KFBRV Ch 21

Golden letters floated in the air, above the white light, shimmering like a holographic interface from a game.

[ Necklace of the Primal Transcendent ]

[ You may perceive the emotions held by others toward the "Master" of this item. ]

[ Would you like to set the Master as "Odette Lina von Albrecht"? ]

[Odette] "Yes."

[ The necklace has been successfully bound. ]

[ Please select the emotion you wish to perceive: ]

[ 1. Affection ] [ 2. Loathing ]

[Odette] "I want to know their Loathing."

Odette issued the command without hesitation. The white light of the necklace turned a deep, inky black before slowly fading away. With a soft clatter, the jewelry fell back onto the nightstand.

She opened the locket. Inside sat a transparent, eight-sided gem that looked empty to the naked eye. It was exactly as it had been in the game.

To me, the owner, it looks like a gem. To everyone else, it just looks like a watch.

In the Zion Route of the original game, this necklace was a tool Charlotte used to survive the deadly political intrigues of the Kleist Marquisate. It allowed her to check if a character was a friend or a foe.

Charlotte, however, had her own "Status Window" as a game mechanic, so she rarely needed to use the necklace on the male leads, whose affection scores were always visible to her.

But Odette was not the protagonist. She had no status window. She had to use this item specifically on the male leads.

[ Item: Necklace of the Primal Transcendent ]

[ Ability: Reveal the emotions of surrounding characters twice per day.

[Duration: 1 hour. ]

[ Penalty: Using once causes a 24-hour physical stamina debuff the following day. Using twice causes a 24-hour mental stability debuff (Cumulative). ]

[ Warning: You must choose either Affection or Loathing upon first activation. This choice cannot be changed. ]

The penalties were too high to waste on random people. That was why she had chosen "Loathing." Knowing a man's affection was useless to her, but knowing his hatred was a matter of survival.

Seeing the interface really drives it home. This is a game world.

Because she had lived in this world in her previous life, the reality that she was inside a game had felt distant, something she understood only in theory.

But now, it felt real. This was a world designed for her to be hated. A world where she wasn't allowed to dream of being loved.

It's a harsh way to learn my place.

Knock, knock.

A sharp sound came from the glass doors of the balcony.

Who is that?

She clasped the necklace around her neck and pulled back the heavy curtains. A man with golden hair stood on the balcony, drenched in the moonlight.

[Odette] "!!!"

She gasped, her breath catching in her throat. She had just woken from a nightmare about being hunted by Transcendents, and now, one was standing right outside her window.

The timing was so cruel that it made his handsome face resemble a Grim Reaper sent from hell.

Driven by instinct and fear, she glared at him, her face pale.

[Johan] "Lady Albrecht."

His voice was stiff, dripping with awkwardness. Johan looked at her with eyes as cold as the deep sea. The chill in his gaze acted like a bucket of ice water, snapping her back to reality.

I have to smile. If I don't, the hatred I build up now will come back to hit me sixty-one times harder later.

The "Rule of 61", she chewed on that thought as she forced her expression to smooth out.

[Odette] "...Your Highness."

She squeezed out a voice that sounded welcoming, if barely.

She opened the balcony door, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and dropped into a deep curtsy.

[Odette] "I greet the Little Sun of the Empire."

It was a calculated move. As she lifted her skirt to bow, the gruesome burn on her leg was fully exposed to his line of sight. Johan fell silent for a moment as his eyes landed on the injury.

[Johan] "...There is no need for such formalities at dawn."

She quickly picked up on the faint note of pity in his voice.

[Odette] "Thank you."

She deliberately finished her curtsy slowly. He needed to saw the scar, but she also needed those extra seconds to compose her expression. When she finally lifted her head, a perfect, practiced smile hung on her lips.

His blue eyes were not as cold as before. This was their first meeting since she had saved him from his rampage. There was a distinct shift in the air.

The hatred was still there, but it was now mixed with the awkwardness of a man who owed a debt. And, unmistakably, there was a glimmer of pity. Seeing the scar must have reminded him that she, too, was a victim of abuse.

He really was true to his settings. Chivalry and military law were etched into his soul; he was so weak when it came to an injured woman.

This was the same man who, even as he killed her in the original story, had pitied her for having her tongue cut out.

Johan cleared his throat, looking embarrassed.

[Johan] "I apologize for the rude hour, Lady Albrecht. I had to deceive the Count, so this was the only time I could slip away."

He didn't hide behind the law of Barzeha, which stated that "The Emperor has no shame, and Royalty never apologizes to subjects."

He was a kind man. If she were anyone else, he would have been even kinder.

[Odette] "I was just as rude for visiting you so suddenly before. Please, do not worry about minor etiquette, Your Highness."

She shrugged lightly, keeping her tone fresh and simple. Johan preferred people who were humble and unpretentious.

[Odette] "Tricking my father is far more important, is it not?"

Her voice was as light as a spring breeze. She didn't put up walls, nor did she attack.

The Crown Prince blinked, surprised by her unfamiliar demeanor, before continuing awkwardly.

[Johan] "Your father is putting on quite the performance at the Imperial Palace."

He spat out the words "your father" with a contempt he couldn't hide.

[Johan] "He claims he is heartbroken because his daughter refuses to perform the purification without the rights to a diamond mine."

[Odette] "I imagine my brother is helping him."

She laughed softly, agreeing with him, while secretly fingering the locket of her necklace. She was waiting for the right moment to check his "Loathing" level.

To check the initial value, I have to open the locket directly.

[Odette] "How long do you plan to keep up the act regarding your rampage?"

[Johan] "Until the final day of the Founding Festival. I cannot allow these affairs to remain in limbo any longer. Since today marks the beginning, that gives us exactly one week."

I asleep for three days?

She was shocked by the lost time, but she nodded calmly.

[Odette] "I see. Thank you for telling me."

I've lost so much time. I have to start moving today.

Even if Johan ended his act in a week, she would still have a few days of buffer.

Zion had a twisted personality; he wouldn't let the Count go easily. Zion was currently using his temper to keep her father tied up at the Palace. Thanks to that, the Count still didn't know about Odette's rebellion against his wife.

Zion will keep torturing him with false hope until the very last second. He won't miss a chance to pay my father back.

That meant her father would be away from the mansion for about ten days. It was tight, but it was just enough time to execute her entire plan.

[Johan] "I came today to reward you for the purification. I owe you a debt, and it is only right that I repay it."

Reward for purification.

Odette felt a wave of relief at his choice of words. She hadn't actually purified him; she had simply forced him to swallow high-grade suppressants along with the Night Glory flower. She had been worried he might have noticed the difference.

Though I did check multiple times that he was unconscious.

Transcendents possessed instincts that were often sharper than logic.

[Johan] "Tell me what you want. The cost does not matter. I will give you any jewel, no matter how rare."

His tone was urgent. He wanted to clear his conscience immediately. It was the voice of a man desperate to wipe away his debt so he wouldn't have to deal with her anymore.

But I can't let him do that.

She had gone through all that trouble specifically to create a "debt of the heart." His guilt was the most valuable currency she could possess.

Odette was always preparing for the worst-case scenario. Because of the "Rule of 61," even a tiny amount of hatred—say, a level of 2—would instantly skyrocket over 100 if triggered.

She needed to lower the hatred of all four male leads to 0 or 1, but there was no guarantee she could do that.

If she failed, if she made even a small mistake, the only thing that could stop her execution was Johan's guilt.

[Odette] "What I want..."

Prev

TOC

Next

---

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