KFBRV Pt 2 Ch 60

Shock jolted her.

[Paula] "What? That makes no sense. Saintess Charlotte chose me?"

[Gustav] "You know the Saintess joined the Albrecht family through adoption. As a lady of the house, she requires a lady-in-waiting, and she specifically requested you."

[Paula] "But why......? I was never a lady-in-waiting. I was a maid."

Her expression went blank. The news articles already detailed Charlotte's rise as the Albrecht daughter, alongside the deaths of Ferdinand and Rolf. But this request defied logic. She had never even met the woman, and she no longer worked at that estate.

The idea holds no appeal.

Paula enjoyed her current life. She lived in the comfort of Viscount Köndel's home, spending her days in luxury. While a lady-in-waiting held a higher status than a maid, it still meant serving someone else. It couldn't compare to her current freedom.

Besides, the Albrecht estate held bitter memories.

[Paula] "Do I have to return to that mansion? I refuse!"

She had sworn never to set foot in that place again. The memory of the Count's servants hunting her down after her escape still made her blood run cold.

The Count sent those men to silence me. He was likely ready to kill me to keep my mouth shut.

The search only stopped after Odette's death and the divorce. She thought her ties to that house had finally snapped.

[Paula] "I want to decline. It's strange anyway! Plenty of girls would kill to serve a Purifier. Why me?"

Charlotte was an A-class Purifier and a Count's daughter. Daughters of Barons and Viscounts would fight for such a position.

[Gustav] "I don't know the reason either, but......"

He spoke with a heavy, serious tone.

[Gustav] "This is our chance, Paula. If you become the Saintess' lady-in-waiting, I can officially ask for your hand in marriage."

Her eyes widened.

[Paula] "M-Marriage?"

[Gustav] "You know my heart belongs to you. But my butler and my followers oppose us. Their resistance is too strong for me to ignore."

[Paula] "......Viscount."

[Gustav] "But as Lady Charlotte's lady-in-waiting, you gain a status that will silence them. They will find it much harder to object."

[Paula] "......"

[Gustav] "We live in an age where even high nobles marry wealthy commoners if it benefits the family."

Sasha, the former Countess, had done exactly that. Köndel's logic was undeniable. Paula recalled the words of the fortune teller, Gisella.

An opportunity to increase my value in the marriage market......

It was true. Serving a Purifier and a member of the Albrecht family would grant her entry and respect in high society. Köndel's followers would have to change their minds.

[Gustav] "So, Paula, I want you to take this position. The Count has already agreed to the appointment. You can go without fear."

Paula thought back to the day she left the estate. She had promised never to return to the place that treated her so poorly. She had vowed never to look at the man who mistreated her mother.

But the prize before her was too sweet. Viscount Köndel was handsome, wealthy, and her only path back into the nobility. It was the fate Gisella predicted.

[Paula] "Yes, Viscount. If that is the case...... I will accept."

---

A four-horse carriage stopped before the main gate of the Albrecht estate. Charlotte stepped out. The gathered servants bowed in unison to welcome the new lady of the house.

[Servants] "Welcome, Lady Albrecht."

Charlotte offered them a bright smile while clutching her trunk.

[Charlotte] "It is good to meet you all."

Lady Albrecht.

The title felt unfamiliar, but she liked the sound of it. She recalled the Count's face when he visited the Cathedral a few days ago.

[Ulrich] "Rolf—my late butler—said you seemed to despise Odette. Is that true?"

His face had been pale with hatred. When Charlotte confirmed it, he made a desperate plea.

[Ulrich] "I want her dead. I can't be a murderer myself, so please, enter my house as soon as possible. Deal with Odette. If you act as her rival and get rid of her, I will give you anything you desire."

He had practically begged her.

Hilarious. Look how quickly he changes his face.

Only a month ago, he hesitated to adopt her, bringing contracts that stripped her of any right to the Albrecht fortune.

As if I care about his measly wealth.

She scoffed inwardly.

He had no idea who he was dealing with. Still, the Count was a necessary tool. Odette had already caused the death of Charlotte's main contact at the Cathedral.

Now, I strike directly.

Odette had blocked her attempts to manipulate the public and the High Priest. Now, Charlotte would use her own power to crush her.

[Servant] "Give me your luggage, Lady Albrecht. I will carry it."

She handed over the trunk and entered the lobby. The Count waited there to greet her.

[Ulrich] "Welcome, Saintess."

[Charlotte] "Thank you, Count."

He didn't ask her to call him father. She didn't ask him to speak casually to her. Their alliance rested solely on their shared hatred for Odette.

[Ulrich] "I have prepared a private room. Follow Malea. She will serve as your personal maid."

[Charlotte] "I see."

[Ulrich] "Use her as a lady-in-waiting until Paula arrives. Afterward, she will remain your maid."

[Malea] "Greetings, Lady Albrecht."

[Charlotte] "Nice to meet you, Malea."

She smiled at the girl.

[Malea] "Please, follow me."

As they walked toward the second floor, Charlotte scanned the mansion. The face she sought was nowhere to be found.

Where is he? I heard he was kept here as a slave.

That filthy Fenrir had deceived the System and ruined everything Charlotte prepared in her past life.

Karl doesn't have his memories, does he?

She searched her own memories of the previous life. Back then, Karl hadn't been the center of the world's regression.

I won't be fooled twice.

She intended to possess him in this life. She knew exactly how much he was worth.

---

Since his arrival in the dungeon, Karl dreamed every night. The dreams connected, forming a single, continuous story. In these visions, he hunted his master. No—he hunted Odette, the wicked woman who murdered the Fenrir children.

He smelled the stench of rot. He saw her in rags, her hair hacked short. Driven by a singular need to kill her, he chased her across an endless desert.

Though he didn't recognize the dream, a sudden instinct took hold. Today's vision would be the final chapter.

Just as he expected, he caught her. He swung his axe at her neck without a moment of hesitation. Simultaneously, something cold and horrific pierced his chest.

[Karl] "Haaaah!"

His eyes flew open.

What was that?

Nausea rolled through him. His teeth chattered as if he stood in the middle of a blizzard. Cold sweat soaked his skin. He felt a sensation he couldn't name.

Fear......? Me?

The emotion felt entirely foreign. He had never known fear—not on any battlefield, not in any crisis. Why now? Just because of a dream?

He knit his brows, unable to grasp it. The terror faded, but the lingering disgust remained. Then, the rhythmic click of footsteps on the stairs broke his thoughts.

Ah......

The fear and the disgust vanished instantly. He knew those footsteps. He knew exactly who stood behind the door.

The key turned in the lock, and the cell door swung open.

[Odette] "Hello, Karl."

It was his master. Since her arrival at the mansion, the fragrance that filled the air whenever she was near had grown even deeper.

Waiting for her had been more painful than any drug the Count injected into him. It was a cruel, endless wait. But now, his master had returned.

[Karl] "......Master."

A sharp thrill of joy raced up his spine.

His master was back—the woman who deserved so much punishment from his hands.

---

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