KFBRV Ch 53
- Jan 28
- 8 min read
Karl had been dragged away by the Count and locked in the annex's underground dungeon. On his back, a freshly seared mark of servitude—a slave brand—was plain to see, having been added only this morning. It was a cruel trace left by Zion, who had insisted on branding Karl once again directly over his existing scars.
[Ulrich] "Tsk, tsk. I really have no desire to inject you with these drugs. But since my daughter insists, I have no choice."
As he layered more restraints onto Karl, he donned a mask of sorrow. However, he could not quite hide the way the corners of his mouth curled upward in malicious glee.
[Ulrich] "You should know this. Your master is Odette, and she is the one who ordered this."
He began to haphazardly mix sedatives, brainwashing agents, and various poisons. He then prepared a syringe filled with the concoction.
[Ulrich] "There, it’s finished. I am such a kind-hearted man; I don't know why my daughter is so cold-blooded."
With a snickering grin, he drove the needle into Karl’s arm. Just as he was about to depress the plunger—
[Servant] "M-Master! Something terrible has happened! A fire has broken out at the research institute! It’s the Third Laboratory!"
[Ulrich] "What?"
His face turned deathly pale at the news. He frantically pulled his hand away from the syringe.
[Ulrich] "That is where my most precious materials are stored! It is filled with my rarest medicinal herbs!"
He shrieked in rage and scrambled out of the basement, not even sparing Karl a backward glance.
The sound of his voice faded, followed by the frantic footsteps of the maids, servants, and guards trailing after him.
In the now-silent dungeon, Karl expressionlessly pulled the needle from his arm. His face showed no trace of emotion—neither relief nor fear.
Some time passed.
Tap. Tap.
The rhythmic sound of a woman’s footsteps echoed down the dungeon stairs.
[Odette] "Hello. Have you been well?"
She approached with a leisurely stride, carrying a basket and offering him a smile.
The soft glow of a candle cut through the pitch-black basement. Though the light was faint, to him, the woman appeared almost dazzlingly bright.
[Odette] "You’ve grown even more handsome in the meantime, haven't you?"
Only then did a spark of something resembling interest flicker in his crimson eyes.
The annex was a two-story building set within a garden that was disproportionately large for the structure's size. Its underground dungeon was equipped with top-tier soundproofing—a result of the Count’s personal renovations to ensure he could torture someone without interruption.
At a time like this, I’m actually grateful for his cruelty.
She thought as she closed the iron door of the dungeon. It meant she could speak freely without worrying about eavesdroppers.
[Odette] "I missed you quite a bit, Karl."
Karl, draped in a heavy assortment of magic restraints placed by Zion and mundane dungeon shackles added by the Count, turned to look at her.
She inserted a key she had obtained into the lock of the iron bars. With a satisfying clack, the cage door swung open. Whether in the annex or the main house, every lock in the estate used the same mechanism.
[Odette] "Now, hold out your arms. Your legs, too."
She placed her hands on the magic restraints one by one. The shackles glowed white before clicking open in succession.
While she couldn't undo one of the Count's specific mechanical devices connecting him to the wall, she was able to remove the metal gag from his mouth, finally setting his speech free.
[Karl] "Master."
She knew her father wouldn't be returning for some time. The Third Laboratory would be burning for at least a week. She intended to keep Karl’s restraints off as much as possible until then. As long as the Count didn't catch her, what was the harm?
[Odette] "The dungeon will be your home for a while, but don’t let it hurt your feelings. You only need to stay here for a very short time."
[Karl] "This place is fine."
He spoke plainly.
Indeed, since the Count spent a great deal of time here himself, the annex dungeon was different from the one in the main house. Aside from the iron bars and the fact that he was tethered to the wall, the space was clean and austere, reminiscent of a monk’s cell in a temple.
Once I snatch him from my father’s grasp, we can say goodbye to places like this forever.
She began taking items out of her basket.
[Odette] "You have so many scratches from those shackles. Wait a moment. I’m going to apply some ointment."
[Karl] "I am fine, Master."
[Odette] "If you let me apply this medicine, I’ll give you the letters the children wrote."
At those words, he stopped protesting and obediently held out his arm.
See? I knew keeping the children under my thumb was the right move.
Applying ointment to the slave brand was also a key "Affection" event. Even though the system wasn't displaying it currently, she estimated his favorability had likely risen by about five points.
As promised, she handed the letters to him. As he reached the final page, a vivid red status window flickered before her eyes.
[Loathing has decreased (-5)]
It was only natural. The letters were filled with peaceful, happy stories that would make anyone smile—tales of the foods the children were trying for the first time, their new clothes, and their safe, warm new home.
I really wish I could see my current Loathing level.
The Loathing level had spiked to 40 when she had forcefully taken his Imprint. She would need to drop it by at least 40 just to get back to zero.
If only I could fulfill that 'Unmet Condition'...
She had sent Malea to scour the Count’s library for any relevant books, but they had found nothing that could serve as a clue.
After finishing the letters, he spoke.
[Karl] "Master, thank you."
Of course. I spent a fortune making sure Gisela treated them well. If he knew how many gold coins went into that, he’d probably faint.
[Odette] "I’ve also sent people to the Tundra, so we should see results soon. I’ll tell you everything as soon as I hear back."
[Loathing has decreased (-10)]
She looked at the red status window with satisfaction.
[Odette] "I’m willing to do anything for you in the future. That is what love is, after all. So, if you need anything, tell me at any time."
As she spoke, she began pulling food from the basket.
[Odette] "Is the bread good?"
[Karl] "Yes, Master."
The chains the Count had used to bind him connected his wrists, ankles, and neck directly to the wall.
That paranoid old man must have had these chains custom-made with a unique key.
The length of the chains was so restrictive that he couldn't even feed himself. Consequently, she had to tear the bread into small pieces and feed him by hand.
[Odette] "Drink some milk as well."
She tilted the glass bottle, letting the milk flow into his mouth.
Gulp.
A few drops spilled from the corner of his mouth. Since she had nothing to wipe it with, she used her index finger to brush the droplets away.
For a moment, he stared at her with a measuring gaze. After a brief pause, she fed him the last piece of bread.
[Odette] "It’s already evening. It’s late, so I must be going."
She had a task that needed to be finished before midnight.
Suddenly, a metallic clink echoed as he reached out and grabbed her wrist.
[Karl] "When will you return?"
She fell into deep thought at his uncharacteristic display of emotion.
A few days ago, I would have assumed he was expressing himself because I prevented the Fenrir Containment Incident.
She would have thought Karl had become machine-like because of that tragedy, and since the tragedy was erased, he was no longer a machine.
She would have felt proud of changing the past. But according to the information Zion had provided, that wasn't the case.
[Odette] " I’ll be back soon. I don’t leave my possessions neglected for long."
She patted his head as if praising a clever pet, while her mind replayed Zion’s report:
Karl, Known as the 'Emotionless Prince.' Numerous testimonies state that even the Fenrir children found him unsettling.
Gisela had reported something similar—that Luca and Lara were excessively afraid of Karl.
He was always like a machine. So, the fact that he only shows emotion to me... it's strange. Why me, of all people? I'm not even the female lead.
Despite her inward discomfort, she smiled and stroked his cheek.
[Odette] "Besides, you are my most cherished possession. I would never leave you alone for long."
[Karl] "Master."
[Odette] "Think of what your next wish will be by the time I return."
She gave a soft laugh and lightly brushed her fingers through his hair.
[Odette] "For now, try to get some sleep. It’s been a very long time since you’ve had a proper rest, hasn't it? You haven't slept deeply since you left the Tundra."
The grip on her arm slowly loosened as she continued to stroke his hair. The sleeping sedative she had mixed into the "medication" was finally starting to take effect.
She had used Damian to swap all of the Count’s brainwashing drugs and poisons with the high-grade sleeping pills and stamina restoratives used by Charlotte in the original game. It was also a precaution; she didn't want Karl trying any tricks while she was asleep.
[Karl] "But if I sleep... bad things happen."
Odette, who had been stroking his hair with a calculating eye, flinched at his voice, which had grown sluggish from the medicine.
[Karl] "I was always too late, and everything was destroyed."
Only then did the reality that he was only seventeen years old finally sink in.
Zion's report mentioned it too. The massacre of the Fenrir Clan happened specifically while Karl was away.
Furthermore, the disaster at the containment zone had happened when he left for the capital.
It was only natural for him to develop an obsession, considering a massive catastrophe befell his people every time he turned his back. How heavy that burden must be for a seventeen-year-old. It was no wonder he suffered from insomnia.
[Karl] "If only I had been a little faster—"
[Odette] "Nothing happened because you were late, Karl. Sometimes, terrible things happen to innocent people through no fault of their own."
[Karl] "..."
[Odette] "You couldn't have been any faster than you were. You have always done your absolute best."
[Karl] "Then why... why am I... so filled with despair?"
[Odette] "Humans don’t only feel guilt when they’ve done something wrong. Sometimes, we feel it because someone we loved dearly was hurt."
[Karl] "..."
[Odette] "You did nothing wrong. Your despair is proof that you loved the people you lost with all your heart."
Under her soothing voice, his eyes began to grow hazy.
[Odette] "So, don't dream. Just fall into a deep sleep. I promise that nothing bad will happen."
Soon, his breathing became slow and steady. She laid the sleeping Karl down comfortably and allowed a bittersweet smile to touch her lips.
I think I understand why he only shows emotion to me.
He had been a Crown Prince and had suddenly become the eldest survivor of the Fenrir clan. He had never had the chance to be pampered or to rely on anyone, so his emotions had withered away.
I’m technically a year older, plus I’m his master. Perhaps that’s why he’s finally letting it all out.
She felt a twinge of guilt for thinking his behavior might be a trick.
[Odette] "Goodnight, Karl."
[Karl] "..."
This, at least, was spoken with her whole heart. It was perhaps the only moment of genuine sincerity she had ever shown him.
[The fire cannot be contained. Ferdinand and I will not be able to return for at least two weeks.]
The servant who had followed the Count returned to the mansion in the early hours of the second day with the news. On several occasions in the past, the Count and Ferdinand had been away for long periods, and they always sent a brief notification of their delayed return.
It was treated as a routine occurrence.
Therefore, no one could have imagined the "butterfly effect" this would trigger. They had no idea how long the Countess had been waiting for the moment the Master and the Young Master would be gone.
The moment she heard the news, the Countess marched out of her room.
[Sasha] "Drag Becker out of her room this instant!"
In the pre-dawn light, she used Rolf and Paula to forcibly drag Mrs. Becker—who had been sound asleep—out into the hall.
To support the original author and publisher, please consider rating the official release on Kakaopage.
Comments