The next day, there were two headlines in the morning newspapers that heated up the island of Athena.
One is a good news article about Odette, the greatest villainess in the empire, saving and healing the residents of Athena Island.
Another scandal involved Count Albrecht, who was held in high esteem as a model nobleman and an ideal man of character.
Of the two pieces of news, the latter one garnered by far the most overwhelming response.
In these types of scandals, it's common for women to get more attention, but this time it was the other way around.
In contrast to the unknown Mrs. Becker, Count Albrecht was a very famous person.
The greatest angel of donation. The object of admiration for the common people.
As he was held in high esteem as the greatest person in the empire, the twist of having an affair with his wife's maid was provocative.
But it wasn't just because of the Count's fame.
“Transparency!!!”
It was because his response was so ugly.
Adultery was certainly a condemnable act in a monogamous empire, but that did not mean that Count Albrecht was the only one among the nobles to commit adultery.
But the only one who was caught in the act of adultery in such an ugly way was the Count.
"Leaving your lover alone is an extremely cowardly and mean act. Where has the gentlemanly spirit of Count Albrecht, who was so admired, gone?"
Journalists also harshly criticized his cowardice and meanness, even going so far as to draw cartoons featuring the Count as the main character.
A comical cartoon of the Count, with his pants off, proudly shouting 'transparency' at a ring.
Newspapers competitively published photos taken from as many angles as there were reporters there.
But the Count could not see the paper, for he could not bear the mere thought of their ridicule, and so he left the island of Athena before the morning paper was distributed.
The Count's expression as he hurriedly woke Odette up at dawn looked like he was on the verge of going crazy.
It made sense. From the Count's perspective, he had only gotten a little drunk at the dinner party, but when he opened his eyes, he found himself in the middle of a terrible nightmare.
He probably couldn't even imagine that Karl had brought him to a foreign garden while he was drunk, so he must have been so frustrated that he couldn't understand what was going on.
Led by his hand, Odette was now returning to the Empire's mainland aboard the Count's sailing ship.
This was possible because the beach of Meursault was right across from the island of Athena, so the Count's sailing ship moored at his villa could be called right away.
Odette, standing on the deck, looked back at the cabin, tucking her hair and blowing in the sea breeze behind her ear.
'Well, with that personality, how could he possibly ride the royal cruise with other guests? He pathologically hates it when people make fun of him.'
Wasn't it the Count who ordered that no newspapers be placed on board the ship before setting sail, for fear that even the sailors might mock him? He even forced the captain to throw the morning papers he had brought into the sea right away.
Little did he know that the newspaper included a story about Odette's outing.
Don't be so focused on pretending to be serious and hiding your shame...
'By the time we arrive at the mainland of the empire, the capital will be abuzz with rumors about the Count, right?'
As such, the Count would refrain from even meeting his acquaintances for a while. So there was absolutely no way for him to know about her outing yesterday.
There was no way Ferdinand would have noticed her going out. He was so drunk that he got on the boat without knowing what was going on, and he was busy lying down with his bottle all the time.
Tiring-.
One is a good news article about Odette, the greatest villainess in the empire, saving and healing the residents of Athena Island.
Another scandal involved Count Albrecht, who was held in high esteem as a model nobleman and an ideal man of character.
Of the two pieces of news, the latter one garnered by far the most overwhelming response.
In these types of scandals, it's common for women to get more attention, but this time it was the other way around.
In contrast to the unknown Mrs. Becker, Count Albrecht was a very famous person.
The greatest angel of donation. The object of admiration for the common people.
As he was held in high esteem as the greatest person in the empire, the twist of having an affair with his wife's maid was provocative.
But it wasn't just because of the Count's fame.
“Transparency!!!”
It was because his response was so ugly.
Adultery was certainly a condemnable act in a monogamous empire, but that did not mean that Count Albrecht was the only one among the nobles to commit adultery.
But the only one who was caught in the act of adultery in such an ugly way was the Count.
"Leaving your lover alone is an extremely cowardly and mean act. Where has the gentlemanly spirit of Count Albrecht, who was so admired, gone?"
Journalists also harshly criticized his cowardice and meanness, even going so far as to draw cartoons featuring the Count as the main character.
A comical cartoon of the Count, with his pants off, proudly shouting 'transparency' at a ring.
Newspapers competitively published photos taken from as many angles as there were reporters there.
But the Count could not see the paper, for he could not bear the mere thought of their ridicule, and so he left the island of Athena before the morning paper was distributed.
***
The Count's expression as he hurriedly woke Odette up at dawn looked like he was on the verge of going crazy.
It made sense. From the Count's perspective, he had only gotten a little drunk at the dinner party, but when he opened his eyes, he found himself in the middle of a terrible nightmare.
He probably couldn't even imagine that Karl had brought him to a foreign garden while he was drunk, so he must have been so frustrated that he couldn't understand what was going on.
Led by his hand, Odette was now returning to the Empire's mainland aboard the Count's sailing ship.
This was possible because the beach of Meursault was right across from the island of Athena, so the Count's sailing ship moored at his villa could be called right away.
Odette, standing on the deck, looked back at the cabin, tucking her hair and blowing in the sea breeze behind her ear.
'Well, with that personality, how could he possibly ride the royal cruise with other guests? He pathologically hates it when people make fun of him.'
Wasn't it the Count who ordered that no newspapers be placed on board the ship before setting sail, for fear that even the sailors might mock him? He even forced the captain to throw the morning papers he had brought into the sea right away.
Little did he know that the newspaper included a story about Odette's outing.
Don't be so focused on pretending to be serious and hiding your shame...
'By the time we arrive at the mainland of the empire, the capital will be abuzz with rumors about the Count, right?'
As such, the Count would refrain from even meeting his acquaintances for a while. So there was absolutely no way for him to know about her outing yesterday.
There was no way Ferdinand would have noticed her going out. He was so drunk that he got on the boat without knowing what was going on, and he was busy lying down with his bottle all the time.
Tiring-.
That was when the status window rang.
[ ♡Quest Success♡ ]
[ All bad reputations you had have been removed!
> A wicked woman with a very wicked nature
> Selfish Purifier
>The flower of the arrogant social circle
[ ♡Quest Success♡ ]
[ All bad reputations you had have been removed!
> A wicked woman with a very wicked nature
> Selfish Purifier
>The flower of the arrogant social circle
> Young Lady, a shell with nothing in her head ]
[Remaining period: 2 days 15 hours]
[Quest successfully completed!]
[Reward: Restore 'Fame' function window]
It seemed that the guests at the summer palace had just finished reading the morning paper.
It's like she started seeing her differently.
[ Great. You have time left! You can choose a reward proportional to the 2 days left. (Choose one of the following rewards)
> Increases reputation by 20
> Disgust is also checked twice a day (5 times → 7 times)]
'Additional confirmation of disgust is also selected.'
Odette chose the reward without hesitation.
'As Charlotte acts strangely, I can't just check her disgust towards the male leads from now on.'
From now on, she plans to use disgust not only when distinguishing between the male protagonist and the enemy, but also when distinguishing between allies and enemies.
Anyway, right after she entrusted the work to Moeller yesterday, she checked his disgust level just in case, and it was worth checking.
[ Moeller's Dislike Level: 0 ]
She thought it would be useful, and it turned out to be just the reward she needed.
The second night on board was passing.
The Count was unable to move from his room due to seasickness. Ferdinand, upset that he had been forced to board the ship and had not been able to fully enjoy the pleasures of Athena Island, drank heavily again and lay down.
When the Count did not take care of her at all even after boarding the ship, Mrs. Becker became depressed and did not come out of her cabin.
In a ship where there was not a single person watching, Odette leisurely walked out onto the deck.
She was holding a birdcage in her hand.
“Here, eat this.”
Odette opened the cage door, let the white bird sit on her arm, and fed the bird crushed cookies.
It was a particularly smart messenger, a gift from Lady Brentano.
A messenger horse trained by Lady Brentano to travel to and from Canaris Square.
The bird trained Gisela's face several times the way Karin told her, so the note would probably fly to Gisela just fine.
'I sent a messenger to Malea yesterday, so it would be best to send a letter to Gisela now.'
Now that the Count was making a joke, he had no intention of ending it here. To further the matter, Maleah had to meet the Countess, and Gisela had to meet Paula.
Odette watched the white bird flying inland. It looked fantastic, crossing the moon and the sea.
Odette, who had been staring at the edge for a long time, turned her gaze below the deck.
'Should we go and see the artwork now?'
Below the deck of the ship was a storeroom for liquor and food. Even lower down was a place to store supplies.
And even further down, in a place where no light could reach, there was a cage containing a rectangular beast.
“Hello, Dolly? Rudolph?”
The man and woman who were crouching together in the cage looked back at Odette. Both of them had gladiator chokers hanging around their necks.
“Congratulations. You guys are now totally famous.”
Odette, holding a candle, smiled and waved the newspaper. She had secretly kept it, telling the captain to throw it away instead.
“Mrs. Becker, known as the Count’s lover, rushed at Dolly and Rudolph, who had caused this situation, and put something around their necks. Some speculate that the object may have been an ‘ancient gladiator’s choker.’”
Odette recited the article as it appeared in the candlelight.
“Odette...!”
Dolly's face was covered in bruises as she called out to Odette in anger.
To load them onto the ship, the Count hired thugs from the island of Athena to chase down these two men and imprison them in a cage.
Their faces were bruised, swollen, and torn from the injuries they sustained during the scuffle.
“They say that when you love someone, you start to resemble them. It seems like these two truly love each other? They’re already starting to resemble each other this much.”
When Odette also mocked the bruise on her right cheek, Dolly screamed in anger.
“It was you who set us up?!”
“You call that a question now? It’s so obvious just by looking at the situation.”
“Why did you come down? Are you trying to get us to take medicine?!”
“No way. What are you guys saying? Is it worth raising the price?”
“Then why did you come here? Why did you come here? Ooooooh! It’s because of you that I’m trapped like this!”
Odette folded the newspaper she was holding and threw it through the bars. The newspaper went through the bars and hit Dolly in the face before falling to the floor of the cage.
“Your article, there is still a part left, so read it all the way through. Just read the parts I highlighted with a pen.”
Odette even held the candle close to him. Odette, who was upset at being hit in the face, just grumbled, but Rudolph started to pick up the newspaper and read it.
“[The Ancient Gladiator’s Choker is a magical tool used in the ancient Colosseum. Once you set the time, it will not explode unless you kill the designated opponent within that time...] Possibly, an explosion?!”
At those words, Dolly and Rudolph became lost in thought.
“Po, explosion, what do you mean?”
“It’s literally a magical tool that explodes if you don’t kill your opponent within the time limit.”
“Hey, there’s a way to solve this, right? I came here to tell you because there is.”
“OlYes. Yes. If you have the key, you can unlock it.”
Odette said this and waved a crude key.
The main key held by the owner of the magic tool was already given to the Count by Mrs. Becker to appease his mood, and this was an emergency key.
'Karin took care of it separately in case I got hurt.'
Information, a messenger, and even a key, all in the form of a single handkerchief. Karin was giving Odette so much that it seemed like she was being too generous.
Dolly, seeing the key, quickly changed her voice to a submissive one.
“Oh, Miss... Did I just get a little cocky? I, I was so angry that I made a mistake.”
“Lady Odette, what Dolly did was not a great mistake. Please forgive her. Yes?”
Odette raised the corners of her mouth. In her past life, those guys had dared to ruin her and made a lot of money. That made their relationship even stronger.
“Don’t worry. I’m going to release it. But... unfortunately, there’s one problem. This key is for emergency use only. It can open any gladiator’s choker, but once it’s removed, it’s designed so that it can never be used again.”
It was literally an emergency key. A disposable key is designed to break the tip of the key immediately after one use.
"...Yes?"
“Unfortunately, that means only one of the two chokers can be released.”
[Remaining period: 2 days 15 hours]
[Quest successfully completed!]
[Reward: Restore 'Fame' function window]
It seemed that the guests at the summer palace had just finished reading the morning paper.
It's like she started seeing her differently.
[ Great. You have time left! You can choose a reward proportional to the 2 days left. (Choose one of the following rewards)
> Increases reputation by 20
> Disgust is also checked twice a day (5 times → 7 times)]
'Additional confirmation of disgust is also selected.'
Odette chose the reward without hesitation.
'As Charlotte acts strangely, I can't just check her disgust towards the male leads from now on.'
From now on, she plans to use disgust not only when distinguishing between the male protagonist and the enemy, but also when distinguishing between allies and enemies.
Anyway, right after she entrusted the work to Moeller yesterday, she checked his disgust level just in case, and it was worth checking.
[ Moeller's Dislike Level: 0 ]
She thought it would be useful, and it turned out to be just the reward she needed.
***
The second night on board was passing.
The Count was unable to move from his room due to seasickness. Ferdinand, upset that he had been forced to board the ship and had not been able to fully enjoy the pleasures of Athena Island, drank heavily again and lay down.
When the Count did not take care of her at all even after boarding the ship, Mrs. Becker became depressed and did not come out of her cabin.
In a ship where there was not a single person watching, Odette leisurely walked out onto the deck.
She was holding a birdcage in her hand.
“Here, eat this.”
Odette opened the cage door, let the white bird sit on her arm, and fed the bird crushed cookies.
It was a particularly smart messenger, a gift from Lady Brentano.
A messenger horse trained by Lady Brentano to travel to and from Canaris Square.
The bird trained Gisela's face several times the way Karin told her, so the note would probably fly to Gisela just fine.
'I sent a messenger to Malea yesterday, so it would be best to send a letter to Gisela now.'
Now that the Count was making a joke, he had no intention of ending it here. To further the matter, Maleah had to meet the Countess, and Gisela had to meet Paula.
Odette watched the white bird flying inland. It looked fantastic, crossing the moon and the sea.
Odette, who had been staring at the edge for a long time, turned her gaze below the deck.
'Should we go and see the artwork now?'
***
Below the deck of the ship was a storeroom for liquor and food. Even lower down was a place to store supplies.
And even further down, in a place where no light could reach, there was a cage containing a rectangular beast.
“Hello, Dolly? Rudolph?”
The man and woman who were crouching together in the cage looked back at Odette. Both of them had gladiator chokers hanging around their necks.
“Congratulations. You guys are now totally famous.”
Odette, holding a candle, smiled and waved the newspaper. She had secretly kept it, telling the captain to throw it away instead.
“Mrs. Becker, known as the Count’s lover, rushed at Dolly and Rudolph, who had caused this situation, and put something around their necks. Some speculate that the object may have been an ‘ancient gladiator’s choker.’”
Odette recited the article as it appeared in the candlelight.
“Odette...!”
Dolly's face was covered in bruises as she called out to Odette in anger.
To load them onto the ship, the Count hired thugs from the island of Athena to chase down these two men and imprison them in a cage.
Their faces were bruised, swollen, and torn from the injuries they sustained during the scuffle.
“They say that when you love someone, you start to resemble them. It seems like these two truly love each other? They’re already starting to resemble each other this much.”
When Odette also mocked the bruise on her right cheek, Dolly screamed in anger.
“It was you who set us up?!”
“You call that a question now? It’s so obvious just by looking at the situation.”
“Why did you come down? Are you trying to get us to take medicine?!”
“No way. What are you guys saying? Is it worth raising the price?”
“Then why did you come here? Why did you come here? Ooooooh! It’s because of you that I’m trapped like this!”
Odette folded the newspaper she was holding and threw it through the bars. The newspaper went through the bars and hit Dolly in the face before falling to the floor of the cage.
“Your article, there is still a part left, so read it all the way through. Just read the parts I highlighted with a pen.”
Odette even held the candle close to him. Odette, who was upset at being hit in the face, just grumbled, but Rudolph started to pick up the newspaper and read it.
“[The Ancient Gladiator’s Choker is a magical tool used in the ancient Colosseum. Once you set the time, it will not explode unless you kill the designated opponent within that time...] Possibly, an explosion?!”
At those words, Dolly and Rudolph became lost in thought.
“Po, explosion, what do you mean?”
“It’s literally a magical tool that explodes if you don’t kill your opponent within the time limit.”
“Hey, there’s a way to solve this, right? I came here to tell you because there is.”
“OlYes. Yes. If you have the key, you can unlock it.”
Odette said this and waved a crude key.
The main key held by the owner of the magic tool was already given to the Count by Mrs. Becker to appease his mood, and this was an emergency key.
'Karin took care of it separately in case I got hurt.'
Information, a messenger, and even a key, all in the form of a single handkerchief. Karin was giving Odette so much that it seemed like she was being too generous.
Dolly, seeing the key, quickly changed her voice to a submissive one.
“Oh, Miss... Did I just get a little cocky? I, I was so angry that I made a mistake.”
“Lady Odette, what Dolly did was not a great mistake. Please forgive her. Yes?”
Odette raised the corners of her mouth. In her past life, those guys had dared to ruin her and made a lot of money. That made their relationship even stronger.
“Don’t worry. I’m going to release it. But... unfortunately, there’s one problem. This key is for emergency use only. It can open any gladiator’s choker, but once it’s removed, it’s designed so that it can never be used again.”
It was literally an emergency key. A disposable key is designed to break the tip of the key immediately after one use.
"...Yes?"
“Unfortunately, that means only one of the two chokers can be released.”
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