distance. Behind him, a knight asked, [Elliot] "It would be best to wait inside, as we will inform you the moment they arrive. How about waiting there?" The master of this anxiety, however, firmly shook his head. Furthermore, the complexions of the knights who made the suggestion were equally poor; anyone watching would have thought they were all

[Arad] "It seems remarkably effective. It felt cool the instant I applied it, and the pain is already fading. It has a scent, but it isn't that unpleasant herbal smell. I think it’s quite, sniff, quite nice, actually." If he had a sin, it was his inability to read the Prince’s current state of mind. [Arad] "Yes. As she applied the ointment, she said the scent makes one's heart feel warm, and it feels that way. But Your Highness......" Fortunately, he eventually noticed Kalart

After finishing her preparations, Roserikta immediately threw herself into the task of making the burn ointment. Since she had all the necessary ingredients, only the process of simmering and mixing remained. There was just one problem: she couldn't hang a pot over the fireplace here as she would back at her pharmacy. It would look far too suspicious. Left with no choice, she used Axaca powder to bypass the long simmering process. Clobellina, watching from the side, clicked h

[Helia] "Grand Duke! Wait...... ah!" He pulled Helia out of the carriage without hesitation. His touch, usually somewhat kind considering she was his friend’s sister, was now ruthless and devoid of compassion. She tried to stop him, but his knights grabbed her and pulled her aside. Without sparing her a glance, Declan turned his cold gaze toward Vanessa, who was huddled in the corner of the carriage. Seeing her expression shift from relief to utter loathing the moment she saw

As if the destination had been decided from the very beginning, the carriage departed as soon as they boarded. [Vanessa] "Where are we going?" [Helia] "To the border. His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting for you there." Hayden... Her throat tightened as she imagined with what heart he must be waiting for her. Even without love, he was someone she always felt grateful toward, so she felt an unwarranted sense of guilt. [Vanessa] "I see." After the short exchange of question

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

Hugging her knees, Vanessa glared at the corner of the bedroom. Hanging where her gaze landed was the wedding dress Alvita had personally crafted. From the soft fabric to the classically ornate jewels, the dress was flawless and beautiful, signifying a wedding of high and noble standing. However, the happiness and joy befitting a new bride had long vanished from her face as she looked at it. She lowered her gaze to her wrist. The red marks and scratches from the tape measure