KFBRV Ch 31

Ferdinand’s motives were as transparent as glass. He was already irritated that Odette had been taken from his grasp, but discovering he was losing control over the household must have infuriated him. Now, he wanted his mother to understand exactly how it felt to lose everything.

When he received the report that Odette was suffering from a lung ailment, his anger toward the Countess likely reached a breaking point. Seeing the Head Maid and the Housekeeper—women he once considered his own—defying his orders to side with his mother would have felt like a direct assault on his authority.

In his mind, stealing his mother’s chance to attend the Empress’ Salon was the perfect revenge. He was a man with a bloated ego; if his feelings were hurt, then his mother’s lifelong dream deserved to be crushed to make things equal.

Odette felt no pity for the Countess. The Empress had only invited the Countess out of a desperate maternal need to save Johan. She was willing to humble herself before Count Albrecht’s wife just to secure Odette’s purification for her son.

The Countess knew this, yet she was only interested in using the Empress' desperation to boost her own social standing. There was no room for sympathy.

Well, her maternal love never surpasses her own self-love, so perhaps she won't be able to empathize with the Empress.

The Countess only cherished Ferdinand because he was the son who elevated her status. Now that the same son had severed her greatest ambition, the sense of betrayal would be absolute.

This is the perfect opening. While the rift between them is wide, I must drive the final wedge.

Malea broke the silence, her voice cautious.

[Malea] "My Lady, there is something else I should report. Master Ferdinand has handed the management of the estate’s assets over to Mrs. Becker."

[Odette] "Is that so?"

[Malea] "Isn't it strange? Usually, the lady of the house manages the assets. If she’s away, it goes to the butler or the housekeeper. I’ve never heard of a lady-in-waiting taking charge. It’s unheard of."

[Odette] "How did Mrs. Becker react?"

[Malea] "She seemed surprised herself. But she’s a guest the Madam brought into this house. She’ll have to keep an eye on the Madam's temper. Perhaps Master Ferdinand is leaving a door open for reconciliation?"

Malea began to wipe Odette’s skin with a warm towel.

Everyone will think that.

Even Ferdinand likely viewed it as a peace offering of sorts. He wanted to break his mother’s spirit, not start a war. But he was mistaken.

If Mrs. Becker were a woman who knew her place, she might have been a bridge for peace. But she was the woman who had stolen a wife’s husband. Such people never understood their place.

And Odette intended to spend the coming days provoking Mrs. Becker, encouraging her to overstep until she became a true menace.

As she finished dressing in her nightgown, there were fewer than ten minutes left until midnight.

The debuffs for using the necklace will hit at the stroke of twelve. It’s better to send Malea away now.

She knew what to expect from the Stamina debuff. In the game, a black screen would appear with the narration:

[A day has vanished.]

It likely meant she would fall into a deep, unbroken sleep for twenty-four hours.

The Mental debuff, however, was a mystery. In her previous life, she had never used the necklace twice in a single day. The item was usually reserved for critical moments in the story. Since she didn't know what was coming, she preferred to face the next twenty-four hours alone.

[Odette] "I should sleep now. You may go, Malea."

[Malea] "My Lady... wait. Master Ferdinand left this for you. He said it’s medicine for your lungs and insisted you must be injected immediately."

Malea hesitantly produced a syringe filled with a strange green liquid. It was "Mengele."

[Malea] "I... I have no choice. Master Ferdinand said he would check after the festival to see if the doses were administered daily. He even said he would check for needle marks. I’m sorry."

He’s too afraid of catching a disease to step foot in my room, yet he’s remarkably diligent about this. What an idiot.

Malea clearly suspected the liquid wasn't medicine. She had seen Ferdinand's intensity and knew this was likely harmful to Odette. Yet, despite being caught in Odette’s web earlier, her fear of Ferdinand’s wrath was greater. She wouldn't prioritize Odette's commands if it meant risking her life at Ferdinand's hand.

I can't trust this girl yet. She will always choose the master who scares her most.

[Odette] "Give it here."

She offered her arm, and Malea looked relieved as she administered the shot. It was a high-end cosmetic treatment, so there was no harm in taking it.

As the maid worked, she spoke again.

[Odette] "Then you will be going to the Empress’ Salon in my mother's place. Do you have the list I wrote for you?"

[Malea] "Yes, My Lady. Don’t worry."

[Odette] "When you return, bring back some peony tea leaves. If you ask the Empress’ personal maid, she will provide them."

[Malea] "I will do so, My Lady."

Once Malea left, the room fell into a heavy silence.

Five minutes until midnight. She blew out the candles and lay in the dark. She reviewed her progress.

So far, she had moved through the past without a single major mistake. But one critical event remained—the one she had to stop to prevent another male lead from hunting her down.

The Fenrir Containment Incident.

It involved the fourth male lead, Karl. His people, the Fenrir Clan, once lived in the frozen tundras beyond the empire’s northern border. Despite their small numbers, they were a power that rivaled the empire itself. But a Great Calamity had wiped them out. Now, only four remained.

Three of those survivors were currently held in the imperial containment zone. On the final day of the Founding Festival, all of them would die, leaving Karl as the sole survivor.

In her past life, Odette had become Karl’s sworn enemy because of that day. She hadn't even known the incident had occurred; the "Crown Prince's Berserk" had overshadowed everything else in the news. Since Karl wasn't even a Transcendent at the time, the world had ignored his tragedy.

But Karl never forgot. Especially since he had been dragged to the Albrecht mansion immediately after the massacre to be used as a biological test subject. The Count had demanded Karl as a slave in exchange for purifying the imperial family, using the lie that Odette herself had requested him.

[Karl] "If not for you, our clan would still have hope."

Odette could still see the boy’s face—a gaunt, starving youth tied up like a dog in the garden, his hands bound. She remembered the tears of blood falling from his crimson eyes.

[Karl] "I will kill you with my own hands. No matter how high your status, I will find a way."

Karl had kept that promise. After awakening as a Transcendent, he had used his axe to take her head.

Dong. Dong. Dong.

The grandfather clock in the hall struck twelve. It was midnight.

Despite her racing thoughts, a heavy, supernatural weight pulled at her eyelids. It was as if a divine hand was dragging her deep into the realm of dreams.

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