KFBRV - Chapter 45

There's about 30 minutes left now.

Odette should have just checked that kid's disgust level. Then she could have at least avoided that horrible mental debuff.

But there was a moment of relief when she realized that she would be able to arrive at the hotel with plenty of time to spare.

Thud-!

A man fell from the sky.

"...Ah."

What an eerie entrance. Fucking asshole.

Odette looked at Sion, who appeared before her eyes, with a trembling look.

A twisted mouth, eyes filled with irritation. A face that looked as if it couldn't stand being angry at her for running away.

“Hello, Albrecht?”

"Your Grace."

'Why did you follow me here?'

She doesn't have time to argue.

“It’s been a while. I’m sorry for being rude and leaving first-”

“Do you know that I hate you, Albrecht?”

As soon as they met, Sion showed his hostility. Uncharacteristic of his usual cold demeanor.

'You asked me if I knew?'

“...I know.”

“Really? Then it’s really bad.”

As he spoke, he threw the handkerchief at her feet. The handkerchief that fell into the puddle was immediately soaked with muddy water.

“No matter what precious thing it is, the moment it touches you, Albrecht, I don’t want to receive anything.”

Odette stared blankly at the handkerchief that was becoming dirty. The handkerchief that he had cherished so much.

“Because the moment it touches you and becomes contaminated, it is no longer a precious object.”

'Originally, that handkerchief... is a crucial item that raises Sion's favorability by 10 or more...'

That was a keepsake made by Sion's mother herself. Sion, who lost all of his mother's belongings because of his father, should be happy and reminisce upon receiving this.

'Ah. This is not the time.'

As Odette regained her sense of reality, she hurriedly bent down and tried to pick up the handkerchief.

But the moment she grabbed the handkerchief, Sion trampled it.

‘...Is this something to hate this much?’

Didn't you like it so much when Charlotte gave it to you? To Charlotte, this handkerchief was nothing more than something she found by chance.

It was something that came to Odette with the palace gifts. Her father instructed her to take all the other gifts but to throw away that handkerchief.

It felt like the situation was similar to that of being singled out and thrown away among precious items.

So, Odette snuck out to the crematorium and picked up the item. Even though Ferdinand beat her up for being annoying, she was just happy that she got this handkerchief.

Since then, on difficult days, she would take out that handkerchief like a treasure and read the words. Then, someone would press down on their sincerity and pray that God’s grace and protection... would truly be with her.

'The only thing that has changed is the messenger, and yet he is treated so worthlessly and shabbily.'

“Please put your shoes away.”

“...”

“I didn’t think you would be so offended. I apologize for being so presumptuous.”

The status window still indicated this as a [Danger Zone].

This meant that if she were not careful, she could end up in a debuff in the [Danger Zone]. So she had no choice but to apologize profusely.

[ Dislike level: 55 ]

Even if she looks at the level of disgust that has risen in the meantime.

Odette asked again, holding the handkerchief in her hand.

“Please, put your shoes away, Your Grace.”

She raised her head and looked up at Sion.

His purple eyes seemed to indicate that he was not pleased with the situation.

“That’s not the reaction I was expecting. I wish your reaction had been more honest.”

As she said that, Sion lifted his foot.

'It's fortunate that it wasn't torn.'

Odette shook off the mud on the handkerchief she had picked up, squeezed out some of the water, and carefully held it in her hand.

'I thought that if I gave this as a gift, I would get more information from Karl, and my relationship with Sion would improve in the future.'

She feels like she's been confirmed. Even though it's the most precious thing to her, it's not as valuable as what Charlotte found.

But this wasn't the time to be wallowing in sadness. Let's just wrap things up quickly.

“I was really wrong-”

At that moment, Sion forcibly grabbed Odette's wrist.

'Ah-!'

[Disgust level increased by 10.]

[ Dislike level: 65 ]

As if betraying her expectations, it even raised the level of disgust.

“An apology won’t do. I’ll have to see you fall apart one more time before I can come to a conclusion.”

As Odette raised her head in pain, purple eyes stared at her.

“I guess it’s confusing. But I can’t lock you up in a torture chamber and torture you.”

Torture chamber? What is this kid talking about?

“Your Grace, are you crazy? How could you-”

“I didn’t want to use this method because it was dangerous.”

That was the moment.

Sion's purple eyes glowed a very light gold.

At that moment, Odette felt something snap in her head.

[The mind of the 'owner of the necklace' has been 'brainwashed' by Sion.]

[ As a side effect of 'brainwashing', the display of disgust is temporarily suspended. ]

“Odette.”

A sweet voice. She felt her eyes opening at once. Her brain seemed to melt.

'You son of a bitch.'

Odette chewed the inside of her mouth because she realized what that bastard was trying to do to her.

Mind control. That damn guy is trying to mess with her mind with his supernatural powers.

She's seen a similar scene in <Sion Route>. Charlotte had something like this happen to her too.

“Cry all you want, Odette. I want to see you beg.”

< Laugh out loud, Charlotte. I want to see you happy. >

Now, it was the exact opposite of the dialogue she saw in the game.

Charlotte smiled lovingly, falling for this mind control. From that moment on, Sion realized that his feelings were affection.

Odette felt her lips tremble. She felt like she was dying to cry. She felt like begging to be let out.

Tears were about to burst out.

But she didn't want to give in. She didn't want to do whatever the bastard who trampled on her handkerchief said.

'Besides, if the brainwashing works properly, I won't remember this moment at all. I'll happily follow whatever orders Sion gives me.'

If one of Sion's orders involves purification, Odette will be caught as a fake purifier.

She gritted her teeth.

The good news is that this isn't just a hardship for her.

It's not usually difficult for that kid to use his S-class supernatural ability to this degree.

It's like pouring a huge amount of seawater and dropping it in the amount of a dropper. That's probably why he was sweating coldly.

Well, if he had used his S-class ability as it was, Odette would have cried like crazy and died of exhaustion a long time ago.

Odette just glared at him, not crying at all. Then a surprised voice came out of Sion's mouth.

“...This is unexpected.”

'I'm not gonna cry, so eat some shit, you little watchdog.'

If you're transcendent, can you just crush other people's pride? You should just cry and beg, you filthy bastard.

Odette just focused on her anger.

'Cry. If you cry, you will feel better.'

To resist the urge to burst into tears at any moment, following the brain that endlessly gives her orders.

But as Sion furrowed his brow slightly and his golden eyes became a little darker, tears welled up in her eyes.

She felt like a dam holding back her own tears, about to burst.

'Ha, this is my limit. I can't stand it anymore.'

It was at that moment that the method occurred to her.

'Status window. Do I have to receive both the mental and physical debuffs at the same time?'

[ No. A separate settlement is possible. ]

How fortunate I am to have lived a life where I had to hold back tears so many times.

Odette knew what was best for holding back tears: fear, and pain.

'Cancel just the delay on the mental debuff.'

[Cancels mental debuff delay.]

[Starting calculating mental power debuffs.]

Odette was wondering how she could settle the mental debuff without falling asleep... A vivid hallucination appeared before her eyes.

In this place, not the Erwin Desert, she had a hallucination of Karl flying straight at her and slicing her neck with his axe.

'Ugh!'

Soon, a vivid pain came over her. It was the same pain she felt the moment her neck was cut.

[The 'owner of the necklace' enters a state of panic. Sion's 'brainwashing' is forcibly lifted.]

But soon, something in her head that was trying to make her cry suddenly disappeared.

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