Chapter 13
It was an impossible request—ordinarily, that is.
To disguise the extent of her father’s wealth, one would need the power to manipulate banking records on a systemic level.
Even beyond that, one would have to know all about the secret funds he operated behind closed doors.
But if it was Zion—the male lead of this world—if it was Marquis Kleist, the man who held the empire’s truths in his hands…
“That’s easy.”
“I also want to make sure that neither my father nor my family realizes the assets have been taken.”
“That’s easy too.”
She had expected it might be possible, but accepting it without even a moment of hesitation? And with a look that said it was boringly simple?
‘Should I be impressed that male leads really are on a different level? What an infuriatingly perfect bastard.’
Suppressing an emotion somewhere between awe and bitterness, Odette put down her teacup.
At the soft clink of porcelain, Zion continued speaking.
“But the scales aren’t balanced. Just getting the rat’s name isn’t worth much. I could shake it out of the nine targets in five minutes if I lean on them right.”
“…Your Excellency.”
‘You’re only going after those nine because I mentioned them first, you petty bastard.’
But she couldn’t protest. When Zion made that smug face in the game, trying to argue usually only provoked him further.
“On the other hand, what you’re asking of me requires direct effort. You want me to spend an entire day crafting a perfect illusion—one so flawless that no matter what your father does or who he pulls strings with, he’ll never spot the deception.”
“If the scales are unbalanced, I’ll just add more to my side, won’t I?”
“Do you even have anything else to offer? Don’t tell me you’re going to say you’ll purify whenever I want. I’ll pass on that.”
He sneered mockingly.
“Why not just ask me to take revenge for you instead? That would be cheaper.”
Odette’s voice turned cold as she warned him.
“If you dare lay a finger on them, I won’t forgive you. That revenge is mine. It has to be done by my own hand.”
Zion fell silent at that. His raised brows looked genuinely surprised.
‘Is he projecting his own past onto me?’
After all, he’s someone who spent his whole life avenging his mother.
‘If that’s the case, I should show him more of my own thirst for revenge.’
“You’ve got the right attitude,” he finally said. “Few people actually walk the talk—‘revenge must be carried out by one’s own hands.’”
“There’s only one way to reclaim stolen dignity. I have to cut out flesh and blood from the enemy equal to what was taken from me. It’s a matter of restoring my honor, so I have to be the one to see it through.”
Zion stared at her for a long while. The hatred and disdain that normally filled his violet eyes had gone dry.
She recognized the emotion behind it. It was solidarity—felt only by those who had chosen the path of vengeance.
“…Then put more on the scale, Albrecht. Let’s see what else you’ve got to offer.”
Among the things I know about this world, there’s nothing worth placing on the scale. Everything I could tell him, he likely already knows.
‘The only piece of info that would interest him is that I’m a fake purifier.’
But I’m never going to reveal that—not until the day I disappear.
Lying about being a purifier is a major crime. If the Albrecht family were caught committing “crimes against humanity,” the courts would drag my entire family away and punish them.
That would ruin everything. My revenge would be over.
Besides, if the male leads found out I was a fake, there’s no way they’d hold back their murderous intent.
The only reason they’re tolerating me is because they believe I’m a purifier.
“What if I tell you how to maximize the effect of the berserker suppressant?”
“Not even close. Unless you’ve developed a substitute purification drug, forget it.”
A bitter smile crossed her lips. In this world, developing such a drug was impossible. The whole point of the setting was that purification could only happen through physical contact—it was an R-rated game, after all.
‘…So this is my only card.’
Carefully, she opened her mouth.
“How about this—what if I offer to fulfill your greatest wish?”
He laughed in disbelief.
“You think you can do that?”
But his mocking vanished with her next words.
“I’ll disappear completely. Six months from now. In front of you and the other S-rank Transcendents.”
“…What?”
“Transcendents can never harm a purifier. If they do, they’re punished by the gods with terrible retribution.”
“…”
“The only way to get rid of me is for me to leave on my own. So why don’t I just do that for you?”
“You’re the only purifier. Leaving the capital—”
“Six months from now, you won’t need me anymore. I swear it in the name of the gods. There won’t be any side effects. It won’t harm the Transcendents.”
Only then did he seem intrigued. Apparently, he liked what she’d placed on the scale.
“There wasn’t even a hint that your company would release a purifier substitute in six months.”
She expected that. He probably had agents embedded even in the company.
“I’ve sworn on the name of the gods. All you need to do is say whether what I offered pleases you.”
A purifier who breaks a vow made in the name of the gods is punished. As long as he believes she’s real, he has no choice but to believe the oath.
“Six months,” Zion said slowly, nodding—his way of agreeing.
“You’ve put something good on the scale. I’m surprised by how much I like it.”
He even smiled, a rare sight. The kind of smile he usually only showed around Charlotte.
“Then I’ll add something to the scale, too. Any money your family uses from now on will be recorded as debt owed to me. Don’t worry, it won’t affect your personal assets.”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Good. Anything else you want?”
“Destroy all the criminal enterprises my family is involved in. And make sure the victims get proper compensation. You can take that from my own assets if needed.”
“I can ruin the businesses, but the cost stays on your family’s debt tab. Kids who coddle their parents too much end up raising monsters.”
She nodded in agreement. If it meant the Albrechts suffered more, she had no complaints.
Zion extended a hand, as if to shake on it. He only did this when he genuinely liked a deal.
‘So you really are that happy about me disappearing, huh?’
Suppressing a flicker of bitterness, she took his hand.
She knew how cleanly Zion handled things. Now it was just up to her to do her part.
‘The groundwork for revenge is set. Now I can plan all I want.’
She would break her family’s souls—leave them in ruins. She would make sure they lived in constant regret, day after day. That their nights were lonely and miserable.
She would make them just like her. Until there was nothing left but fragments of a soul.
‘Getting what I wanted from that private talk—great. If only the ending had been happy, it would’ve been perfect.’
Odette was now cradled in Zion’s arms, looking thoroughly displeased.
‘Why am I riding a Transcendent and not in a carriage?’
She had felt off after touching Night Glory, sure… but to collapse right as she was leaving?
Her fever had spiked so high she couldn’t even stand, which is why she was now in this humiliating position.
Noticing her discomfort, Zion frowned.
“You said we need to get back before dawn so no one knows you came to the palace, right? This is the best option.”
True enough. A horse couldn’t match the speed of an S-rank Transcendent. He was faster than even the KTX she used to ride in her modern life.
‘He’s sprinting at this speed without breaking a sweat, and his voice doesn’t even waver while talking.’
The existence of Transcendents suddenly felt real. Beautiful monsters of the gods—that nickname now made perfect sense.
…Still, being carried like a princess was beyond embarrassing.
“It’s the posture. It’s awkward.”
Odette sighed as she spoke.
“No one’s watching, so what’s the big deal? It’s not like I enjoy this. Just stay quiet.”
Despite hating physical contact with her, he was carrying her willingly. Must’ve liked their deal a lot.
‘So promising to disappear really lowered his disgust. Impressive.’
Afraid of raising that disgust level again, Odette kept her mouth shut.
With the world around them silent, her eyes fell on Zion’s face.
‘No wonder he’s the male lead. Even from this angle, there’s not a shred of humiliation.’
His face was sleek and aristocratically handsome.
‘More seductive than the crown prince, even.’
His purple eyes and silver hair gave off a languid vibe, and the tear-shaped beauty mark under his eye was dangerously alluring.
Like a male gumiho, maybe? His voice, too—oddly husky, much deeper than his appearance would suggest—was downright hypnotic.
“You’ve been completely ignoring your duties as a purifier. Is that because you’re illiterate? You’ve never even submitted a single report about your Awakening Dream.”
Awakening Dream? What’s that? Odette gave him a puzzled look.
“You don’t even know what that is?”
It was a concept that had never appeared in the game <Dangun’s Garden>, or in the lorebook. Odette nodded.
“…No.”
“Click. They really did raise you like a perfect idiot.”
Zion clicked his tongue in frustration and continued.
“The Awakening Dream is the dream a purifier has when they awaken. Water appears in proportion to their purification power. A cup, a bottle, a fountain—doesn’t matter what it’s in, as long as it’s water.”
‘Ah… there was a scene like that in Charlotte’s dream in the game.’
An overwhelming, crimson river so vivid it was mesmerizing.
But Odette had never had such a dream. Of course not—she was a perfect fake, confirmed by the game’s lore and her past life.
“I don’t remember it very well. It was so long ago.”
She covered it up with a lie.
‘The only dream I ever had looked vaguely like an ocean. And that was before I was hit with Mengele—nothing like that after I turned fifteen.’
