KFBRV Ch 111
- Mar 13
- 6 min read
A gentleman, recalling the slander Doly had spewed yesterday, delivered a biting remark. In response, raucous laughter erupted throughout the salon.
Those offended by a maid's gossip and those ashamed of having believed false rumors all pointed fingers at Doly.
[Current Bad Reputation You Possess:]
[▶ Vicious Villainess (0 people / ▼ Decrease of 32)]
[▶ Selfish Purifier (12 people / ▼ Decrease of 3)]
[▶ Arrogant Flower of Society (8 people / ▼ Decrease of 18)]
[▶ Ignorant Lady with an Empty Head (0 people / ▼ Decrease of 23)]
To think the rumor of the Selfish Purifier would decrease as well.
It seemed that as other rumors proved false, people began to suspect the stories about the purifier were also fabrications. This meant she could eliminate the "Selfish Purifier" reputation without performing a single purification.
She felt a wave of immense relief. Just then, Doly cast a glance in her direction. She locked eyes with her and mouthed a single word.
Idiot.
Doly's face burned crimson. She lowered her head, her expression steeped in hostility. The girl was undoubtedly grinding her teeth, concealing her rage beneath a bowed posture.
Yes, get angry. Come back at me with a scheme worthy of your nature. Summon that precious fiancé of yours.
She needed Doly to act as basely as she had in the past life. To attack in a manner even more provocative and twisted.
Doly placed immense value on her own reputation. Consequently, when she attacked others, she targeted their reputation above all else.
Her fiancé, Rudolf Caspar, was a man perfectly suited to her. He was the president of the magazine company that published the third-rate capital tabloid, Secret Leak.
Odette’s notoriety had not spread solely because she refused to perform purifications. It was due to a gossip rag that persistently reported "Odette's Rumors."
Rudolf and Doly maintained a long-standing symbiotic relationship. Rudolf made a fortune publishing rumors provided by "Lady Odette's closest aide," while Doly derived twisted pleasure from tormenting Odette with those very lies.
Doly is not the type to suffer a blow and remain silent.
While Secret Leak had consistently reported on Odette’s viciousness in detail, in her past life, they had published an article far more malicious.
It concerned Karl’s arrival at the mansion. A story laced with grotesque fabrications about her sexual tendencies.
The report claimed she had demanded Karl as a slave because she wished to ravage him for "such purposes" to her heart's content.
After all, her closest aide admitted it was true.
In the past life, Doly had spread those rumors to exact revenge on Odette for the humiliation she herself had suffered before others.
About a month from now in the previous timeline, the Crown Prince had been barely holding on, his body wracked with pain as he suppressed his rampaging ability.
Odette had been invited to a discussion involving the Empress, the Emperor, and the Count. The Empress had begged them to bring Odette, just once.
Odette, forced to act cold and arrogant before the Empress, had ordered Doly to cool her tea.
However, Doly had shocked everyone present by committing an unimaginable breach of etiquette—stirring the tea by wildly spinning the spoon.
Naturally, Odette had not intended for Doly to humiliate herself, but Doly blamed her for the incident.
Her habit of directing her anger only at the weak, those she could bully, remained consistent even then.
So, in retaliation, she published that trashy article in Secret Leak. The issue sold like wildfire. That year, it generated higher revenue than any other newspaper.
It was a scandalous sensation, a different breed from the stories of viciousness they had chattered about for years.
Furthermore, there were photographs. A picture of Karl and Odette together in the garden of the detached house.
Karl, dressed in rags, glaring at Odette while shedding tears of blood, and she reaching out to him with a surprised expression.
In reality, she had never even touched him, but the angle was so exquisite it appeared as though she were caressing his body.
It was absolute nonsense.
In her past life, she met Karl only three times: the day he arrived at the Count’s estate, the day that photo was taken, and the day she died.
However, she knew nothing of the article, and the Count actually welcomed it. In the interim, the story became a fact spreading across the Empire.
Thinking back, it must have been Doly who deliberately summoned me during Karl’s experiment time to ensure we crossed paths.
Her reputation plummeted to rock bottom in an instant. A sex scandal involving the Flower of Society. A wanton woman who brought in a slave for filthy purposes.
Rudolf described the scene—Odette’s posture, Karl’s expression—in a voyeuristic, lurid manner. He ensured the story spread among men as if it were fact, and Doly, under the title of "closest aide," vouched for its truth.
Odette had to endure further abuse, questioned on why she wouldn't even hold Johan's hand when she possessed such cheap tastes.
She only learned of the rumor after her complete downfall. No matter where she fled to seek help, people had already heard about the article.
She knew Doly would choose the same method in this life.
Since she had actively humiliated Doly today for this very purpose, things would likely proceed according to her plan.
I have already confirmed that Rudolf is here.
The Emperor had summoned a horde of promotional journalists to publicize his tour of Athena Island, and Rudolf Caspar was among the press corps.
As Odette was lost in silent thought, a voice suddenly addressed her from the side.
[Karin] "Lady Odette."
[Odette] "Speak, Lady Brentano."
The Duke's daughter was biting her lip. Her face was anxious, filled with things she wished to say. It was a cold, unsettled expression Odette had never seen, even in the game.
I knew she disliked me from my past life, but I never imagined she hated me enough to join hands with Doly.
She felt a touch of bitterness.
Even the dull and oblivious Odette of the past life had noticed the way this woman blatantly glared at her.
Even now, unlike the other young ladies, Karin wore a brown dress rather than the "Odette style." Her hair was pulled up tight without a single stray strand, reminiscent of a strict governess.
[Karin] "Come to the lounge for a moment. I have something to discuss."
She spoke in a stiff voice. Odette braced herself, wondering if this was a trap.
She wasn't the type to dig traps in the game.
However, joining hands with Doly was also something the Karin she knew would never do. The woman she knew possessed an extremely inflexible nature.
It is right to be cautious here.
[Odette] "My apologies, but I have nothing to discuss with you."
She refused somewhat coldly.
It was then. Tears the size of chicken eggs began to fall from Karin's eyes.
[Odette] "......!"
This crazy... What is this?!
Karin was famous for rarely expressing emotion.
As she grabbed Odette’s sleeve and began to sob, everyone in the room turned to look at them with faces full of shock.
[The rumor regarding the 'Vicious Villainess' spreads.]
[The number of people who agree with the reputation 'Vicious Villainess' increases. (0 people → 2 people)]
What is she plotting?
Odette touched her forehead. If not for this damned quest, she would have left the room immediately. If she neglected this, the Loathing of Zion and Johan would increase by 10 each.
Haa.
She swallowed a sigh.
[Odette] "Very well. Let us go to the lounge."
She checked the ruby ring once more. It contained a soporific agent. If necessary, she intended to use it on Karin immediately.
Upon arriving at the lounge, Karin continued to sob. Odette handed her a handkerchief first.
[Karin] "...Huk, heuk."
However, even after accepting the handkerchief, she didn't wipe her face.
Does she dislike wiping her face with a handkerchief I touched?
Then she shouldn't have accepted it.
Odette had brought Karin here because damage to her reputation was troublesome, but she had no desire to comfort her any further actively.
Since she didn't know what kind of trap this was, she had to refrain from speaking rashly.
After some time had passed, Karin, finally ceasing her sobs, opened her mouth.
[Karin] "Lady Odette, you dislike me, do you not?"
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