KFBRV Pt 2 Ch 28

He raised his palm, slowly wiping his face as if he finally understood her urgent state.

[Zion] "I was wrong. I was wrong, Odette."

His sudden apology made little sense. His voice, now raspy and hollow, sounded as though he had endured bitter torture at her hands.

However, the only thing that mattered to Odette was that he no longer appeared willing to block her path.

She sidestepped him. In that fleeting moment, his wrists caught her attention—specifically the skin revealed by his unbuttoned cuffs.

Multiple scars etched his wrists. They looked gruesome, long, and deep.

She flinched, but she immediately dismissed the sight as an illusion.

Scars couldn't remain on a Transcendent’s body. Even if such a thing were possible, Zion was not the type of person to have them, nor did he have a reason to.

Since it was only a momentary glance, she convinced herself her mind had played tricks on her.

She shook off the image and immediately activated her status window.

[Change Hairstyle (Random)]

[Change Eye Color (Random)]

[Impression-altering Glasses]

[Would you like to equip these items? YES / NO]

After completing her disguise, she marched toward the sea.

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The Central Cathedral sat at the mouth of the Rothbart River, on the very edge of the capital.

It was a tranquil, peaceful sanctuary compared to the bustling city center. A short walk across a beautiful drawbridge led to a fantastic view of the open ocean.

Charlotte, draped in white-priestess robes, slowly descended the cathedral’s spiral staircase.

Her expression remained benevolent and serene as she transferred the holy fire to a candle embossed with the World Tree.

She looked every bit the Saintess who had successfully concluded a memorial service, but the image was a lie.

Throughout her descent, she plotted Odette’s downfall.

She won’t dare face me head-on. She has to hide the fact that she’s alive.

The Empire had held Odette’s funeral twice—once at the Meursault Temple and once at the Imperial Palace.

After the first service ended in a shambles because of the Transcendents, the state held a second funeral, declaring a formal mourning period.

The entire Empire fell into despair because a Purifier died.

If they discover she lived? The sense of betrayal would be absolute.

She felt certain that Odette could only act while officially "dead."

No matter how much she thought about it, Odette had no way to reveal her survival without facing public condemnation.

She acted so high and mighty in front of me, but in the end, she could only move in the shadows.

If that was the case, she only needed to turn that secret existence into a crime.

What if rumors spread that Odette had faked her suicide to abandon her duties as a Purifier?

It didn't matter if people disbelieved it at first. Repetition turned rumors into facts.

She had already framed the narrative: Odette, the coward who staged a suicide to flee her responsibilities, and Charlotte, the devoted Saintess doing her best for the Empire.

High Priest Raphael would be the one to spread the word.

As the woman destined to be the Empire's only official Purifier, she couldn't soil her own hands.

She reached the ground floor. A High Priestess hurried toward her, draping a cardigan over her shoulders.

Choosing Raphael was the right move.

A few High Priests nearby had already become incredibly attentive. While they had never been rude—Charlotte was, after all, a high-ranking Purifier in this life—their current treatment finally mirrored the extreme reverence she remembered from her past life as the sole S-rank Purifier.

Awe. Respect. A competitive loyalty to win the Saintess' favor. Everything had been lukewarm until now. But today, their attitudes felt right.

[High Priestess] “Well done.”

She patted the shoulder of the middle-aged High Priestess who had brought the cardigan. This woman was famous for using simple language to deliver easy-to-understand sermons, making her a figure the impoverished fanatics followed blindly.

I should have this woman deliver a sermon criticizing her supporters.

It was difficult to directly tarnish Odette’s name, which the public held sacred. Attacking her supporters was a faster route to results.

Charlotte would frame them as loud, obnoxious, and burdensome—people who forced others to mourn and committed atrocities in Odette's name.

Maintaining her benevolent mask, Charlotte walked toward the backyard. The Pope was waiting for her.

[Pope] "You did wonderful work, Saintess."

He seemed highly satisfied with the memorial service. He appeared impressed that a girl from a common background could handle such a smooth, sophisticated ceremony.

[Charlotte] "Thank you, Your Holiness."

She handed him the candle holder. The Pope took the flame and used it to light the fuses of the fireworks prepared throughout the cathedral.

Those fireworks would signal the larger displays stacked on the drawbridge to begin. This display was even larger than the ones used for the Founding Festival.

Victory Day would end with a magnificent explosion of light.

Whistle—Bang!

The first firework shot into the sky, exploding with a thunderous roar. The reflection on the wide river mouth made the sight even more breathtaking.

[Crowd] "Whoa!"

Charlotte turned toward the cathedral gates. A massive crowd surrounded the building.

Disgusting insects.

Victory Day was a grand, meaningful event. Citizens had gathered outside the cathedral to participate in the memorial from afar and to watch the fireworks.

Normally, she wouldn't have spared them a glance, but the situation had changed.

Winning their hearts is easy. I’ve done it before.

Charlotte, the talented pharmacist from the mountain village of Gretel.

Charlotte, the commoner girl dedicated to purification.

Charlotte, the girl with lovely colors.

People found it easy to love and support her. And she was an expert at twisting that support into hatred for Odette.

Pro-Charlotte versus Anti-Odette. Dividing the world into "us" and "them" to incite hatred was her specialty.

She would ensure Odette met a more brutal, painful, and miserable end this time.

I thought I wouldn't need these peasants since Odette died early in this life, but things change.

Bang! Crash!

As the fireworks continued, she walked toward the crowd at the gates.

[Paladin] "Where are you going, Lady Charlotte?"

She wore a smile as soft as a spring breeze.

[Charlotte] "I wish to meet the believers personally."

She looked at the guard.

[Charlotte] "I’d like to go out. Would you open the gate?"

[Paladin] "Saintess, the crowd is too thick. It’s dangerous to go out without protection!"

[Charlotte] "It’s fine. I am the Saintess. Who would dare harm me?"

Her voice was humble and warm, designed to spark instant intimacy.

[Charlotte] "Hurry, please."

Unable to resist her persistence, they opened the gate.

She stepped out, meticulously tightening her clerical gloves.

[Believer 1] "S-Saintess?"

[Believer 2] "Lady Charlotte?"

The people, who had been distracted by the sky, began to notice her.

[Charlotte] "It brings me such joy to meet you all in person."

She began shaking hands with the people in the dense crowd. She wore a merciful smile, knowing each of these people was a potential weapon to use against Odette.

[Believer 3] "Oh, Lady Charlotte!"

She looked like a picture of kindness.

[Charlotte] "May the blessings of the Gods be with you."

She skillfully dodged the poorer-looking believers, extending her hand only to those who looked clean and didn't offend her senses.

[Believer 4] "Saintess! Heavens, to think you would come out to meet us like this!"

Some grabbed her hand with both of theirs. She found the impudent touch repulsive but managed to hide it behind a laugh.

Remember clearly whose hand you held today. Decide whose side you are on: mine or hers.

The fireworks reached their climax, dyeing the night sky in vibrant hues.

Bang! Bang! Whistle—Boom!

The scale of the display was massive—a physical manifestation of the Pope’s determination to erase Odette’s memory.

Boom-boom-boom! Crash!

As the display reached its loudest, most brilliant peak, the explosions filled the entire sky. She found herself looking up, drawn by the sound.

Impressive. The Pope really went all out.

Suddenly, whispers rippled through the crowd.

[Believer 5] "What is that?"

[Believer 6] "The sea... something is wrong with the sea."

Despite the mesmerizing fireworks, the gazes of several believers shifted away from the sky and toward the mouth of the river behind Charlotte.

What?

More and more people turned their heads.

What on earth are they looking at?

She looked away from the sky and followed their gaze toward the ocean.

[Charlotte] "......!"

Shock paralyzed her.

The sea... the entire ocean was glowing a brilliant, pure white.

What is that?

Her breath hitched. She had never seen such a sight in her entire life.

No. It can't be.

At that moment, her intuition screamed.

The power illuminating the vast ocean belonged to Odette.

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