KFBRV Ch 62

[Lize] "Milady! What should we do? Your feet are a mess!"

She frantically grabbed the herbal ointment that happened to be in the corner of the dressing room.

[Lize] "Thank goodness there's some ointment here! I'll apply it to the wounds right away, Milady!"

However, Odette took two steps back to avoid Lize's hand, then snatched the flustered maid's wrist.

[Odette] "No, Lize. You must not use that ointment."

She whispered as quietly as possible.

[Lize] "Why are you lowering your voice?"

Though confused, she mirrored Odette and whispered back.

[Odette] "Shh. The person who put the thumbtacks in my shoes is listening outside the door."

She pressed her index finger to her lips.

Lize looked bewildered, unable to grasp the situation. However, her confusion quickly turned to shock as the skin on her fingertips, where the herbal ointment had touched, began to peel and blister.

[Lize] "Who would do such a thing to you...?"

Despite her fury, she kept her voice low.

[Odette] "Courtney, of course."

She spoke with indifference. Only Courtney would torment someone in such a gloomy, underhanded way. It was undoubtedly she who had secretly stuck pins into Odette's chemise last time.

Wasn't she the same woman who used to grind Clonia berries into her tea and food when she was a child, just to watch her choke from an allergic reaction?

[Odette] "Lize, are you good at acting?"

When she smiled, Lize nodded with determination, then raised her voice dramatically.

[Lize] "Kyaaa! Milady! This must not have been an herbal ointment! The wounds—the wounds are swelling up uncontrollably! What should we do?"

[Odette] "..."

[Lize] "Your feet are completely ruined... Oh, heavens! It's festering already!"

No, there's no need to overact that much...

Watching her produce convincing sobbing sounds on cue, Odette felt slightly overwhelmed.

This is the first time I've met someone better at acting than me.

Lize was... a genius.

[Lize] "Milady, please sit down. I don't think you should move. There's so much pus—stay right there! I'll fetch a physician immediately!"

At her exclamation, the presence that had been lingering just outside the dressing room door vanished. Courtney had likely fled to the housekeeper's office.

For someone like her, the gloomy pleasure of torment was only complete if she wasn't caught. Avoiding detection would always be her priority.

Lize, who had stepped out briefly, soon returned with real herbal ointment and bandages.

[Lize] "Just in case, I brought what I keep as a first-aid supply. We don't know if she's in cahoots with the attending physician."

[Odette] "Well done, Lize."

[Lize] "That damn housekeeper. Can't I just go drag her here by the collar?"

While that would be satisfying, it would only make things difficult. Odette shook her head.

[Odette] "There's no evidence anyway. Catching her won't do much good."

Courtney never left evidence. She only tormented Odette within boundaries that wouldn't provoke Ferdinand's anger. Targeting only the soles of her feet was her signature behavior—maximum pain with minimal visible traces. Unless Ferdinand saw it, Odette had no power to punish her.

The outcome was obvious. With an expression more upset than her own, Lize carefully applied the ointment to her feet and wrapped them in bandages.

[Odette] "It's a pity the shoes are ruined, though. Madam Sarah must have put a lot of effort into making them."

The thumbtacks had been fixed inside the shoes with something like the sticky sap of a slime plant. Furthermore, because she had bled quite a bit, the stains on the white shoes were noticeable. It would be difficult to wear them again.

[Lize] "Don't worry about the shoes. Mother can easily make an identical pair in three days. The bigger problem is that you hurt your feet right before the ball."

She clenched her teeth in anger.

[Lize] "Your feet are a mess, and we can't even punish Courtney for it."

[Odette] "Lize, it's not that there's absolutely no way to punish her."

She looked at her with interest.

[Odette] "But to screw her over, there's something I need you to do on the day of the ball. Youll be very busy. Is that alright?"

[Lize] "Of course! If it means punishing her, I can handle being busy."

The level of "punishment" Lize was imagining was likely far milder than what Odette had in mind.

She smiled at her. Now that she had confirmed Lize's acting skills—which were essential for this plan—there was nothing left to worry about.

---

The day of the ball.

Dressed to kill from head to toe, the Countess walked toward the mansion's main gate with confident, clacking steps.

[Odette] "You're here, Mother."

Odette, who had come out first and was waiting in the carriage, lifted her skirt slightly and curtsied to the Countess.

Upon seeing her, Sasha couldn't help but frown.

Is that loungewear? Or is it supposed to be a ball gown?

It was excessively simple. At least to her eyes, it didn't look noble in the slightest.

[Sasha] "Heavens, what are you wearing? How tacky."

Her scolding voice was laced with a hint of sarcasm.

[Sasha] "Even debutantes don't wear white dresses these days, yet here you are in such blatant white. Are you trying to advertise your lack of taste?"

Even as she said this, their gaze was momentarily captivated by the blue ribbon tied to accentuate Odette's bust line. The silhouette created by that single ribbon looked exceptionally beautiful. Still, it was nothing more than a pretty nightgown.

[Sasha] "Tsk. Going with you will only damage my reputation."

But the biggest problem was the fact that a mere doll had dared to choose a dress on her own.

Arrogantly acting without Ferdinand's permission.

Normally, she would have screamed at her, but there were lower-ranking servants present.

[Sasha] "Go upstairs and change. The pale yellow dress Ferdinand liked before would be better."

[Odette] "That would be difficult, Mother."

For a moment, her face hardened. She thought Odette's arrogance had been cured when she threw her into the dungeon, but seeing her rebel brought back the nightmare.

[Odette] "I injured my feet badly."

She lifted her skirt slightly as she spoke. Indeed, her feet were wrapped in bandages. However, Sasha was furious to the point of losing her reason.

[Sasha] "Have you lost your mind? Are you refusing my order right now?"

[Odette] "Mother."

[Sasha] "Whether your feet are hurt or crushed! How dare you defy my—"

As she screamed, losing her composure over the defiance, she caught sight of the coachman's startled face. He was looking at her as if she were a stranger.

It wasn't just the coachman; the other maids and servants who had come out to see them off wore similar expressions of unfamiliarity.

[Sasha] "..."

Aside from a few select servants, no one had ever seen the Countess screaming at Odette.

Gulp.

Sasha swallowed dryly. She forced the corners of her mouth up into a smile.

[Sasha] "High society pursues extravagance these days, doesn't it? Being so plain will only make everyone laugh at you."

She adopted a fabricated, sweet voice.

[Sasha] "You agree with me, don't you? I'll help you, so don't worry about your sore feet. Let's go change together."

She extended her arm to Odette, intending to correct the arrogant doll's attitude once they were in the dressing room.

However, the moment Odette linked her arm with hers, a servant came running through the mansion's side door.

[Servant] "Madam! The Master and the Young Master will be arriving shortly! They asked to prepare a dinner banquet!"

...What?

[Sasha] "You said the earliest they could arrive was in two days?!"

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