KFBRV - Chapter 112



I smiled bitterly.

“The tables have turned. It would be correct to say that Lady Brentano hates me.”

When Odette answered like that, Karin's face distorted again.

It wasn't just because Odette was a villain and didn't fit Karin's moral nature that she hated her.

The Duke of Brentano and Count Albrecht were originally enemies with opposing political views.

'In my past life, I didn't know why she always glared at me.'

Now she knows. How active Count Albrecht was in the Emperor's efforts to exterminate the Duke of Brentano fifteen years ago.

That it was her father who led the charge and framed the Duke of Brentano for treason.

In return, he received half of the Duchy of Brentano. Of course, the business-minded Count had it coming.

It means that her father is the one who made the Brentano Dukes into the beggars they are today.

“I... did nothing wrong.”

Karin said so.

“I know. From Young Lady's perspective, it’s natural for you to dislike me. It’s the right thing to do, so I don’t intend to blame Karin.”

It's a bit bittersweet because Odette really liked this character in the game.

“That’s not it-. Haa...”

Lady Brentano looked at Odette with a blank expression as if she didn't know where to start.

Silence fell between them again.

“...”

Fortunately, Karin seemed to have calmed down a bit.

'Still... I guess it would be better to at least give some advice?'

“But don’t join hands with Dolly. To be blunt, she’s not someone you can have as an ally.”

"...Yes?"

Lady Brentano looked at her with surprised eyes. Her expression was a bit blank.

“I understand that you hate me, but... Dolly isn’t the only one who hates me, right? Even if you want to bully me, you’d be better off finding a better ally than Dolly. She’s cunning and treacherous.”

At Odette's words, Karin bit her lip and her face turned pale.

“...Why... such advice....”

“I like Young Lady quite a bit.”

“Lady Odette likes me? Don’t lie. If you liked me, you wouldn’t be doing this.”

"... Yes?"

“How could you like me and think I was holding hands with that girl?! Why, why is your voice so agitated?”

“Just a moment, Karin. Calm down for a moment and-”

“As expected, Lady Odette hates me! My life is ruined!”

She started crying tears like chicken shit again.

'... What is this?... This?'

Odette likes Karin. But what she just said was useless, so she'd rather tell her objective facts than her feelings about Karin.

“Lady Brentano, you are the most excellent lady in society. I am the worst of the villainesses. So even if I hate you, Lady Brentano’s reputation will not be tarnished in the least.”

“...”

“On the contrary, Young Lady’s reputation will go up? So, it’s a leap to say that your life is ruined-”

Odette continued speaking calmly, but Lady Brentano glared at her for a moment, then began to cry again.

Odette goes crazy and jumps for joy.

'Was Karin originally like this?'

She's completely confused by the collapse of Brentano's character.

In <Redemption>, Karin is a mature and cool character.

A woman who willingly gives up her status as a top lady in society to Charlotte and makes a grand exit.

A rival who never wavers no matter how hard Charlotte tries to win!

...Where did she go... and only the girl crying like a child was left...

Odette looked at Lady Brentano in bewilderment, who was crying as if her life was ruined.

'I'm the one who wants to cry...'

“Well, Lady Brentano. If I hate you, it’s actually to my advantage, isn’t it? I’m a terrible villainess and you’re the most beautiful lady in society.”

Even though Odette reputation on the Isle of Athena has just improved, the salons are under a duty of secrecy, so the capital's society will still regard her as a villainess.

Besides, Karin is a socialite, so even if Odette completely raised her reputation, she wouldn't be able to reach her-

“Who cares about that kind of reputation... I didn’t want to look pathetic, at least to you.”

"... Yes?"

Oh my God. 'You'?

Now Karin seemed to have thrown away even the most basic formalities.

“I want to disappear like this..."

Lady Brentanotried to rub her crying eyes with her hands. Odette grabbed her hands.

“Karin!”

She was getting anxious, so she called her out as she used to when she was Han Soo-wan. She had to stop that at least.

If Karin rubs her eyes and they get puffy and swollen, that means Odette's reputation is going to go to hell.

“Don’t rub it, it’ll look like you’ve been crying.”

At those words, Lady Brentano paused in surprise.

“Let me touch your face for a moment.”

Odette made Lady Brentano raise her head slightly. Then she opened the window.

You need to get some cold air so that your eyes don't swell up anymore.

“Karin, I never once thought of you as pathetic.”

“Huh, huh. Really?”

“Of course. You are considered a socialite. That is much cooler than the flower-like reputation I hear.”

“Aside from the evaluation... Lady Odette’s thoughts...”

‘If you hate me, why are you curious about my thoughts...?!’

Odette couldn't figure out Karin's feelings at all.

...Is this a ruse...? Or an act...

This is the first time since her regression that she's been this flustered, and she even had those thoughts.

“I think so too. Because I knew better than anyone how wonderful a young lady Karin was.”

Through games, that is.

“And I know how much hard work it took to do that. Knowledge, education, and being born into a good family aren’t things that can be easily acquired. Besides, Karin, even though you don’t have money, is still reducing the taxes of the people who suffered damage from the disaster.”

Odette said, fanning Karin's eyes hard with her hand to keep them from swelling.

“I think Karin is cool.”

That was the moment.

[ Condition met! Would you like to check the 'Karin' of your past life?

YES / NO ]

[Rewards will be given upon confirmation!]

[Reward: Invisible Truth (Dagger)]

Once again, an alarm that wasn't there in <Redemption> rang.

'Following Karl, you're showing me another character's past?'

Even this time it says 'past life'. How can it show an event that doesn't even exist?

...It’s weird. And doesn’t this status window feel like it’s evolving the more you use it?

'After seeing Karl's past, the functions of the status window have also diversified significantly.'

It was a moment when she was about to press NO to refuse, feeling uneasy.

[ This is a choice you will regret in 4 months. Please choose carefully. ]

Odette stopped in her tracks in surprise.

...Four months later, isn’t that the day Charlotte was supposed to reappear? The day she was supposed to finish her revenge.

It's clearly 4 months later, so if the status window can't see into the future, it can't show such a notification.

And isn't it asserting that it is a 'choice I will regret'? Isn't that something that can only be said if you fully understand my purpose, intention, and emotional state?

At that moment, the 'NO' letter in the status window broke with a chi-chi-jik sound and was replaced with other letters.

[ YES / YES ]

Anyway, she guesses she'll have to cancel her hypothesis that this necklace is something like the status window of <Redemption>...

'If you can guess the emotional state of the future, it's not like the status window in a game. It's something that goes far beyond that.'

While Odette was lost in thought, the status window beeped as if urging her to do so.

'You only gave me two yeses and asked me to choose one.'

She has no choice but to accept it.

Odette finally pressed YES. At the same time, her surroundings changed.

***

All education in the Empire begins with Brentano.

From the moment she was born with that surname, Karin was always meant to be a socialite. A debutante and a flawless role model.

“Don’t give up on Albrecht. You must never give up on it!”

Duke Brentano, who lost his family fortune due to Albretch's machinations, raised Karin very strictly.

Adding to the fact that the Count was a doting father, the Duke decided to make it Karin's goal to defeat Odette.

Because he wanted to hurt the Count even that way.

“Yes, Father. I will.”

Fortunately, Karin had both the desire and the talent for etiquette. Although they had no money, the Brentano family was still overflowing with talent.

It would be enough to win, even for an uneducated Albrecht's daughter.

Then he saw the boy. Albrecht, who was always a little more perfect than he was, from head to toe.


Previous                Next



Support Novellate!

        Buy Me A Coffee

Comments