KFBRV Ch 7

Following the butler, who was pale with agitation, Odette arrived in the lobby. She took a moment to study the faces gathered there.

The butler, the housekeeper, the head maid, Paula, and Becker... They were the few within this house who held real power and knew the secret of her adoption.

They must have sent all the other servants to the annex.

Countess Albrecht, a tall woman with deep auburn hair, stood at the center as if commanding a small army.

It was almost comical to see Paula, who had been whimpering, ducking quickly behind the Countess' back the moment Odette appeared.

She probably cried until her voice went hoarse just to get out of that attic. And that, in turn, must have made Mother absolutely livid.

Odette offered a thin, knowing smile to Becker, who looked uncharacteristically anxious. The look carried a clear warning:

If you don't want your status as my father's mistress revealed, stay quiet.

[Countess] "Force this creature to her knees!"

At her command, the head maid lunged forward, dragging Odette down until her knees hit the cold marble of the lobby floor.

[Countess] "I heard it all from Paula. You dared to whip the maid in charge of your discipline? You insolent girl! How dare you lay a hand on my servant?!"

Normally, Odette would have trembled in this situation, bowing her head in terror. Instead, she kept her spine straight and her expression icy.

[Countess] "And where did you get that dress? It is certainly not a garment we provided. Did you manage to ensnare some wealthy fool? Tsk. It seems vulgar blood can never be washed clean."

The one who ensnared a man for money is standing right there.

Odette cast a sidelong glance at Becker. The maid flinched, her eyes darting away in a panic. It seemed Odette wouldn't have to worry about her talking to the Countess.

Without acknowledging the insults, she remained silent, her mind elsewhere.

[Countess] "Strip her of those clothes this instant! Make her grovel at Paula's feet. She struck Paula, and I intend to make her pay for that insolence in full."

The head maid and the housekeeper moved toward Odette to carry out the order. But before they could touch her, a chilling voice rang through the lobby.

[Odette] "The only one acting insolently here is you, Mother."

It was a voice of such refined dignity that it seemed impossible it had come from her. It was the voice of an aristocrat—cold, authoritative, and sharp.

The head maid froze, a sudden sense of unease washing over her. The girl who had always looked down upon now felt dangerously foreign.

[Countess] "What did you say?"

[Odette] "You've forced me to my knees before mere servants based on nothing but Paula's word."

[Countess] "This is proper discipline!"

[Odette] "Is there any noble in existence who shames their own child in front of the maid? This is not how the nobility handles discipline. It seems you are in dire need of a lesson in etiquette, Mother."

A cold, mocking laugh echoed softly in the lobby.

[Odette] "Perhaps you learned your manners from Paula? If so, it would explain much. Your methods of revealing your lack of education are remarkably similar."

The housekeeper gasped at the blatant provocation.

The Countess' face contorted. As the daughter of a notorious moneylender, she had spent her life being snubbed by high society. She was a nouveau riche's daughter who had only secured a marriage because the Count had squandered his fortune in his youth.

Odette's jab hit her right where it hurt most.

[Countess] "Have you finally lost your mind? What are you waiting for?! I told you to strip her! Paula, my dear, I will make sure you get to watch her humiliation until you are satisfied."

[Odette] "It's fascinating how tenderly you say her name, Mother. I've always found that quite curious."

Her calm remark caused the Countess to turn deathly pale. She looked like someone who had been run through with a blade.

I always wondered how someone with such an arrogant personality managed to remember a maid's name so perfectly.

In the previous life, during the trial, Paula had wept and defended the Countess with a fervor that bordered on desperation.

[Paula] "My Lady knew nothing! She is a kind, gentle soul who has lived a tragic life. I beg for your clemency, Your Majesty the Emperor!"

A daughter often possesses a unique intuition regarding her mother, especially when that daughter is starving for affection. In the courtroom, Odette had felt that intuition flare. Paula's devotion to the Countess had mirrored her own desperate love too closely.

Looking at the scene now, she was certain her theory was correct.

Paula is the biological daughter the Countess had before marriage. No wonder she hated me—the adopted girl who took the spot in the registry that should have belonged to her real child.

It was a sordid drama. Then again, one couldn't expect much from a woman who turned a blind eye to her son's obsession with his own sister.

[Countess] "So, are you claiming that locking Paula away and whipping her was justified?"

[Odette] "A mere maid swung a horsewhip at me, her master. What else should I do?"

[Countess] "You clearly did something to deserve it!"

[Odette] "By that logic, Mother, so did Paula."

Her voice began to drip with genuine weariness.

The more she saw of this family, the more it felt like a farce.

When are they going to mention the dungeon? I'm getting bored.

[Countess] "Do you think Paula is beneath you?! Do you think you can just toss her around as you please?"

[Odette] "It is certainly better than a maid tossing me around. I imagine you would feel the same if you loved your daughter more than the servant."

As her tone grew colder, the Countess' voice rose to a hysterical pitch.

[Countess] "How dare you claim to be my daughter! You have never known your place! You should be grateful we even clothed and fed you. Did you actually believe you were a Lady of Albrecht?!"

The Countess shrieked, clutching her forehead as if a migraine had struck.

Seizing the opportunity, Rolf, the butler, threw himself onto the floor to curry favor.

[Rolf] "My Lady! Please, calm your anger. You mustn't harm your health over this creature! She isn't worth your precious well-being!"

He squeezed out a few crocodile tears, fanning the flames of the Countess' rage while pretending to soothe her.

[Rolf] "My Lady, please forgive the head maid and the housekeeper. How could they, as mere servants, bring themselves to torment a young lady?"

He was leading the Countess toward a specific word. Her eyes lit up.

[Countess] "Rolf, you are right. I was inconsiderate of your positions. I didn't want to say this because seeing this girl blubber is so distasteful, but..."

For someone who didn't want to say it, your mouth is certainly twitching with joy.

The Countess' lips curled upward like a gambler revealing a winning hand.

[Countess] "I have no choice but to dissolve your adoption immediately."

She said it as if it were the ultimate killing blow.

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Finally.

Rolf suppressed glee bubbling within him.

In this mansion, the phrase "dissolving the adoption" was code. It was a signal to the servants who knew the secret that they were free to be as cruel to Odette as they desired.

Odette, traumatized by being sent back to the orphanage as a child, usually became catatonic at the mere mention of the word. She would typically collapse, trembling and begging for forgiveness to the empty air. Even though it was legally impossible to disown her now that she was an adult and a "Purifier," the psychological impact was always effective.

She's always been such a fool.

[Odette] "Please... tell Mother I'll be good. I'll eat less. I'll clean more."

Rolf remembered how she had woken up at dawn to scrub the floors after the first time they threatened her about the orphanage. It was hilarious.

Now that the word had been spoken, he expected another delightful show of desperation.

I'm going to have some fun today. Maybe I'll lock her in a cramped wardrobe? Or submerge her in a tub of ice water until she can't breathe?

The butler looked at Odette, a cruel smirk stretching his lips.

But... something was wrong. Her face remained entirely devoid of emotion.

[Odette] "Are you finished?"

She stood up, casually smoothing out the creases in her skirt. Her movements were so indifferent they bordered on arrogant.

[Countess] "Did you not hear me? I said I am disowning you. Right. Now."

[Odette] "By all means, Madam Albrecht. Do as you wish."

She offered a faint, razor-sharp smile.

Wait... this isn't right.

The Countess and Paula looked equally bewildered. This wasn't the reaction they had anticipated.

[Countess] "You—! Who told you that you could stand up? How dare you stand without permission during your discipline?!"

[Odette] "Since you are no longer my mother, by what authority do you claim to discipline me?"

Her teal eyes, devoid of any warmth, looked as cold as gemstones. Meeting that gaze, the butler felt a sudden, inexplicable shiver run down his spine.

What is this...?

Odette looked unnervingly noble.

Rolf swallowed hard, his hands trembling as he balled them into fists.

No, that's impossible.

"Aura" and "dignity" were words meant for those with true noble blood—like the Master, the Madam, or Young Master Ferdinand.

[Countess] "You...! I said I'm disowning you! You're out!"

[Odette] "Yes, Madam Albrecht. I heard you quite clearly. Since I am now a mere commoner, I shall take my leave."

Her movements were graceful, her smile dripping with mockery.

[Countess] "You—!"

[Odette] "Farewell, Madam."

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