KFBRV Ch 66
- Feb 8
- 7 min read
He asked her for her understanding, then took her hand and gently helped her up.
[Gustav] "I apologize. It's my first time at the Imperial Palace, so I've lost my way. I was moving in such a rush that I committed a great discourtesy. I am deeply sorry."
Only after supporting Paula did the man pick up his palace entry pass from the floor. A name was engraved clearly on the bronze-colored surface: [Viscount Gustav Köndel]. Her heart couldn't help but sink the moment she saw it.
Köndel? Did he say Gustav Köndel?
It was him. Out of the hundreds of guests, he was the only one who satisfied Gisella's specific conditions.
[Paula] "Lord... Köndel?"
The reason he had been invited to the palace for the first time was simple: his father, the previous Viscount, had passed away, and he had recently inherited the title. It was said that because the family estate was so far from the capital, he only attended the Imperial Ball when the Lordship changed or to pay his formal respects to the Emperor.
[Gustav] "Yes. That is correct. You know me. Have we met somewhere before?"
And his purpose for attending this ball was well-known—he was searching for a spouse.
Gisella... she's the real deal.
To be honest, when she first learned that Gustav Köndel was the only candidate, she had briefly wondered if Gisella was playing a trick on her. He wasn't a high-ranking noble, but he was a hereditary aristocrat with a lucrative, stable estate far from the capital's chaos.
The Köndel estate is distant, but a disaster has never occurred there. It possesses vast and fertile farmland.
Though the Köndel family's history was short, they were wealthy—exceptionally, incredibly, and vastly wealthy. To put it bluntly, he wasn't someone a person in a maid's position should even dream of. Being Viscount Köndel's wife was a position that even the daughters of high-ranking nobles would covet.
Furthermore, this man... he was strikingly handsome.
The rumors said he was only rich and not much to look at. They said he was in his thirties but looked like he was fifty. But this? He's a total heartthrob...
[Paula] "I... I am a maid. Please, speak more comfortably to me, my Lord."
She immediately softened her sharp voice, shifting her entire demeanor.
Could things really work out between him and me? Could I become the mistress of the Köndel household?
The ring in her palm was supposed to be a lucky charm, and it seemed the prophecy was true. To think she would encounter him like this in such a vast back garden.
[Gustav] "Ah... I see. You were a maid."
He continued, his voice tinged with a hint of regret.
[Gustav] "What a pity. I fell in love at first sight. I thought I had finally met the lady I was destined to marry..."
He appeared to be in his late twenties, standing at least ten pesetas taller than the average man, with a gentle, soothing voice.
While he wasn't quite an S-class Transcendent—men often described as beauties capable of toppling nations, surpassing even the finest statues—he was a warm, attractive man who would stand out in any crowd.
[Gustav] "Could I perhaps ask for your name?"
[Paula] "It—it's Paula, Lord Köndel."
The clean-cut, handsome man gave a charming smile as he repeated her name.
[Gustav] "Paula."
It was the first time she realized her name could sound so beautiful.
Enchanted by his smile, she didn't notice a thing. In the brief moment he helped her with the ring, he had swapped it with a perfectly crafted replica.
Well. Being a wallflower isn't so bad. I can easily watch the garden through the window.
Odette chuckled as she watched Paula and Gustav through the glass.
Since the debutantes had all finished greeting the Emperor, the ball would officially begin at nine o'clock. At that hour, the reporters were required to leave the hall, marking the start of the true banquet reserved only for invited guests. In other words, whatever happened after nine o'clock would not easily spread as common rumors.
So, Paula, if you were going to keep watch, you should have started at nine.
Well, it seems she believed her mother would return soon, but that is impossible.
The Empress had been deeply anxious due to Johan's recent rampage. Sasha had held her nose high back then, yet she only dared to apply for an audience now that the danger had passed. There was no way the Empress would grant her a meeting so easily.
Furthermore, skipping the first dance was social madness. Having discarded even the minimum etiquette toward the Imperial Family, the Empress' loyal ladies-in-waiting would surely view her mother with resentment. Rather than a meeting, they would leave her waiting indefinitely in the drawing room, unable to even leave her seat.
[Odette] "Paula, congratulations. It seems you've met the 'man of destiny who will save you."
She whispered toward the small figure visible in the distance. A handsome face, elegant manners, and overflowing wealth—Viscount Köndel lacked nothing. However, his true identity was Damian, Wolfgang's right-hand man.
The real Gustav Köndel was currently holed up in Odette's newly opened casino, playing poker until his eyes were bloodshot. Since the real Viscount was likely brawling with a dealer at this very moment, he wouldn't even imagine that his identification had been lifted from his pocket. It would probably take him at least a year to sober up enough to realize his current I'd was a forgery.
The Köndel Viscounty is famous, but the eldest son who inherited the title is visiting the capital for the first time. No one knows his face.
Therefore, Damian, armed with the real I'd, could perfectly impersonate the Viscount throughout the entire social season. His skill at crafting replicas was indeed remarkable—from Paula's ring to the official identification.
Paula, you used to ask me quite often while you were disciplining me, didn't you? You asked if a fake like me could ever receive real love.
She turned her gaze away from the window and laughed.
If there was anything foolish in this world, it was trying to remain dignified while seeking revenge. Those two things could never coexist. To be willing to fall to their level—that was the price of vengeance. Thus, she was more than willing to descend to Paula's level.
Just as you did to me, I will deceive you, trick you, and steal from you.
Since you were so certain, I'm looking forward to it. Will you give fake love to the fake Köndel? Or will it be real love?
Johan, arriving late after suppressing a Calamity, found himself reluctant to open the banquet hall doors. Although he had changed into his formal white attire, attending these social functions usually brought more trouble than benefit. His father, the Emperor, would undoubtedly try to bolster his own prestige by flaunting Johan's presence.
Even so... I can't stop worrying about her.
Was she alright after coughing up blood? Had she suffered more harassment since returning to the Count's estate? Perhaps she was in a situation that required his help at this very moment?
He had too many questions.
Should I check the mirror one more time?
He had been mortified to discover later that he had been wearing a blood-stained shirt the entire time after dropping her off at the mansion. She must have thought him sloppy and unreliable. She might have even looked down on the Navy's discipline if their Admiral looked like that. As the "Face of the Imperial Navy," he should have been more careful.
Yes, let's check the mirror just once more.
He felt particularly unattractive today for some reason.
Just as he turned to leave, the doors swung open from the inside, and he made direct eye contact with the Chamberlain.
[Johan] "Chamberlain, wait a—"
[Chamberlain] "Aaaah! Heavens! Honored guests of the Imperial Ball! An unbelievable personage has arrived!"
...I was going to tell him to wait a moment and not make a scene.
Before Johan could intervene, the meddlesome Chamberlain bellowed the Crown Prince's arrival to the entire room.
How is that man's reaction speed so fast?
It was absurd; the man was faster than a trained S-class Transcendent. At this point, the Chamberlain surely possessed a supernatural gift for making a fuss.
Forced to enter without a final mirror check, Johan glared at the stout official with mounting resentment. But the oblivious Chamberlain only raised his voice.
[Chamberlain] "The small sun of the Empire by God's grace, the Guardian of the Faith, His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince has arrived! To think such a busy man would grace us with his presence! You are all exceptionally lucky!"
Even the Emperor's voice echoed through the hall.
[Emperor] "Oh! My proud son! Johan, you've come."
Haaa.
The Emperor was a man who harbored an inferiority complex toward his son, yet constantly sought to bask in Johan's reflected glory. He would bristle at the claim that his greatest achievement was simply being Johan's father, yet he never hesitated to use Johan for his own status.
[Johan] "Your Majesty."
She had no choice but to walk toward the royal dais. The guests would remain kneeling until he took his seat.
The moment he sat down, he found Odette. Even without the scent of roses, he would have spotted her instantly; she had a distinctive habit of kneeling with a remarkably straight posture.
But why was she so thin? She looked even more haggard than she had a few days ago.
The sight of her triggered a memory of their very first meeting. Back then, she had been just as frail. For Johan, who previously had no specific preference in women, that encounter had defined his ideal.
I want her to be the exact opposite of that girl, Odette. I won't be able to stand it if she's like her.
Johan had awakened at four and spent fourteen years building a romanticized image of a Purifier. He had savored the very word "purification" for over a decade. He believed it was a Transcendent's duty to revere and die for their Purifier.
But the moment he met Odette, he knew something was wrong. Nothing matched his imagination. His powers didn't leap for joy; the Purifier's scent gave him a headache, and the girl was paralyzed with fear.
Most of all, she was too small. She looked swallowed by her deep pink lace dress.
What should I do
The thing leaping for joy wasn't his power... it was his heart, thundering so loudly it made his ears ache. Heat flooded his body, and his fingertips trembled pathetically.
In that moment, he was neither a Crown Prince nor a Transcendent. He was merely a clumsy boy in love.
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