KFBRV Pt 2 Ch 20

[Rolf] "I….. I know that the Count and I made a mistake toward you, My Lady. But your treatment will be entirely different from before. No one will ignore you."

She maintained her silence, letting the tension stretch until he suffocated under the pressure.

Finally, she spoke.

[Odette] "Do you know the name, Siegfried?"

[Rolf] "Siegfried?"

An unexpected name. He despised the sudden change of topic. He answered without a single moment of hesitation or sincerity.

[Rolf] "I don't know."

[Odette] "Is that so? You can't even remember."

Siegfried? I have heard that name before......

A specific figure flashed through his mind.

Twenty years ago, he had dispatched an assassin under the Count's orders. The target bore that exact name.

The original direct bloodline of the Albrecht house was annihilated during the rebellion. The Young Countess served as the sole survivor. She secretly gave birth to and raised a son—a son bearing that name.

The direct heir hiding in a small Albrecht territory carried that exact name.

But how does she know that name?

The incident occurred decades before she ever set foot in the Albrecht mansion.

[Rolf] "Why in the world are you asking about that name out of nowhere?"

He had personally selected the assassin to eliminate him. Consequently, Rolf questioned her with intense wariness.

Her response completely shattered his expectations.

[Odette] "Because I am Siegfried's daughter."

He froze. He stammered out a reply fueled by absolute bewilderment.

[Rolf] "What kind of nonsense are you spewing?"

[Odette] "Judging by your reaction, you remember Siegfried perfectly."

A flustered Rolf clamped his mouth shut. She casually tossed an object toward him.

He reflexively snatched the soaring object with both hands. He gripped a velvet pouch.

[Odette] "Open it."

He pulled the drawstring and extracted the item. His eyes went wide with shock.

The darkness obscured his vision, but the distinct tactile sensation revealed the object's identity instantly.

He had heard tales of this specific artifact from his father and the current Count countless times.

The Albrecht family seal. The artifact the Young Countess stole during her escape.

His father originally served as the butler for the direct Albrecht bloodline. During the rebellion orchestrated by Ulrich's father, the butler betrayed his masters and allied with the usurpers to survive.

He swallowed dryly. His Adam's apple bobbed with an audible gulp.

Verifying the artifact's authenticity required an expert's appraisal. However, the loss of this original seal remained an absolute family secret. The public possessed zero knowledge of its disappearance.

She possessing an artifact that Rolf and Ulrich failed to locate for decades meant only one thing.

[Odette] "I intend to reclaim the Albrecht Countdom from Ulrich, Rolf. Therefore, I have absolutely no reason to return as that wretched man's daughter."

The sheer weight of her declaration caused his mind to spin.

[Odette] "Do you realize something? Since meeting me here, you never once asked why I sought you out. You never questioned how I survived or whether I planned to return to the estate. You prioritized your own greed. However, you will ask me now."

He suffocated under the pressure. He loathed following her script, yet the question forced its way out of his throat.

[Rolf] "Why...... why did you seek me out? What is your intention in revealing this to me?"

She offered a satisfied smile.

[Odette] "I came to deliver a warning. To inform you that Siegfried's daughter will strip Ulrich of everything he possesses."

[Rolf] "My La—"

He choked on the title, overwhelmed by a sudden, intense repulsion.

Could he still address an enemy declaring war to reclaim her estate as 'My Lady'?

[Rolf] "Why...... why deliver this declaration to me instead of the Count?"

[Odette] "I came to deliver a warning. The absolute moment I claim the title of Countess, your life ends. Naturally, I will eradicate your entire lineage, including your son and grandson."

A paralyzed Rolf struggled to process the sheer magnitude of her threats.

However, he recognized that these were no empty threats. Her voice resonated with absolute, chilling sincerity.

Does the possibility actually exist?

Is she Siegfried's bloodline? If...... if she truly is Siegfried's daughter......

He stiffened with primal terror.

A threat against his entire lineage demanded serious consideration. Furthermore, if Odette successfully seized the Countdom, she possessed the absolute power to execute that threat.

Rolf's lineage functioned exclusively as hereditary butlers. Their wealth and very lives depended entirely on the head of the Albrecht family. His own son attended a butler academy to prepare for serving Ferdinand.

Before he could formulate a strategy, she stood up.

[Odette] "I have delivered my message. Enjoy your remaining days, Rolf. Until I come to sever your head."

[Rolf] "W-Wait! Just a moment!"

He lunged forward and snatched her arm.

A mere butler grabbing a noble lady's arm constituted an unforgivable offense, but panic easily overrides etiquette. His old habit of treating her like a subordinate flared up.

She swatted his hand away with cold indifference and countered.

[Odette] "Rolf. You need to verify the authenticity of that seal first, don't you? What if I am deceiving you?"

He recoiled at her logic.

[Odette] "You must confirm whether I am actually Siegfried's daughter before you choose your next move, correct?"

Her words possessed absolute logic.

If she belonged to Siegfried's bloodline, Odette and Rolf stood as irreconcilable enemies. In that scenario, he absolutely must bar her from entering the Count's estate.

Conversely, she might be a total fraud utilizing a clever prop to manipulate him.

The Count's veteran assassin had never reported the existence of a daughter. He merely confirmed the successful execution of Siegfried and his wife.

Given the high probability of deception, he needed to uncover Odette's true motive for spinning such a tale. Re-investigating her orphanage background was necessary.

[Odette] "Do you intend to follow me? Charlotte will return from the parade shortly. You are required to wait here for her, are you not?"

That, too, was an undeniable fact.

If Odette genuinely intended to destroy the Count, she offered zero value to the Albrecht family. Therefore, securing a meeting with Charlotte remained his paramount objective.

While Rolf hesitated, bogged down in calculations, Odette delivered a light, flute-like laugh and strode out of the chapel.

He stood paralyzed in the desolate chapel. The suffocating darkness perfectly mirrored his own impending doom.

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The first-floor corridor outside the chapel featured an open colonnade along the right side, extending all the way to the Grand Cathedral's main hall. This architectural design allowed visitors an unobstructed view of the cathedral's immaculate gardens.

Leaving him behind, Odette navigated the long corridor. Her heels clicked sharply against the pristine white marble floor.

Rolf showed absolutely zero sign of emerging from the chapel.

Overthink it. The deeper you analyze, the faster you will sink into the mire.

She possessed zero intention of dirtying her own hands to eliminate Rolf and his lineage. Ferdinand would execute the task for her.

She intentionally terrified him solely to accelerate his paranoia.

A terrified Rolf, desperate to prevent Odette from usurping the Countdom, would launch a frantic, self-destructive campaign for survival.

She halted her steps. Approaching the main hall required her to re-equip her glasses and hood.

[Odette] "Ah."

Even after securing her disguise, she failed to resume her confident stride.

The breathtaking panorama of the sunset illuminating the cathedral gardens captivated her. More specifically, her gaze locked onto Charlotte's returning parade procession in the distance.

The parade had concluded, and Charlotte was marching triumphantly back to the Grand Cathedral.

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