"The noblewoman, who easily gets bored with everything, never used the boys she kidnapped for more than a year. So every year, she gathered the boys and held a boy hunt."
On the first day of the founding of the empire, the female nobles used the noise of the fireworks show that took place throughout the empire to shoot all night long. Then, the next day, they collected the boy again.
After barely escaping from her hunting grounds, Victor hides in the slums' sewers.
The heat, the burning gunshot wounds, the back alleys swarming with the aristocrat's private soldiers, and the fireworks that continue to fire as he struggles for his life in the filthy sewers.
Couples and families on the street. Victor shivering in the sewer beneath their feet.
God awakened a 15-year-old boy that day. As if mocking him for hating fire the most, he turned him into a transcendent being who could use the power of fire.
Victor sank to the ground and covered his ears, not like the man who had risen to the sky and burst into flames, but like the boy in the middle of the hunting grounds.
Even though he was a grown man with a physique worthy of a transcendent being, he looked so frail that it was pitiful.
If he hadn't met her here, he would have left the capital long before the fireworks started. As usual.
"Colonel."
Soon the fireworks were completely over, leaving only smoke in the night sky.
“Let go.”
Victor, who hadn't moved at all, shook Odette's hand away violently.
'Yeah. Of course.'
But it was okay. She was completely at peace thanks to the (-17) that appeared in the status window.
'80 is high, but it's still fair compared to 97.'
“Didn’t I clearly say that I didn’t want to be touched?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
She could have treated Victor's shameless and rude reactions with affection.
While he was shaking, Odette paused for a moment and then opened her mouth, pretending to be innocent.
“Oh, come to think of it, today is...”
It was to drive the final wedge. The moment Victor turned to her, Odette smiled faintly.
“Happy birthday, Victor.”
She has never read them, but she knows that there are thousands of letters containing stories about Victor's birthday.
Last year, on the first day of the founding of the country, her father mocked and sarcastically made fun of Victor's birthday, saying that he, a rat from the underworld, was born on the founding day of Barceha.
One of Victor's hands seemed to be shaking slightly.
“I’m so glad the colonel is alive.”
“...”
“Of course, I’m grateful that you saved me.”
Although he was self-willed, Victor was not a cold-blooded person like Sion.
Having grown up amid the hostility of a hellish criminal organization, he is set to be unfamiliar with kindness.
“There was a reason why I refused the Colonel’s purge. I’m sorry.”
Odette apologized to him with a guilty expression. In the current atmosphere, this would be the best answer rather than making a long-winded excuse.
His expression looking down at her was still bleak, but Odette kept smiling.
He glared at her as if he was going to kill her, then gave her a cold warning.
“Let’s not meet again. Don’t ever come into my territory again.”
[Disgust level is reduced by 5.]
[ Dislike level: 75 ]
He turned around and left coldly, but fortunately, his disgust had diminished as she had intended.
Odette kept smiling brightly until he disappeared, and only after she confirmed that Victor had gone far away did she erase her fake smile.
Oh my. Do you know who I would like to meet again?
“That’s exactly what I want, you worthless little bastard.”
Odette, who had barely made it back to the Count's residence, changed out of her blood-soaked clothes and gritted her teeth at the bastard.
'I'm glad I got to ride a horse in my last life when I was running away. I had some idea of how to ride a horse.'
It was fortunate that the coachman had tied the horse to a separate gas lamp. If she had not been so lucky, she would have lost her life in the slums, let alone returned to the mansion.
Knock, Maleah knocked on Odette's door.
It seemed like it was already 11 o'clock at night, the time she had promised her.
“Has anyone come looking for me today?”
“No, Miss. I was just going around telling people that you were suffering from a serious lung disease, just as you said.”
"Good job."
“Don’t worry, no one has come into your room.”
Maleah said so, handing me a hot chocolate with marshmallows in it.
She felt like her body was releasing some of the tension as she drank something sweet and warm.
“Miss, would you like to take a bath? Please let me help you with the bath. I will bring warm water and a robe from downstairs, so please wait a moment.”
Unlike the morning, Maleah was polite the whole time.
'I wonder what she was doing alone in her room, and why she didn't let anyone in.'
It seemed like she wasn't even thinking about leaving.
Odette can guess why. It's probably because of the incident that happened at the mansion today.
Just as Odette had predicted this morning, Ferdinand would have come back today and extended his mother's pension.
'It seems like you've become more aware of my mood because the atmosphere in the mansion is flowing just as I said.'
The slight arrogance that had remained in her attitude until the morning had completely disappeared.
It wasn't bad. She doesn't plan on trusting and taking care of Maleah like she did Lize, but even if she's a throwaway, it's better to be polite.
As she entered the white porcelain bathtub, which was soon filled with water, Maleah began to carefully serve her.
“Is the water temperature okay?”
"Yes."
“What about the scent of soap bubbles?”
"Good."
It was really a lot of dedication to create the bubbles and even float the flower petals on top of them.
As Odette's voice became relaxed and languid, Maleah, who had been observing her, soon brought up the main topic.
“Young lady, it was exactly as you said. The master extended Madam’s pension period to the last day of the founding of the country.”
"So?"
“Because of that, the lady was making a fuss all afternoon. She even skipped meals all day.”
Although she pretended to be sorry, Odette could sense a hidden sense of anticipation. It was clear that she wanted Odette to elaborate on something, to hear another prediction.
“Why would the young master make such a decision all of a sudden? The only people that he has ever met are the maid and the housekeeper. There’s no way that the two people who are close to him would have spoken ill of him...”
“My mother must have been very heartbroken.”
But Odette cut off the conversation in an indifferent voice.
'Why should I explain everything to you?'
Maleah looked regretful, but she had no choice since Odette wanted to end the conversation.
“That’s right. His Grace, he's really going too far. Madam were really looking forward to this founding of the nation.”
As Maleah closed her mouth after finishing the conversation, only the sound of running water could be heard in the bathroom. Odette naturally fell into thought.
Naturally, her mother would have been upset. The Empress's salon was the perfect opportunity for her to fulfill her lifelong wish.
'I wonder how upset she would be if she lost that opportunity because of her son's pension.'
When she is invited to the salon by the noble Empress, her mother is accepted as a member of high society. She is a respectable guest who no one can ignore.
Inclusion into the aristocratic society. The ticket she had longed for was essentially taken away by her son.
On the first day of the founding of the empire, the female nobles used the noise of the fireworks show that took place throughout the empire to shoot all night long. Then, the next day, they collected the boy again.
After barely escaping from her hunting grounds, Victor hides in the slums' sewers.
The heat, the burning gunshot wounds, the back alleys swarming with the aristocrat's private soldiers, and the fireworks that continue to fire as he struggles for his life in the filthy sewers.
Couples and families on the street. Victor shivering in the sewer beneath their feet.
God awakened a 15-year-old boy that day. As if mocking him for hating fire the most, he turned him into a transcendent being who could use the power of fire.
Victor sank to the ground and covered his ears, not like the man who had risen to the sky and burst into flames, but like the boy in the middle of the hunting grounds.
Even though he was a grown man with a physique worthy of a transcendent being, he looked so frail that it was pitiful.
If he hadn't met her here, he would have left the capital long before the fireworks started. As usual.
"Colonel."
Odette grabbed his arms, which were covering his ears, wearing silk gloves, and covered his ears with both his hands instead.
“You, why...”
A moment of indelible disgust and confusion flashed across his eyes, but he couldn't finish his words.
“You, why...”
A moment of indelible disgust and confusion flashed across his eyes, but he couldn't finish his words.
Pbuhbung.
The loud sound of firecrackers continued again.
He squeezed his eyes shut again.
Eyes wandering in the air. Breathing raggedly. When she looks at someone in a panic, she feels calmer.
'It's fate. I can't miss this opportunity.'
It was a great opportunity to lower the disgust level of 97.
Odette spread her arms as if to embrace him, then covered his ears more tightly. He raised his head and scanned her face, which was reflected in the light of the flames.
“Are you afraid of fireworks?”
“...”
“I don’t know what happened... but it’s okay, it’s okay.”
“..."
“It’s just fireworks. You’re safe.”
When you're amid trauma, the comfort of body heat or a tight hug can be helpful.
'I know because I've suffered from trauma myself. I'm not in a position to judge the people around me.'
In the most vulnerable and lonely moments of trauma, the feeling of being protected gives a rather instinctive sense of bonding.
[Disgust level is reduced by 5.]
[Disgust level is reduced by 3.]
Look at this.
'Wow, I was lucky.'
Exploiting the other person's trauma. I feel uneasy, but what can I do? My survival was at stake.
Soon, the bang, bang sound gradually died down. Because the fireworks on the first day of the founding of the country were flashy and long, the disgust level ended up being quite low.
[ Dislike level: 80 ]
He squeezed his eyes shut again.
Eyes wandering in the air. Breathing raggedly. When she looks at someone in a panic, she feels calmer.
'It's fate. I can't miss this opportunity.'
It was a great opportunity to lower the disgust level of 97.
Odette spread her arms as if to embrace him, then covered his ears more tightly. He raised his head and scanned her face, which was reflected in the light of the flames.
“Are you afraid of fireworks?”
“...”
“I don’t know what happened... but it’s okay, it’s okay.”
“..."
“It’s just fireworks. You’re safe.”
When you're amid trauma, the comfort of body heat or a tight hug can be helpful.
'I know because I've suffered from trauma myself. I'm not in a position to judge the people around me.'
In the most vulnerable and lonely moments of trauma, the feeling of being protected gives a rather instinctive sense of bonding.
[Disgust level is reduced by 5.]
[Disgust level is reduced by 3.]
Look at this.
'Wow, I was lucky.'
Exploiting the other person's trauma. I feel uneasy, but what can I do? My survival was at stake.
Soon, the bang, bang sound gradually died down. Because the fireworks on the first day of the founding of the country were flashy and long, the disgust level ended up being quite low.
[ Dislike level: 80 ]
Soon the fireworks were completely over, leaving only smoke in the night sky.
“Let go.”
Victor, who hadn't moved at all, shook Odette's hand away violently.
'Yeah. Of course.'
But it was okay. She was completely at peace thanks to the (-17) that appeared in the status window.
'80 is high, but it's still fair compared to 97.'
“Didn’t I clearly say that I didn’t want to be touched?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
She could have treated Victor's shameless and rude reactions with affection.
While he was shaking, Odette paused for a moment and then opened her mouth, pretending to be innocent.
“Oh, come to think of it, today is...”
It was to drive the final wedge. The moment Victor turned to her, Odette smiled faintly.
“Happy birthday, Victor.”
She has never read them, but she knows that there are thousands of letters containing stories about Victor's birthday.
Last year, on the first day of the founding of the country, her father mocked and sarcastically made fun of Victor's birthday, saying that he, a rat from the underworld, was born on the founding day of Barceha.
One of Victor's hands seemed to be shaking slightly.
“I’m so glad the colonel is alive.”
“...”
“Of course, I’m grateful that you saved me.”
Although he was self-willed, Victor was not a cold-blooded person like Sion.
Having grown up amid the hostility of a hellish criminal organization, he is set to be unfamiliar with kindness.
“There was a reason why I refused the Colonel’s purge. I’m sorry.”
Odette apologized to him with a guilty expression. In the current atmosphere, this would be the best answer rather than making a long-winded excuse.
His expression looking down at her was still bleak, but Odette kept smiling.
He glared at her as if he was going to kill her, then gave her a cold warning.
“Let’s not meet again. Don’t ever come into my territory again.”
[Disgust level is reduced by 5.]
[ Dislike level: 75 ]
He turned around and left coldly, but fortunately, his disgust had diminished as she had intended.
Odette kept smiling brightly until he disappeared, and only after she confirmed that Victor had gone far away did she erase her fake smile.
Oh my. Do you know who I would like to meet again?
“That’s exactly what I want, you worthless little bastard.”
***
Odette, who had barely made it back to the Count's residence, changed out of her blood-soaked clothes and gritted her teeth at the bastard.
'I'm glad I got to ride a horse in my last life when I was running away. I had some idea of how to ride a horse.'
It was fortunate that the coachman had tied the horse to a separate gas lamp. If she had not been so lucky, she would have lost her life in the slums, let alone returned to the mansion.
Knock, Maleah knocked on Odette's door.
It seemed like it was already 11 o'clock at night, the time she had promised her.
“Has anyone come looking for me today?”
“No, Miss. I was just going around telling people that you were suffering from a serious lung disease, just as you said.”
"Good job."
“Don’t worry, no one has come into your room.”
Maleah said so, handing me a hot chocolate with marshmallows in it.
She felt like her body was releasing some of the tension as she drank something sweet and warm.
“Miss, would you like to take a bath? Please let me help you with the bath. I will bring warm water and a robe from downstairs, so please wait a moment.”
Unlike the morning, Maleah was polite the whole time.
'I wonder what she was doing alone in her room, and why she didn't let anyone in.'
It seemed like she wasn't even thinking about leaving.
Odette can guess why. It's probably because of the incident that happened at the mansion today.
Just as Odette had predicted this morning, Ferdinand would have come back today and extended his mother's pension.
'It seems like you've become more aware of my mood because the atmosphere in the mansion is flowing just as I said.'
The slight arrogance that had remained in her attitude until the morning had completely disappeared.
It wasn't bad. She doesn't plan on trusting and taking care of Maleah like she did Lize, but even if she's a throwaway, it's better to be polite.
As she entered the white porcelain bathtub, which was soon filled with water, Maleah began to carefully serve her.
“Is the water temperature okay?”
"Yes."
“What about the scent of soap bubbles?”
"Good."
It was really a lot of dedication to create the bubbles and even float the flower petals on top of them.
As Odette's voice became relaxed and languid, Maleah, who had been observing her, soon brought up the main topic.
“Young lady, it was exactly as you said. The master extended Madam’s pension period to the last day of the founding of the country.”
"So?"
“Because of that, the lady was making a fuss all afternoon. She even skipped meals all day.”
Although she pretended to be sorry, Odette could sense a hidden sense of anticipation. It was clear that she wanted Odette to elaborate on something, to hear another prediction.
“Why would the young master make such a decision all of a sudden? The only people that he has ever met are the maid and the housekeeper. There’s no way that the two people who are close to him would have spoken ill of him...”
“My mother must have been very heartbroken.”
But Odette cut off the conversation in an indifferent voice.
'Why should I explain everything to you?'
Maleah looked regretful, but she had no choice since Odette wanted to end the conversation.
“That’s right. His Grace, he's really going too far. Madam were really looking forward to this founding of the nation.”
As Maleah closed her mouth after finishing the conversation, only the sound of running water could be heard in the bathroom. Odette naturally fell into thought.
Naturally, her mother would have been upset. The Empress's salon was the perfect opportunity for her to fulfill her lifelong wish.
'I wonder how upset she would be if she lost that opportunity because of her son's pension.'
When she is invited to the salon by the noble Empress, her mother is accepted as a member of high society. She is a respectable guest who no one can ignore.
Inclusion into the aristocratic society. The ticket she had longed for was essentially taken away by her son.
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