KFBRV Ch 55
- Feb 2
- 6 min read
Updated: Feb 4
The bracelet had once made headlines in the newspapers. It was a notorious magical tool used to sever the hands of a young boy who had secretly stolen from his master after promising never to do so.
The price was astronomical, and since only two pairs existed on the entire continent, they were famously difficult to obtain.
However, Odette happened to have a high-grade sapphire necklace and garnet earrings that needed to be disposed of immediately. Thanks to those jewels, she was able to acquire the artifact with ease, though Goetz had to work himself to the bone to track it down.
[Odette] "Here. Take it."
She handed the pair of thin silver thread bracelets to the woman.
Even as Mrs. Becker took them, she looked as if she were on the verge of tears, unable to bring herself to put them on.
[Odette] "Repeat the promise you made earlier."
[Becker] "M-My lady..."
If one made a promise while wearing these bracelets, their wrists would be cleanly severed the instant the oath was broken. It wouldn't be fatal, but losing her hands would certainly pose a significant problem in her efforts to seduce the Count.
[Odette] "If you don’t speak, I will take the photographs, the necklace, and the earrings to my mother right now."
Mrs. Becker trembled violently.
[Odette] "You gave your word so readily just a moment ago. If you truly intend to keep your promise, why should this be painful for you?"
[Becker] "My lady..."
Odette did not budge. Mrs. Becker looked at her with a face full of terror, as if she were far more frightening than the dungeon itself.
Odette knew that if there was no evidence, Mrs. Becker would eventually be released. Furthermore, she had already convinced the woman that the Countess would never find proof. Mrs. Becker would surely put on a grand performance, turning the entire incident into a false accusation made by the Countess.
Besides, neither Ferdinand nor the Count is on Mother’s side right now. Mrs. Becker will soon be reinstated more glamorously than ever.
Once that happened, her days of moving secretly through the mansion would be over. Mrs. Becker would take the place of the Countess, who would lose all trust after this incident. And Odette would be the one holding her leash. Her first priority was to cut off the Countess’ loyal followers and fill the void with her own people.
As Odette emerged from the dungeon, she saw a marble pergola. Rose vines in shades of pale pink and light blue climbed up the legs of the birdcage-shaped structure. Seeing those pink roses made her think of Charlotte, whom she had encountered in her dream due to the mental strength debuff.
No. Rather than calling it a dream, I should call it a re-experience of a past life.
Perhaps that was why it felt as if she had truly met the girl yesterday. She vividly remembered the moment she sat in prison with her tongue cut out, facing Charlotte, who was protected by Zion and the Crown Prince.
Pale pink hair. Light blue eyes. A heroine composed entirely of colors as harmless and sweet as cotton candy. Charlotte was said to emit the scent of real, fragrant roses instead of something artificial.
As if possessed by the roses, she headed toward the pergola and sat on the chair in the center. She brushed her fingertips against the petals of a pink rose that perfectly matched Charlotte’s hair color.
[Odette] "What must I do to be hated a little less?"
Recalling the disdainful gaze she had received in the dream, she let out a soft, mocking chuckle.
It was then. With a sound loud enough to be a thud, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist from behind and pulled.
[Odette] "Ah! You startled me!"
[Viktor] "Honey, are you all right? I heard the Count's estate was on fire."
She turned her head. Before her stood a red-haired man, breathing heavily.
[Odette] "Colonel... Viktor?"
[Viktor] "You—huff—I heard there was a fire. Why are you perfectly fine?"
Viktor was flippant about everything. It was a habit born from surviving the bottom rungs of society, where one never knew when they might die.
To him, a serious attitude only made a life that already felt like a sewer even more miserable. His world was one where people died every day due to poverty, murder, and betrayal. Staying sane was impossible if one took everything to heart.
[Viktor] "I heard a fire broke out at the Albrecht mansion the day before yesterday. They say a lot of people died. I hope that wicked woman got seriously hurt. Not dead, but just injured enough so we can drain plenty of purification from her. Right?"
Looking back, it was quite strange that he had lost his mind and raced here upon hearing those words. Despite how much he claimed to hate Odette, he had rushed here, following the stench of roses until he was out of breath.
The woman whose wrist he held was now looking at him with wide, unscathed eyes, as if wondering what he was doing.
[Odette] "Ah, it seems the news was misdelivered. The fire was in the laboratory, not the mansion."
She suppressed her surprised expression and offered a kind smile, but just before that, Viktor had seen the emotions swirling in her teal eyes: annoyance, discomfort, and irritation. In that moment, drenched in sweat, he felt like a complete fool.
Why did I run here like an idiot?
He had come to save a woman who gave off such a disgusting scent.
Who on earth spread such a baseless rumor?
Claiming the Albrecht mansion was burning—those bastards. He decided he would put them through a hellish training session when he returned.
Feeling annoyed, he spoke with a sweet yet sarcastic voice.
[Viktor] "What a relief, honey. I thought I was going to miss a masterpiece. I only get to see you die once, after all."
Right. Why should I care if this woman burns to death?
Saying it aloud seemed to justify why he had run here so pathetically. He convinced himself he had come because he wanted to see a spectacular scene.
Having finished deceiving himself, Viktor began to believe his own words. He told himself that the reason he ran like a dog from outside the capital, and the reason he felt muscle aches for the first time since becoming a Transcendent, was because he didn't want to miss the grand spectacle of her death.
Despite his words being sharp enough to provoke her, she replied calmly.
[Odette] "Wait just a moment. You’ve sweated a lot, so I’ll bring you some water."
She turned and headed toward the water pump next to the annex.
A Transcendent with fire abilities is getting heatstroke. If that bastard Zion finds out, he’ll laugh his head off.
And in the middle of the night, no less. Like the rogue he was, he roughly unbuttoned his shirt, but then something caught his attention.
Why is she going herself?
What noble went to fetch water for a commoner personally?
More importantly, why was this woman wandering around the mansion’s annex alone, without a single attendant?
Viktor had once been kidnapped by a noblewoman and turned into her plaything, so he knew the habits of the aristocracy well.
Hand-sized corsets had been all the rage for decades. Because of them, fainting was a given for any noblewoman or young lady—and if they were unlucky, they could even die in the street because of the garment. That was why they always had an attendant by their side.
She’s the daughter of a Count and the empire’s only Purifier, yet she’s wandering around alone without a single maid?
He had dismissed it the last time they met in the mud, since it made sense for a woman going to the slums for wicked deeds to leave her subordinates behind. But why today?
High-ranking nobles usually didn't even know how to draw water from a pump. To them, water was something that appeared at the snap of a finger.
No matter how I think about it, something is strange.
Suddenly, the puzzling behavior he had noticed when he first met Odette came back to him.
[Odette] "Here is some water."
She appeared, carrying a transparent bottle and a glass, breaking his train of thought.
[Odette] "Still, I am grateful you came to save me."
She said this with a bright smile.
Now that he had started noticing the oddities, the precariousness behind that smile began to weigh on his mind. Her smile felt less like an expression of joy and more like a survival strategy.
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