KFBRV Ch 46
- Jan 25
- 7 min read
The golden light faded from his eyes, returning them to a perfect, chilling violet.
His expression shifted into one of genuine surprise, as if the fact that his brainwashing had been broken was truly shocking to him.
[Zion] "That was... impressive, Albrecht. Are you a Transcendent rather than a Purifier? I’ve never seen anyone withstand that before."
The wretched man actually looked as if he were admiring her.
[Zion] "You’ve got me there, Albrecht."
He admitted defeat, yet he looked strangely refreshed.
She wondered if it was just her imagination, or if he looked exactly as he had in the game when he finally realized his feelings for Charlotte.
He released her arm and lit a cigar.
Seeing his relieved expression made her feel sick with annoyance, but she forced the corners of her mouth up into a smile.
She acted as though she couldn't see the vivid hallucinations of the four male leads currently haunting her vision. She pretended she couldn't hear the phantom voice of the past life whispering to her.
[Zion] “Why don't you just kill her and get it over with? Charlotte is waiting, so we need to get back quickly.
I need time to wash up before I return. I can't meet Charlotte while my body is tainted by something so disgusting.”
She maintained her smile and spoke.
[Odette] "You said that no matter how precious an object is, you hate it the moment I touch it because it becomes contaminated, didn't you?"
At her words, he turned his gaze back to her.
[Zion] "Ah, that—"
He cut himself off, his expression hardening.
[Odette] "I understand perfectly how much you loathe me. Please, go back. I will never offer you anything ever again."
She cursed the S-rank man in her head. Her legs were trembling so violently from the effort of resisting the brainwashing that she could barely stand. Even her lips were quivering.
[Zion] "You—"
The clouds drifted past, and the moonlight illuminated his face, which had turned stone-cold. He had been smiling with relief just a moment ago, but now he looked as if he had been struck by a sudden wave of anger.
[Zion] "...Are you crying?"
Am I... crying?
Startled by his question, she reached up and touched her cheek. It was indeed wet.
She had successfully resisted the brainwashing that commanded her to weep, only to find herself shedding tears voluntarily once the pressure was gone. To an outsider, she must have looked bizarre—smiling while tears streamed down her face.
Embarrassed, she wiped the tears away with her palm.
[Time remaining until Stamina Debuff: 15 minutes.]
[Leave the Danger Zone immediately.]
The status window appeared before her eyes like a warning, urging her not to waste another second. There was no time to be wallowing in embarrassment.
[Odette] "Your Excellency, I shall take my leave now."
Even as she gave her farewell, he remained frozen. Not a single strand of his hair moved. He looked like a man who had been turned to stone.
She gave him a quick, polite bow and hurried away from the spot as fast as her legs would carry her.
[Pause Lifted: Resuming Loathing Display.]
[Loathing decreased during the pause: 20]
[Loathing: 45]
Why did his loathing decrease?
She found the notification difficult to understand, but she focused entirely on running. Getting inside the hotel within fifteen minutes was her top priority. The moment she stepped through the doors, the window she had been waiting for appeared.
[You have left the Danger Zone!]
The moment she saw that safe notification, the Stamina Debuff took hold, and she collapsed.
As soon as dawn broke the next morning, Odette returned to the mansion through the secret passage and immediately sought out Malea. She needed to give instructions on who should receive the Peony Tea she had brought back from the Salon.
After sending Malea away, she fell into deep thought.
I shouldn't use the secret passage for a while.
The Count would be returning soon with Ferdinand. He was the type to barge into her room without warning, so it would be safest for her to remain visible in her quarters as much as possible.
Karl would also be arriving as a slave soon, so it was better to prepare for that day instead. Fortunately, Wolfgang had recommended someone useful for the task.
At that moment, a loud commotion erupted from the first floor of the mansion. It seemed the Count had finally returned from the Imperial Palace after his long negotiations.
[Count] "You useless idiots! Not a single person thought to report to the palace when things reached this state?!"
[Servant] "P-please, calm yourself, Master. You told us the negotiations were more important than anything and that we shouldn't disturb you—"
[Count] "Do you all have holes in your heads?! Robberies are occurring, slave ships are suddenly being wrecked, and landslides are breaking out, yet it didn't occur to you to report to me? You should have found a way to reach me by any means necessary!"
His unrestrained cursing echoed from the lobby all the way up to her room. Soon, the sound of objects being smashed and destroyed followed.
He was clearly so furious that he had lost his mind. The image of Count Albrecht as a "kind man"—a facade he maintained for the sake of his reputation—was nowhere to be found.
Odette opened her door and walked out elegantly. She leaned her arms against the railing and looked down at the lobby.
The sight of the servants scurrying around in a panic and the Count screaming at the top of his lungs was a magnificent spectacle. Soon, pale-faced vassals arrived, calmed him down, and hurried him into his office.
He must be quite shocked; this is the first time he’s faced such a string of misfortunes.
She smiled to herself.
Don't worry, Father. I'll make sure you get very used to misfortune from now on.
The first domino of her revenge against her father was about to fall. A domino that would utilize Paula’s resentment.
Once the noise in the lobby subsided, Paula headed toward the kitchen to fetch some chicken soup for the Countess.
Oh, my poor mother.
The Countess had been confined to her room during the Foundation Festival, refusing to eat or drink. Her heart was broken because she had been unable to attend the Empress’ Salon due to her son’s betrayal.
Although she had sent Malea with the excuse that she was ill, a maid could only enter as far as the gallery. Only noblewomen were allowed into the inner chambers of the Salon.
Those inner chambers were the heart of high society—the "golden ticket" that proved one’s status as a true lady. It was a world her mother had admired and craved her entire life.
I won't cry. If even Ferdinand is ignoring Mother, what will happen if I lose my grip, too?
Paula barely suppressed the tears that threatened to fall. Even though the housekeeper and the head maid had pleaded with him, Ferdinand had only extended her confinement.
He trampled over Mother’s lifelong dream as he pleased, yet he’s the one acting as if he’s the insulted party.
She hadn't realized her half-brother was such a self-centered man—a wretched son who didn't even recognize his own mother. Now, she was the only one left who could protect her.
[Maid 1] "Is the Master still in a foul mood?"
[Maid 2] "Don't even ask. An aide who went with him told me that the Crown Prince is suddenly no longer at risk of berserking. They say his condition miraculously recovered as soon as the festival ended. It means the Master spent nearly two weeks negotiating for absolutely nothing."
[Maid 1] "Gasp! Is that even possible? Once a berserk state starts, it can't be stopped until a purification happens!"
[Maid 2] "I know! But apparently, Marquis Kleist insisted that negotiations were still necessary for the future and kept things going for two more days. In the end, it was a total failure. He told the Count he wouldn't give him anyone except the Fenrir Prince!"
[Maid 1] "Then wouldn't it have been better to report that the businesses were failing? The footmen didn't interfere because they thought the Master would gain an astronomical amount from the negotiations."
[Maid 2] "You’d better be careful. The atmosphere in the office is terrifying right now. Jacob went in to serve coffee and came out covered in the hot liquid because the Master threw it at him."
The maids gossiped as they transferred puddings, cookies, and macarons onto a trolley. Paula, who was ladling the chicken soup, curled one side of her mouth into a bitter sneer.
Incompetent Count. He made such a fuss and then stupidly botched the negotiations?
He was a man who would have been bankrupt and penniless long ago if not for the secret funds her mother had brought into the marriage. She realized anew just how useless he was.
It was Mother’s idea in the first place to have Odette pretend to be a fake Purifier, wasn't it?
It was unbearable to see him treat her mother with such contempt when he had been saved by her mother time and time again.
As the Countess' status within the mansion plummeted, the servants had begun to subtly disrespect her over the past few days.
Furthermore, Paula hadn't been able to hit Odette recently. Her stress was at an all-time high.
It was then that another maid joined in on the gossip.
[Maid 3] "Hey, is it true that the Crown Prince’s danger of berserking is gone?"
[Maid 2] "Didn't you know? They announced it in the evening papers yesterday and the morning papers today."
[Maid 3] "It’s absolutely chilling. It happened exactly as that fortune teller said it would."
...A fortune teller?
At the sudden mention of such an unexpected word, Paula found herself leaning in to listen to their conversation.
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