[Odette] "I do not understand what you want me to confess, Father." [Ulrich] "Do you think I will let this slide? You gained far too much from this hunting competition. Do you intend to claim this was all a coincidence?" [Odette] "What exactly did I gain?" [Ulrich] "Karl is now bound to you, and you became the victor of the Summer Hunting Competition!" The victor of the Athena Island Hunting Competition. It meant becoming the object of public admiration across the Empire. Thi

[Doly] "Lady Odette, come here. The Master has something to say to you." She snatched the wooden box from Odette's arms without asking for permission. Then, she scanned her dress from top to bottom and spoke. [Doly] "But, My Lady. Wearing a dress that bares your shoulders to play the Saintess is a bit much. Others might not know you are a fraud, but don't you know it yourself? It embarrasses me just looking at you." [Odette] "Do—" She cut her off. [Doly] "What was the prize?

The square of the Summer Palace sat on high ground, overlooking the wide-open sea. The night sea and the illuminations created a romantic atmosphere as the victor's laurel wreath ceremony commenced. Odette's current dress evoked the image of an ancient Greek Doric chiton. The gown, baring her shoulders and arms, possessed a clean elegance, while a water-colored lace shawl added a touch of brilliance. [Lize] "People only called them Purifiers after the Industrial Revolution, b

[Karl] "Ensure that I am never treated as anything other than a combat slave." Disappointment clouded the Emperor’s face. Does he intend to remain a slave for the rest of his life? Is that his ultimate ambition? Gregory, the Emperor, looked at Karl as if the boy had lost his mind. [Karl] "For my third wish, grant me quarters nearest to my master. I have lived in a dungeon until now, but I wish to remain as close to her as possible." Gregory leaned back, his patience thinning.

I saved you, but Karl is the one ready to drop you into the abyss. Odette kept the thought locked behind a mask of polite indifference while the Emperor spoke. [Emperor] "I have been far too careless. He was once the Crown Prince of the Empire’s only ally. No matter how much Odette petitioned for it, sentencing him to slavery was excessive. I was in the wrong." A surge of irritation rose in Odette’s throat. Look at this man, speaking so casually while knowing the full truth o

[Impossible Achievement! You have successfully broken Karl’s 'Command'!] [The following rewards have been granted: (1) Recovery of Odette’s lost quests (2) Increased daily 'Loathing' checks (2 → 5)] Odette stared at the shimmering status window with a touch of bewilderment. I didn't expect the Command to actually break. A lifelong, blind devotion to the Fenrir shouldn't have shattered with a single sentence. She had bared her claws and reprimanded him only because she needed

How did she know? [Odette] "That is why you became my slave, isn't it? You thought if you won my favor and I led you out of the Empire, you could bring about its total ruin." His face went blank. His mind calculated the risks with lightning speed. It would be better to kill this woman. Since she had unmasked his intentions, seduction was no longer an option. His plan to spirit away the Purifier cleanly had evaporated. Killing both the Emperor and this woman here would acceler

To secure the best ending in Johan's route within The Only Savior, Charlotte had to emerge as the victor of the Athena Island hunting competition. A commoner required over five hundred points of fame to become the Crown Princess. Winning this event—and having her face minted onto silver coins for every citizen to see—was the only way to bridge that gap. Odette recalled a specific conversation from that game episode: <Last year's competition ended abruptly when assassins attac

[Lilienthal] "I've heard the rumors of your ill-temper from the servants before...... but this is quite peculiar. Whenever I ask for a source, they all claim to have heard it from Lady Odette's own maids. If Count Albrecht treasures his daughter as much as they say, why hasn't he dismissed these maids?" Another lady nodded in agreement. [Lady A] "Now that you mention it, it is strange. Even if that maid were a mere junior, her behavior just now was monstrously rude. But she's

One year and ten months later. Snow flurries danced across his blue eyes like a strange, beautiful phenomenon. Snow fell for the first time in a long while. The duchy maintained low temperatures year-round, yet strangely, a perfect winter never arrived. The weather always lingered on that ambiguous border between autumn and winter, soaking the ancient castle in a persistent chill. But this time, snow fell heavily enough to declare winter's official arrival. Frost etched its p

Declan listened to her calm confession, then dropped his head. Resting his forehead against her lap, he released a heavy sigh masquerading as a murmur. [Declan] "But, Vanessa. You know how anxious I get. It's selfish, I know, but a single day without seeing you......" He had driven her into an abyss deeper than any chasm and a hell worse than the underworld itself, ultimately pushing her toward death. Yet, paradoxically, that very past now formed a suffocating snare around hi

To him, this punishment offered a sweeter fate than living safely without ever seeing her again. Even if she stabbed him and inflicted a fatal wound, he would offer his body countless times if it rescued her from her drowning sorrow. [Declan] "I wish I could bleed exactly as much as you cried. If that alone could buy my atonement." As she stood frozen, he personally unsheathed the dagger for her. Then, like a sinner awaiting execution, he knelt his other leg and settled into

Even today, he looked striking enough to turn the atmospheric beach into a masterpiece. The bandages wrapped around his neck and left hand failed to mar the picture. Instead, his presence transformed those crude injuries into another aesthetic element. However, the beautiful scenery evoked zero inspiration within her. Rather than inspiration, his appearance only dredged up memories of the atrocities he committed against her. Then, the unexpected stories her father shared rush

Her hand clenched tightly over the folds of her dress. She stared at her father blankly, unaware of the ugly wrinkles forming on the fabric. Following his apology, the unexpected revelation had momentarily bleached her mind white. [Count] "Not long after the problem arose, a massive investment came in under the guise of sponsorship. Several times, in fact. And the blocked supply lines were reconnected through routes in another empire, resolving the issue." [Vanessa] "......"

[Count] "I heard from the Former Count. He said the Grand Duke exterminated the bandits encamped here." [Vanessa] "..." [Count] "He seems to believe he came because he had business here, but I don't think so. What business could possibly bring him all the way down to this distant estate?" [Vanessa] "...Yes. He is here." [Count] "Since when?" [Vanessa] "..." [Count] "No, that's not important. Did you decide to return to the capital because of that? Did he... again..." [Vanessa

[Vanessa] "Do as you please." At some point, facing his love became unbearable. Every moment she confronted his affection, she felt burdened more than anything else. No, was "burdened" even the right word? She just wanted to avoid it, to run away. She wanted to pretend she hadn't seen it. This time was no different, so she quickly turned away. As she began to walk again, his shadow appeared beside her. The sun was setting, lengthening the shadows until they stretched far into