When she opened her eyes, Odette was standing in a huge bedroom. A bearskin fur was hanging on the wall.
'Where am I?'
As Odette turned her head from where she was standing, a window came into view.
An endless snowy field spread out outside the window. An endless snowstorm.
“Inside the castle of the Kingdom of Fenrir?”
Odette muttered and touched the rough stone wall. Even though her clothes were too thin for this place, she didn't feel cold at all. It was as if she were in a dream.
It was then that a woman's scream-like voice was heard inside the room.
“Please, please. Just listen to me! I’ve never asked you to do something like this.”
When Odette turned her head, she saw a woman who looked like a Queen lying on the floor, crying and pleading.
“You... Calm down for now. Karl is still a child.”
'Karl?'
Only then did Odette notice the small baby bed in the middle of the room, and the baby lying inside it with an indifferent expression.
'No. It's not so much indifferent as... It's more like an expression that shows no emotion...'
The Queen swung her finger at the baby as if she was very disgusted.
“It’s been like that since he was in the womb. I find that kid so creepy. It’s scary. There’s something off about that kid. It gives me goosebumps!”
"You."
“I know, having carried his in my belly. That child’s very existence is a curse. That child will ruin our clan. Yes, like an oracle! That child will be a living curse, destruction itself. I think that child is a greater disaster than the disaster that appears in the air! So please, please...”
“...That child was born with strength greater than mine. I have never seen such red eyes before. Even if you asked me to, I don’t know if I could defeat that child...”
The King's voice was softer than before.
“But you are still stronger. You have to kill him before he grows up. No one else can make this choice except you, the leader.”
Odette was startled by those words and called the Queen.
“Hey! That’s too much!”
But they made no response. It seemed as if they could not hear Odette's voice or see her.
Odette realized at that moment that this was a point in the past, a memory that the status window was showing.
“...That’s impossible. Even if I use all my strength, that newborn baby will probably beat me. It’s already too late. I should have killed him right after it was born.”
The King's voice seemed helpless. The Queen's face became completely stern.
“Skadi, I feel the same way. That kid... is not normal in and of itself. He’s more of a living weapon than a human.”
“Well, then what about that? There’s ‘command’ in the wolf’s power. What about giving orders to that kid?”
“Skadi...”
He groaned. The Queen's face brightened as if she had hope.
“What if I carve the order? Since he was born as a weapon anyway, I should at least make it a weapon that protects the Fenrir clan.”
“..”
“That kid has no emotions. He won’t even resist orders.”
The Queen trembled as if even that fact was unsettling.
Finally, the crowned King slowly walked towards the bed and placed his palm on the child's eyes.
The baby, who was staring into space, didn't even cry when his father's hand covered his eyes.
“You... become a weapon for Fenrir.”
The King's eyes glowed red. His voice rang low. The air around him resonated and responded.
“Put the Fenrir clan before yourself. Grow as a living weapon for the clan, and fulfill only your duty as that weapon. Risk your life for the dead Fenrir, and dedicate your future to the young Fenrir. Cherish every little thing in the Fenrir kingdom more than your own person.”
Odette held her breath at the King's command.
“Your heart, your body. Use them all as objects to protect the Fenrir clan. If anything is attacking the Fenrir kingdom, sacrifice yourself to eliminate it. The only value of your existence lies in eliminating the enemies of Fenrir.”
That was the moment.
“If you can’t kill it with your overwhelming power, then capture it. Otherwise, you will only feel hellish despair.”
The newborn baby, whose red eyes were shining the same color as his father, glanced over to where Odette was.
'I won't be visible to that kid.'
Strangely enough, the child and Odette's eyes met exactly.
As if a sensitive beast had noticed her presence.
The surrounding vision returned.
Odette looked at the clock inside the cabin. Only one second had passed.
She looked at the status window that appeared before her eyes.
[Changes in the actual disgust level of 'Carl']
[ Initial Dislike : 0 ]
[ Current Dislike Level : 0 ]
[ All changes in perceived disgust : 0 ]
This time there were no red windows, they were all pink.
'The disgusting change status window I saw was all fake?'
['Karl's Disgust' is a hypothetical value displayed assuming a situation in which Karl can feel emotions.]
[ Karl feels little emotion. ]
What the status window just showed must be the truth about Karl.
Then, Karl is not trying to take revenge on the empire out of his own 'revenge'.
Without any emotions, he is just mechanically carrying out his father's order to 'protect the Fenrir clan'.
Odette looked at Karl and gave him an order.
“Karl, I have no plans to die. So suicide is something I will never do. So don’t be so cocky and take your hand off my arm.”
Karl meekly released the hold on his hand.
“I was joking, Master. Since I have already imprinted on you, I cannot use force against you.”
'You speak well. But you exude such suffocating intimidation.'
That feeling of oppression has now completely disappeared.
“If you can’t kill it with your overwhelming power, then capture it.”
When Karl decides that he needs to capture Odette, the pressure disappears right away. That too must be the power of his father's command.
'Using Karl's truth will come later. For now, I have to finish cleaning the Count's house today.'
After making that judgment, Odette changed the subject.
“Oh, that’s right. I heard that the recovery of the remains from the Kingdom of Fenrir is almost finished.”
As soon as she pulled out the bait that would move Karl, his eyes immediately lit up.
“I was planning to give you a funeral at the level of a national funeral for a hero of the Kingdom of Fenrir, but you are disobeying my orders like this.”
Only when she clicked her tongue did Karl look at her again with his slave eyes. Respectful, eyes that treated Odette like his master.
“I was wrong, Master. I will move immediately.”
Odette sat up, looking at Karl, who was kneeling on one knee and apologizing to her.
“Raise your head.”
At her command, Karl raised his head from his knees.
Odette gently grabbed Karl's neck with her hand.
“Don’t ever joke with me like that again. Don’t even think about grabbing my wrist like that again. This is the last time I’ll overlook a slave’s mistake.”
“Master.”
“If you make another mistake like this, I’ll throw you out immediately. I hate people who don’t know their place. I’ll never give you a second chance.”
Then Karl's expression hardened. Unless she died of her own accord, Karl had to seduce her and take her out of the empire.
So the word abandonment must be terrifying. Karl said, getting down on both knees and bending his head so low that it almost hit the floor.
“I’m sorry, Master. It was my fault.”
Odette looked down at him for a while, then reluctantly put a hand on Karl's shoulder as if she were a superior encouraging a subordinate.
“Yes, don’t make any more mistakes. Replace today’s rudeness with following my orders this time.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Go now. If you complete this order well, I will grant you another wish.”
Odette waved her hand, her voice thick with fatigue.
Karl got up to leave the cabin and said to her:
“Meeting you, Master is the greatest luck I have ever had.”
With a faint smile that you wouldn't notice at all if you didn't look closely.
'Where am I?'
As Odette turned her head from where she was standing, a window came into view.
An endless snowy field spread out outside the window. An endless snowstorm.
“Inside the castle of the Kingdom of Fenrir?”
Odette muttered and touched the rough stone wall. Even though her clothes were too thin for this place, she didn't feel cold at all. It was as if she were in a dream.
It was then that a woman's scream-like voice was heard inside the room.
“Please, please. Just listen to me! I’ve never asked you to do something like this.”
When Odette turned her head, she saw a woman who looked like a Queen lying on the floor, crying and pleading.
“You... Calm down for now. Karl is still a child.”
'Karl?'
Only then did Odette notice the small baby bed in the middle of the room, and the baby lying inside it with an indifferent expression.
'No. It's not so much indifferent as... It's more like an expression that shows no emotion...'
The Queen swung her finger at the baby as if she was very disgusted.
“It’s been like that since he was in the womb. I find that kid so creepy. It’s scary. There’s something off about that kid. It gives me goosebumps!”
"You."
“I know, having carried his in my belly. That child’s very existence is a curse. That child will ruin our clan. Yes, like an oracle! That child will be a living curse, destruction itself. I think that child is a greater disaster than the disaster that appears in the air! So please, please...”
“...That child was born with strength greater than mine. I have never seen such red eyes before. Even if you asked me to, I don’t know if I could defeat that child...”
The King's voice was softer than before.
“But you are still stronger. You have to kill him before he grows up. No one else can make this choice except you, the leader.”
Odette was startled by those words and called the Queen.
“Hey! That’s too much!”
But they made no response. It seemed as if they could not hear Odette's voice or see her.
Odette realized at that moment that this was a point in the past, a memory that the status window was showing.
“...That’s impossible. Even if I use all my strength, that newborn baby will probably beat me. It’s already too late. I should have killed him right after it was born.”
The King's voice seemed helpless. The Queen's face became completely stern.
“Skadi, I feel the same way. That kid... is not normal in and of itself. He’s more of a living weapon than a human.”
“Well, then what about that? There’s ‘command’ in the wolf’s power. What about giving orders to that kid?”
“Skadi...”
He groaned. The Queen's face brightened as if she had hope.
“What if I carve the order? Since he was born as a weapon anyway, I should at least make it a weapon that protects the Fenrir clan.”
“..”
“That kid has no emotions. He won’t even resist orders.”
The Queen trembled as if even that fact was unsettling.
Finally, the crowned King slowly walked towards the bed and placed his palm on the child's eyes.
The baby, who was staring into space, didn't even cry when his father's hand covered his eyes.
“You... become a weapon for Fenrir.”
The King's eyes glowed red. His voice rang low. The air around him resonated and responded.
“Put the Fenrir clan before yourself. Grow as a living weapon for the clan, and fulfill only your duty as that weapon. Risk your life for the dead Fenrir, and dedicate your future to the young Fenrir. Cherish every little thing in the Fenrir kingdom more than your own person.”
Odette held her breath at the King's command.
“Your heart, your body. Use them all as objects to protect the Fenrir clan. If anything is attacking the Fenrir kingdom, sacrifice yourself to eliminate it. The only value of your existence lies in eliminating the enemies of Fenrir.”
That was the moment.
“If you can’t kill it with your overwhelming power, then capture it. Otherwise, you will only feel hellish despair.”
The newborn baby, whose red eyes were shining the same color as his father, glanced over to where Odette was.
'I won't be visible to that kid.'
Strangely enough, the child and Odette's eyes met exactly.
As if a sensitive beast had noticed her presence.
***
The surrounding vision returned.
Odette looked at the clock inside the cabin. Only one second had passed.
She looked at the status window that appeared before her eyes.
[Changes in the actual disgust level of 'Carl']
[ Initial Dislike : 0 ]
[ Current Dislike Level : 0 ]
[ All changes in perceived disgust : 0 ]
This time there were no red windows, they were all pink.
'The disgusting change status window I saw was all fake?'
['Karl's Disgust' is a hypothetical value displayed assuming a situation in which Karl can feel emotions.]
[ Karl feels little emotion. ]
What the status window just showed must be the truth about Karl.
Then, Karl is not trying to take revenge on the empire out of his own 'revenge'.
Without any emotions, he is just mechanically carrying out his father's order to 'protect the Fenrir clan'.
Odette looked at Karl and gave him an order.
“Karl, I have no plans to die. So suicide is something I will never do. So don’t be so cocky and take your hand off my arm.”
Karl meekly released the hold on his hand.
“I was joking, Master. Since I have already imprinted on you, I cannot use force against you.”
'You speak well. But you exude such suffocating intimidation.'
That feeling of oppression has now completely disappeared.
“If you can’t kill it with your overwhelming power, then capture it.”
When Karl decides that he needs to capture Odette, the pressure disappears right away. That too must be the power of his father's command.
'Using Karl's truth will come later. For now, I have to finish cleaning the Count's house today.'
After making that judgment, Odette changed the subject.
“Oh, that’s right. I heard that the recovery of the remains from the Kingdom of Fenrir is almost finished.”
As soon as she pulled out the bait that would move Karl, his eyes immediately lit up.
“I was planning to give you a funeral at the level of a national funeral for a hero of the Kingdom of Fenrir, but you are disobeying my orders like this.”
Only when she clicked her tongue did Karl look at her again with his slave eyes. Respectful, eyes that treated Odette like his master.
“I was wrong, Master. I will move immediately.”
Odette sat up, looking at Karl, who was kneeling on one knee and apologizing to her.
“Raise your head.”
At her command, Karl raised his head from his knees.
Odette gently grabbed Karl's neck with her hand.
“Don’t ever joke with me like that again. Don’t even think about grabbing my wrist like that again. This is the last time I’ll overlook a slave’s mistake.”
“Master.”
“If you make another mistake like this, I’ll throw you out immediately. I hate people who don’t know their place. I’ll never give you a second chance.”
Then Karl's expression hardened. Unless she died of her own accord, Karl had to seduce her and take her out of the empire.
So the word abandonment must be terrifying. Karl said, getting down on both knees and bending his head so low that it almost hit the floor.
“I’m sorry, Master. It was my fault.”
Odette looked down at him for a while, then reluctantly put a hand on Karl's shoulder as if she were a superior encouraging a subordinate.
“Yes, don’t make any more mistakes. Replace today’s rudeness with following my orders this time.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Go now. If you complete this order well, I will grant you another wish.”
Odette waved her hand, her voice thick with fatigue.
Karl got up to leave the cabin and said to her:
“Meeting you, Master is the greatest luck I have ever had.”
With a faint smile that you wouldn't notice at all if you didn't look closely.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment