Chapter 21
Soon, golden letters floated up on the white light. Just like a status window in a game.
[ Necklace Created by the Primordial Transcendent ]
[ You can see the emotions that those around you feel toward the “Owner of the Necklace.” ]
[ Would you like to set the owner as “Odette Lina von Albrecht”? ]
“Yes.”
[ The necklace has successfully bonded. ]
[ Please select the emotion you wish to view:
Affection
Hatred ]
“I want to know the level of hatred.”
Odette gave her command.
At that moment, the white light emitted by the necklace turned black, then slowly faded away.
With a clinking sound, the necklace dropped back onto the bedside table.
She opened the locket and found inside a hollow, transparent octahedral gem—just like when she had played the game.
‘Only I, the owner, will see it like this. To everyone else, it’ll look like a normal watch.’
This locket necklace was a tool used in the Zion Route to determine whether characters felt affection or hostility toward Charlotte.
It was meant to help Charlotte survive the brutal political intrigue within the Marquisate of Kleist.
‘Since Charlotte had a full status window, she never really needed to use this on the male leads…’
Their affection levels were always displayed on her status window, so there was no reason to bother with a tool that had so many restrictions.
In contrast, Odette—who wasn’t the main character—had no choice but to use it only on the male leads.
[ Necklace Created by the Primordial Transcendent
Can be used twice per day to read the emotions of those nearby.
Once activated, the effect lasts for 1 hour.
After 1 use: 24-hour physical debuff from midnight.
After 2 uses: 24-hour mental debuff from midnight. (cumulative)
Caution: On first activation, you must choose between viewing either Affection or Hatred. This choice is permanent and cannot be changed. ]
The price of using it on others was simply too steep. That was why she had chosen hatred.
The male leads’ affection stats were of absolutely no use to her.
‘Seeing this status window makes it feel real. Like I’m really inside the game world.’
Because she had lived in this world once before, it never truly felt like a game. She had only understood it in theory—until now.
Now, it hit her like a wave.
That this world was the one designed for her to be hated as a villainess.
That she should never even dream of being loved here.
‘Talk about a harsh reality check.’
It was then—
Knock knock!
She heard a tapping sound on the glass door of the balcony.
‘What was that?’
Re-fastening the necklace around her neck, she pulled back the curtain covering the window. Standing on the balcony was a blond-haired man.
“…!”
Odette gasped.
A dream where she was endlessly chased by the Transcendent… A reality check forced by the status window… And now, the face of the Transcendent appearing right after?
The timing was so cursed it made even his handsome face look like that of a grim reaper from hell.
Out of instinctive fear, Odette stared at Johann with a pale face.
“Lady Albrecht.”
His voice rang out with a palpable awkwardness.
Johann was looking at her with eyes as cold as the sea. In that moment, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her.
‘I need to smile. Every ounce of hatred I accumulate will come back at me 61 times over.’
The 61-times beam. Odette repeated the cursed term to herself and adjusted her expression.
“…Your Highness.”
Odette barely managed to squeeze out a warm, welcoming voice. Opening the balcony door, she gathered her skirt and gave a curtsy.
“I greet the Little Sun of the Empire.”
Of course, it was all strategy—to ensure the burn scars on her legs were clearly visible to him.
Johann fell silent for a moment as he looked at the large, disfiguring scars.
“…No need for formalities this early in the morning.”
Odette immediately caught the faint trace of pity in his voice.
“Thank you.”
She deliberately made her curtsy slow, both to allow him time to fully absorb the sight of the scars—and to buy herself a moment to fix her expression.
When she lifted her head, a perfect smile was already on her lips.
Johann’s cold blue eyes weren’t quite as frosty as before.
This was their first reunion since she’d saved the Crown Prince from a berserking episode. Something had indeed changed, however slightly.
There was still a layer of disgust, but also a hint of guilt—like someone who owed her something and didn’t quite know how to face her.
And even a tinge of sympathy in his gaze, probably because the scars made it clear she had been abused.
‘So the man who supposedly lives by knightly honor and military law really does stick to his settings. Look at him—so weak to a woman’s injuries.’
Even in the moment of her death, Johann had pitied her for losing her tongue.
With an awkward cough, Johann finally opened his mouth.
“I apologize for coming at such an improper hour, Lady Albrecht. But deceiving the Count left me no other option.”
Johann didn’t invoke the law of Barcheha, which stated “A monarch never apologizes. Royalty bows to no vassal.”
He really was a kind person—too kind, if only that kindness wasn’t being directed at her.
“Then we’re both guilty of rudeness. Please, Your Highness, don’t concern yourself with the formalities.”
She shrugged lightly, her tone breezy and casual. That was the kind of personality Johann liked: unpretentious.
“Besides, deceiving my father is far more important, isn’t it?”
Her voice was like a spring breeze—neither sharp nor defensive.
Surprised by her unfamiliar demeanor, Johann blinked, then continued in a slightly awkward tone.
“Your father is putting on a fine performance at the palace.”
His pronunciation of “your father” was practically venomous, unable to hide his contempt for the abuser.
“He’s insisting that his daughter will die unless she’s purified with diamond dust, and he’s pretending to be heartbroken.”
“My brother must be helping him too.”
Odette responded with a light chuckle and covertly touched the locket around her neck.
She was planning to time it just right to check Johann’s hatred level.
‘You had to open the locket directly the first time to get a reading.’
“How long do you intend to continue pretending to be berserk?”
“Until the last day of the Founding Festival. After that, it’ll be politically difficult to maintain the lie. We can’t leave a national disaster unchecked for too long. Since today is the first day of the festival… that gives us about a week.”
‘Wait… I’ve been unconscious for three days?’
Although shocked, Odette remained composed and nodded calmly.
“I see. Thank you for letting me know.”
‘Every day counts. How much time did I lose? I have to start moving immediately.’
Even if Johann dropped the act after the festival, there’d likely be a buffer of a few days.
Considering Zion’s twisted personality, there was no way he’d release the Count immediately.
Even now, Zion was holding the Count back at the palace with his usual vile temperament.
Thanks to that, the Count hadn’t yet heard of Odette’s recent defiance toward the Countess.
‘He’ll keep him at the palace to torment him with false hope until the very end. Zion wouldn’t pass up the chance to return every insult he’s suffered.’
So Odette had roughly ten days while her father was away—a dangerously tight window, but just enough to execute her full plan.
“I came today to reward you for purifying me. I owe you a debt, and it’s only proper to repay it.”
A reward for purification.
That phrase brought Odette a sense of relief. After all, what she’d done wasn’t true purification—just feeding him a powerful suppressant mixed with Night Glory.
She had feared that Johann might have figured it out.
‘He was unconscious at the time, I double-checked… but you never know.’
The Transcendent’s intuition could sometimes be absurdly sharp.
“Tell me what you want. No matter what it is. However much. Even the rarest jewels—I’ll give you anything.”
His tone was that of a man desperate to rid himself of a debt.
He was anxious. He wanted to sever all ties with her. He was practically itching to wipe the slate clean and walk away.
‘But I can’t let him do that.’
She had gone through all this trouble precisely to leave a debt behind. His guilt was her most valuable weapon.
Odette was always preparing for the worst.
That cursed 61 multiplier meant that even a hatred score of 2 could jump over 100 instantly.
She had to reduce the hatred of all four male leads to 0 or 1. But there was no guarantee she’d succeed.
She would try her best to change the future, but even one small mistake could ruin everything.
And if that happened, the only thing that could save her… was Johann’s guilt.
“What I want…”
As she hesitated, a breeze carried fine raindrops into the balcony.
Her wet chemise clung to her leg, and the moonlight revealed the scars.
“….”
Johann furrowed his brow in discomfort, pulling at the collar of his tight uniform. His Adam’s apple bobbed as if he’d swallowed dryly.
‘He must feel bad. The scar really is grotesque.’
His ears flushed red, and he suddenly avoided her gaze.
He looked like a knight tormented by guilt—a perfect picture of it.
‘If someone comes to remove their guilt, our job is to add a shot of extra guilt, isn’t it?’
Pity, too, was a kind of emotional debt. If he’d come to shed it, she had to double it in return.
Lowering her gaze, Odette opened her mouth in a slightly trembling voice.
