KFBRV Ch 99

[Karl] "Ensure that I am never treated as anything other than a combat slave."

Disappointment clouded the Emperor’s face.

Does he intend to remain a slave for the rest of his life? Is that his ultimate ambition?

Gregory, the Emperor, looked at Karl as if the boy had lost his mind.

[Karl] "For my third wish, grant me quarters nearest to my master. I have lived in a dungeon until now, but I wish to remain as close to her as possible."

Gregory leaned back, his patience thinning.

[Gregory] "And what is the fourth wish?"

[Karl] "Allow me to dedicate this laurel wreath and the glory of victory to my master. These four wishes suffice."

By the final request, Gregory’s expression turned sour. This boy had once been the Crown Prince of the Fenrir Kingdom.

Where is his pride? Did his noble upbringing leave him with a craving for degradation?

[Gregory] "Good heavens."

Irritation bubbled within him. He had offered four wishes specifically to create a public excuse to reclaim Karl for the Imperial family. Instead, this ceremony had transformed into a grand declaration of him as Odette’s eternal, exclusive property.

He couldn't even threaten Odette into selling the slave now. Not after this public display. He had tried to get the wolf for free and ended up blocking himself from even buying him.

[Ulrich] "Ha, it seems it cannot be helped, then."

The sight of Ulrich’s relieved smile pushed the Emperor’s temper past the breaking point.

According to the reports, Karl cannot serve Odette properly because the Count abuses her. This serpent is the one pulling the strings.

[Gregory] "Very well, Karl. I shall grant all four of your wishes."

Unaware of the Emperor’s true thoughts, the Count cried out in feigned delight.

[Ulrich] "You are as generous as you are wise, Your Majesty!"

[Gregory] "However...... he is the victor of Athena Island, is he not? A mere verbal promise for a royal wish feels hollow."

He signaled to an aide, who hurried forward with a small container.

[Gregory] "We must ensure these terms are kept, wouldn't you agree?"

He flashed a sinister grin at the Count. The opportunity to humiliate the man who had been bleeding the Imperial treasury dry had finally arrived.

You wolfish bastard, constantly extorting the Imperial family.

Do you have any idea how much it stung every time I had to hand over a precious mine to satisfy your greed?

[Aide] "Your Majesty, I have brought the items you requested."

Gregory held up two thread bracelets: one gold, one silver. These were legendary magical artifacts, said to be one of only two pairs in existence across the entire continent.

The Chancellor had presented them to the Emperor during the voyage to Athena Island, claiming they were rare treasures.

The Emperor remained unaware that the Chancellor was a devout follower of the capital’s fortune teller, Gisella, or that she had sold him the bracelets with a prophecy that gifting them to the Emperor would lead to a "fortunate event."

Once worn, these bracelets became invisible to everyone except the wearer. And if the wearer broke the contract, their wrists would simply vanish.

---

Odette glanced at Mrs. Becker. The mistress had turned ashen, trembling as if the sight of the bracelets triggered a deep-seated trauma.

[Gregory] "Count Albrecht! Step forward!"

The Count knew the reputation of the artifacts. He stepped forward, though his face betrayed his confusion.

[Gregory] "Three of Karl’s wishes are matters his master can best fulfill. Therefore, if we place these on Odette and bind her to the contract, the wishes will certainly be honored. After all, no one wishes to lose their hands."

[Ulrich] "Yes...... that is true."

The Count nodded. Sacrificing Odette’s wrists meant nothing to him. His expression remained calm.

[Gregory] "But then again, how could I justify injuring the Empire’s only noble Purifier? Count, I am also a father. My son, Johan, depends on her. Odette’s hands are sacred; they are the hands that will purify the Crown Prince when the need arises. Therefore, Count Albrecht......"

As the Emperor’s grin widened, the color drained from the Count’s face.

[Ulrich] "......Your Majesty?"

Anxiety bled into his voice.

[Gregory] "You shall wear the bracelet. You will serve as the guarantor for Karl’s wishes on your daughter’s behalf."

[Ulrich] "I cannot! That makes no sense—"

[Gregory] "Oh? How unexpected. Are you not the man famous for loving his daughter more than his own life? I assumed you would leap at the chance to protect her."

He expertly steered the crowd’s sentiment. The surrounding nobles began to murmur in agreement.

[Woman] "Count Albrecht will surely offer his own wrists. His character is impeccable."

[Man] "Indeed. He is known to be quite soft-hearted when it involves Lady Odette."

The Count ground his teeth as he realized he was trapped. Odette suppressed a smile.

He fell into his own snare. He spent three years playing the doting father who values his daughter’s will above his own life.

This was why she had chosen such a public stage. The Count had meticulously built his reputation to avoid future charges of treason; he couldn't afford to run now. Refusal would invite the suspicion of every noble in the room.

[Ulrich] "Your Majesty, your words are unnecessary. It is only natural."

He nodded, forcing a strained smile.

[Ulrich] "I would much rather wear it myself than see it on my daughter. My daughter is...... far too precious."

[Gregory] "Of course! No need to hesitate. The Count truly treasures his daughter. No wonder he refused to let her even hold Johan’s hand because she felt 'uncomfortable.'"

With no other choice, the Count walked toward the Emperor like a man heading to the gallows.

Gregory snapped the gold thread bracelet onto Ulrich’s wrist.

[Ulrich] "I swear that I shall ensure Karl remains only my daughter’s combat slave—"

[Gregory] "Wait. I shall dictate the terms of the oath. We cannot have such a simple phrasing. Repeat after me."

[Ulrich] "Yes...... Your Majesty."

Ulrich's lips twitched with suppressed rage. A faint tremor shook his eyelids. He looked as if he might explode from the sheer indignity of it.

[Gregory] "I, Count Albrecht, swear that Karl shall serve only as Odette’s combat slave. No other person may claim him. He shall remain by her side at all times and shall protect no one else. He shall follow only her commands; no one may force him to obey another. Furthermore, no one shall intimidate her to influence the orders she gives to him."

His choice of words made his intent clear: he was stripping the Count of any power over Karl. The Count had no choice but to comply.

[Ulrich] "I swear—"

[Gregory] "I am not finished! While at the Albrecht estate, Karl shall occupy the quarters nearest to Odette. Should he be used for any other purpose, I shall willingly pay the price of this bracelet."

Count Albrecht swallowed his fury and repeated the Emperor’s words word for word. The thread bracelets on his wrists flared with light, tightened to a perfect fit, and then vanished from sight.

Father can still see them, though.

Odette turned to Mrs. Becker with a sharp smile.

[Odette] "Look, they have matching bracelets now. You must be thrilled."

Mrs. Becker’s lips quivered at the mockery. She likely realized Odette was the source of these artifacts.

[Odette] "Or should I call them matching handcuffs?"

As the mistress began to shake, the Emperor spoke again.

[Gregory] "Count, do you know the secret of these? Everyone believes the silver bracelet is the dangerous one because it takes the hands. But the gold bracelet is different."

He laughed heartily.

[Gregory] "It doesn't stop at the wrists. It takes the entire arm."

Ulrich’s face turned a ghostly white.

[Gregory] "Now, I must fulfill Karl’s wish. He asked to dedicate his victory to his master. We shall hold the ceremony in the plaza as soon as my treatment concludes."

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