KFBRV Ch 93

Karl lunged, heavy restraints rattling, aiming straight for Zion's throat.

[Zion] "My, my. Such terrible manners for a student. A pupil like you requires corporal punishment."

He blocked the boy with effortless grace.

[Zion] "Actually, this works out. The simplest way to extinguish an aura is to beat someone within an inch of their life."

Karl was fast, heavy-handed, and possessed the lethal edge of a monster, but Zion was S-class—the God's Beast. He carried far more experience than the fledgling wolf.

Zion yanked the chain around Karl's neck, slamming him into the dirt before leaning down to whisper against his ear.

[Zion] "Your master told you to suppress your pressure, didn't she? I'll erase it for you. If you want to obey her, stay still and take your beating."

He intended to indulge his irritation. He would strike every inch of the boy that Odette wouldn't see. He would bring him to the very threshold of death without crossing it.

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Boom!

The signal flare climbed the sky, followed by the blare of trumpets. The hunting competition had begun.

On Athena Island, the party split into two factions: the nobles who galloped through the woods on horseback, and those who remained in the summer palace's conservatory for conversation.

Count Albrecht joined the hunters, as the group consisted primarily of the Empire's most powerful heads of house. Before departing, he cast a low, warning glance at Mrs. Becker and the head maid.

[Ulrich] "Stay here. Watch Odette closely, both of you."

Those with no interest in the hunt gathered on the third-floor terrace for tea and observation through binoculars. Odette took her place among them. The guests amused themselves by betting on which hunter would claim the next bird to fall.

[Lilienthal] "Shall we head up and join the wagers?"

The Countess, attending as the Empress' representative, led the young ladies and noblewomen toward the tea tables. The sprawling terrace sat beneath a wide awning, decorated with an array of colorful refreshments. It was a picturesque scene, but Odette had no intention of sitting idle.

If only I could get Dolly out of the way.

Mrs. Becker was no longer a threat; the woman wouldn't dare resist Odette now. The problem was Doly, the head maid.

Desperate to curry favor with the Count after the incident where the Countess was sent to the monastery, Doly had spent the last two weeks in a state of hyper-vigilance.

Her surveillance is suffocating. She hasn't taken her eyes off me once.

Bang!

A single shot echoed, and a bird plummeted from the sky. The sound snapped her out of her thoughts.

[Lady A] "Oh my. It's barely started......"

[Lady B] "What incredible speed. That must be a Transcendent. I'll bet ten Atasha on His Highness the Crown Prince."

[Lady C] "Hoho! I'll put twenty on Marquis Kleist."

[Lady A] "Look, it was the Crown Prince who claimed that one."

Bang! Bang!

[Lady B] "Goodness, there's no time to even place a bet."

[Lady C] "Marquis Kleist took those two. The S-classes are soaring today, aren't they?"

[Lady A] "Indeed. We'll have to listen closely to the gunfire if we want to keep up."

Bang! Bang!

[Lady B] "Ha... haha. Isn't it getting a bit fast—"

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Rat-tat-tat!

The frequency of the shots accelerated to a terrifying tempo. The smiles on the ladies' faces stiffened.

Vut-vut-vut-vut-vut!

The sound no longer resembled hunting rifles. It had become a continuous, unrelenting roar of lead. A massive flock of birds fell in a single, collective heap.

The ladies turned pale, a heavy silence falling over the terrace.

[Ladu A] "......What on earth? Do they intend to wipe out every living bird on Athena Island?"

Refining their shock into polite silence, they dared not call the Empire's heroes madmen out loud. It was then that Lilienthal spoke up.

[Lilienthal] "It seems the younger generation can't see it yet. This is nothing more than two foolish males engaging in a pathetic show of pretense."

[Lady B] "Countess Lilienthal."

[Lilienthal] "Nobility of blood doesn't always equate to nobility of spirit."

The Countess sat beside Odette, her voice firm. As usual, she wore a sharp trouser suit. She scanned the other ladies with a discerning eye.

[Lilienthal] "Every young lady here is wearing an 'Odette Dress' today. Even the older women. Well, we are on an island near Meursault Beach, so the style fits...... Hmph."

The ladies shifted uncomfortably under the Countess' prickly gaze.

Lilienthal turned her attention to Odette.

[Lilienthal] "You chose a teal ribbon this time. And an elegant updo to match. Lady Odette, the fabric is much more lavish than before. You look like a forest nymph. To create such a different atmosphere with the same silhouette...... your eye for detail is magnificent."

[Odette] "You flatter me, Countess."

She offered a modest smile.

Lize had poured her soul into this outfit, emboldened by the dress' popularity. This version featured delicate wildflowers in lace and shimmering beads, trading simplicity for a radiant brilliance.

After parting from Zion, she had swept her hair up to expose the graceful line of her neck.

[Lady A] "It's true, Lady Odette. To evoke such a different feeling is a rare talent. Your sense of style is exceptional."

As the other ladies chimed in with praise, Doly—who had been fidgeting with irritation—stepped forward.

[Doly] "Oh, it wasn't so much the Lady's doing as it was the maids' skillful hands. Hohoho."

The other maids standing in line winced, their expressions contorting. It was unheard of for a maid to interrupt a conversation among high-born ladies.

[Lilienthal] "......"

The tea table fell into a stunned silence. Doly, oblivious to the atmosphere, continued.

[Doly] "And character is what matters most, after all. More than the dress one wears—"

[Lilienthal] "It seems some rumors are entirely fabricated. If Lady Odette were as ill-tempered as people claim, she would never tolerate such insolence from a servant."

She cut Doly off with a voice like ice.

[Lilienthal] "Furthermore, if she were as greedy and dim-witted as they say, would she allow so many ladies to copy her designs without a word of protest?"

[Doly] "I... what I meant was—"

Doly finally realized her blunder, but the Countess moved for the kill.

[Lilienthal] "You are incredibly bold! Do you intend to humiliate your master in front of us all? Must I personally inform Count Albrecht that you should be dismissed?"

The proper response was for Doly to throw herself to the ground and beg for forgiveness from the Countess, Odette, and every lady present.

Her behavior had crossed the line from annoying to scandalous. Instead, she merely bit her lip and stepped back into the line of maids.

Doly began her career at the Albrecht manor.

She had been hired by a mistress who knew nothing of aristocratic etiquette and had clawed her way up to head maid without ever learning how to conduct herself in high society.

She was a woman who had reached a managerial position in an estate with a warped culture; she was incapable of objective self-reflection.

And ignoring me has become an unconscious habit for her.

Courtney, the housekeeper, tormented Odette through dark schemes. Paula used physical violence. Doly, however, had used rumors to isolate her, leveraging her many contacts among the servants of other estates and the market folk.

This terrace is full of noblewomen and experienced maids from prestigious houses.

Until now, Odette had never engaged actively with these women. They had never had the chance to see exactly how peculiar Doly's behavior was.

This is perfect. I can use this atmosphere to finally cut her loose.

Odette offered a soft, knowing smile. Countess Lilienthal turned back to her, sensing something was amiss.

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