KFBRV Ch 134

[Odette] "Go outside the room, Karl."

She ordered him with a face that had become even colder. Then Zion's mood improved even further.

It seems that guy Karl doesn't know as much about revenge as I do.

Because it became certain that only he was still connected to Odette.

Once Karl vacated his spot, Zion completely regained his composure. Therefore, he spoke in a light, joking tone.

[Zion] "Why did you accompany Karl? I would have been better than someone like Fenrir. Weren't you the one who clearly said I am the only person who can genuinely understand and help you? You should take responsibility for your words."

[Odette] "Then Your Excellency will take responsibility as well. For the words that you loathe me, and the words that make me disappear in 6 months is surprisingly to your liking."

[Zion] "Do you happen to know that I loathe you? Albrecht."

[Zion] "You brought up a good proposition. It is surprisingly to my liking."

At her calm voice, the corners of his mouth stiffened instantly. More than the content of her words, it was because of her tone.

Even though they were his own words, his heart sank so heavily.

How could she speak so dryly? As if the words he spat out had absolutely no value to her.

Right. At best, they were words I said when I didn't know you well.

When he didn't know her radiant vitality, when he didn't know what face she made when she cried.

So he should have actually been grateful that she treated his slip of the tongue from those days lightly.

But why was he suffocating? Why did he so desperately want to find a trace of being hurt on her face?

As if intuiting that something was going very wrong.

[Odette] "Enough with the trivial jokes; please speak of your main point immediately. If it's to the extent of threatening to interfere with my revenge, it must be quite important information."

He was not of a character to joke around on the topic of revenge. So the "information that would be helpful to you" was definitely going to be quite significant.

[Zion] "It's about the Purifier's oath. I came to tell you that there is no need to keep your oath."

However, what popped out of his mouth was surprisingly useless. To the extent that her brow furrowed automatically.

[Zion] "Because I found out how to nullify a Purifier's oath. As expected, the Pope knew the method. I gave quite a grand offering to find this out."

[Odette] "......"

[Zion] "It's a simpler method than expected. They say if a Purifier makes a contradictory oath and a Transcendent accepts both contradictory oaths, both oaths are nullified."

He slowly took off the hat he was wearing.

Indeed, the existence called God is quite lenient to Purifiers, isn't He? Adding such useless words.

[Zion] "So, if you swear on God's name that you will not leave me in the future, and I accept it, the oath is nullified. We can very easily make it as if it never happened."

Then, as if gauging her reaction, he placed a hand on his hip with sunken eyes. It was his habit whenever he finished an important story.

She blinked. Surely not...

[Odette] "Is that merely your main point?"

At her counter-question, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. As if that was indeed his main point.

After going so far as to threaten to ruin her revenge, the thing he wanted to say was merely that?

She, briefly lost for words in absurdity, soon shook her head and spoke.

[Odette] "No. There is no need for that, Your Excellency. Because I intend to keep my oath to leave."

At those words, his expression stiffened a little more.

[Odette] "Your Excellency took unnecessary trouble. There is absolutely no need to nullify it. Because I intend to diligently keep what I swore to God."

Because of Charlotte's appearance, she would keep the oath much sooner than the originally promised time. She had absolutely no need to erase the oath from back then, now.

[Zion] "You seem not to remember the oath you made?"

As if that could be true.

[Odette] "I will disappear perfectly in 6 months. In front of Your Excellency and the other S-class Transcendents."

She recited the promise she made back then verbatim. But Zion, perhaps dissatisfied with something, wore an expression of suppressing his anger.

[Zion] "You'll keep the oath to leave me?"

With an even more sunken voice, he took a step closer. The sight of his massive body blocking her front was quite threatening.

But she had no intention of backing down. She merely looked into his purple eyes silently.

[Zion] "......"

After a short silence, he let out a hollow laugh.

[Zion] "Albrecht, you... want to leave. I have no meaning to you at all."

With a voice as if realizing something, letting out a laugh that even felt a sense of betrayal.

[Zion] "Forget it. Let's eliminate that damned oath first. Do you know how much I catered to that Pope bastard to find that out?"

[Odette] "Your Excellency."

[Zion] "I realized it at the Rothbart River. Seeing your back is a considerably unpleasant feeling. I have no intention of feeling that kind of way ever again. It means you can never leave me."

[Odette] "Is this really the end of your main point? If so, please return now—"

[Zion] "Odette. Must I even use brainwashing on you for a matter of this level?"

He took a long stride closer. Due to the height difference, she had to crane her neck to the point of aching to look at him.

He intentionally used a sweet voice she had heard sometime ago. Even calling her name affectionately, Odette.

That was intimidation. To remind her of the brainwashing from last time. But there was no way such a thing would work now.

[Odette] "If you are going to brainwash me, do it. Leaving you without an oath is something I can do plenty of."

At her calm answer, the voice of the usually cold Zion grew uncharacteristically loud.

[Zion] "Swear on God's name that you will not leave me. Damn it. Who told you to swear with sincerity? I'm just telling you to nullify it! Is this difficult? Why are you rejecting this so much!"

[Odette] "It's you who are being... Why are you acting like this? The old oath is sufficient—"

[Zion] "Damn it! Because I like you, isn't it obvious I would act like this!"

Simultaneously with those words, the room became silent. It was because Odette lost her words in absurdity.

[Odette] "Now...?"

Her voice was also full of that emotion of absurdity.

[Zion] "Is there such a thing as being too late for feelings of liking someone?"

He furrowed his brow and asked back.

In his purple eyes, there was a coercive obsession along with a bit of misery. There seemed to be a little resentment toward her as well.

Seeing that, one question she had held back popped out of her mouth. A question she had always been curious about, busy trying to lower Loathing, had never once spoken out loud.

[Odette] "There was one thing I couldn't understand, Your Excellency."

[Zion] "I just confessed, isn't changing the subject immediately too harsh?"

He laughed hollowly as if he were hurt, but she continued her question.

[Odette] "Your Excellency, who is fastidious and obsessive in everything, why did you leave so many loopholes specifically in the intelligence regarding Count Albrecht's estate? 9 in the Count's estate alone, 35 in the Intelligence Department. How could so many spies in the highly loyal Intelligence Department become turncoats?"

While she asked the question, the blood drained from his face instantly.

[Zion] "...Albrecht."

A voice like he was being strangled. That alone was a sufficient answer.

[Odette] "You already knew, didn't you? What kind of treatment am I receiving at the Count's estate?"

[Zion] "......"

[Odette] "Because you thought it didn't matter. Rather than officially acknowledging the fact that I was abused, you chose to be deceived by turncoats. Because you... hated me that much."

Silence filled the room. A silence this heavy and long was practically a clear answer.

At the end of that silence, he answered.

[Zion] "I didn't know. I didn't. I merely guessed there might be such a possibility."

This was Zion. Someone who couldn't stand not fully grasping and controlling a situation.

That he didn't know was probably true. However, given his personality, if he left it unknown even after guessing the possibility, there must have been a strong will behind it.

He didn't know because he didn't want to know.

Because if he knew, he would have an obligation to save me.

Because if I am a victim, he can't hate me to his heart's content.

Because he wanted to get rid of me a bit, but a Transcendent absolutely can't eliminate a Purifier.

Deliberately remaining ignorant, he pushed people with low loyalty and weak willpower into the Count's estate.

[Odette] "You must have thought it didn't matter even if I was an innocent victim being abused."

Perhaps because she didn't intend to interrogate him, her voice was calm.

[Zion] "There was a time when I despised you. But it's all in the past, isn't it? It doesn't matter."

He spoke as if appealing. However, his expression contained not a shred of regret or reflection. He genuinely seemed to consider all of that as past events.

[Zion] "What matters is the present, Albrecht. I like you. Quite a lot at that."

Wasn't it brazen? As if those mere feelings were much more important than the things she had suffered.

[Odette] "Ha..."

A hollow laugh burst out.

If only one person, anyone, would like me. Even if it's not sincere, if only someone would treat me favorably. If only someone would save me.

Remembering the foolish times when she had such thoughts.

[Odette] "The fondness you feel now will also be fleeting. It will vanish soon. Just like the contempt you felt toward me, Your Excellency."

She pointed out the ultimate truth. Anger flared in his eyes, visible through his monocle.

How dare he! Who is the one who should be angry right now?

[Zion] "Reject me all you want. But do not try to deny my feelings as you please, Albrecht."

He spoke in a grim voice and grabbed both of her shoulders. As if trying to trap her within his two hands.

Prev

TOC

Next

---

To support the original author and publisher, please consider rating the official release on Kakaopage.