Chapter 93
Then, Karl, still wearing the heavy restraint, lunged forward to bite Zion’s neck.
“Goodness. Your manners toward your master are terrible. A disciple like you clearly needs discipline.”
Zion casually blocked the boy and spoke.
“Fine. Actually, this works out well. The easiest way to remove intimidation is to beat someone almost to the point of death.”
Fast, heavy-hitting. Karl was a powerful monster, but Zion was S-rank—a divine monster. He had more experience than Karl.
He yanked the restraint around Karl’s neck and slammed him to the ground, then spoke while pressing Karl’s head down.
“Remember your master told you to suppress your intimidation? I’ll wipe that clean for you. If you want to obey your master, then take it quietly.”
Zion planned to beat Karl thoroughly, in every corner unnoticed by Odette, close enough to death but not actually killing him—painfully meticulous.
Bang!
With the sound of the steward’s gun and the dazzling trumpets, the hunting competition began.
The party on Athena Island was divided into two groups during the hunt.
One group consisted of nobles riding through the expansive forest on horseback, hunting, while the others stayed in the summer palace’s greenhouse gardens, conversing.
Of course, Count Albrecht joined the hunting group, as all the heads of noble families were in that group. Before leaving, he issued a low warning to Lady Becker and the head maid.
“Stay here. The two of you, keep a close watch on Odette.”
The nobles uninterested in hunting went to the rooftop terrace of the greenhouse garden for tea, binoculars in hand to watch the hunt. Odette would be in this group.
When a bird was hit, they would place bets on which hunter shot it, enjoying the game for leisure.
“Shall we go upstairs to place bets too?”
Count Lilienthal, attending on behalf of the empress, suggested. The young ladies and noblewomen moved together to the tea table set on the third-floor terrace.
The terrace, wide and shaded, had a colorful tea table set.
It was a beautiful space, but Odette had no intention of sitting still.
‘I just need to shake off Dolly…’
Lady Becker could not resist Odette anyway.
The problem was head maid Dolly, who was trying desperately to appear favorable to the fortress’s count. After the count had confined his wife to a convent, Dolly had overcompensated, showing excessive loyalty to his orders for two weeks.
‘With the fortress so strictly monitored, she’s barely taking her eyes off me even now.’
At that moment, with a Taang! sound, a bird fell. Odette snapped out of her thoughts.
“Oh my. Has it just started…?”
“What speed! That must be a transcendent. I bet 10 Atashas that the Crown Prince shot that one.”
“Hohoho. I’ll bet 20 Atashas on Marquis Kleist.”
“That bird hunter was His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Taang! Taang!
“Hoho, there’s barely time to place bets now.”
“The last two were by Marquis Kleist. Looks like today both S-ranks are flying all over.”
“Indeed. If we want to bet, we’ll have to focus completely on the gunshots.”
Taang! Taang!
“Ha, haha. Seems a little fast—”
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Tadang! Tadadang!
As the gunfire accelerated to terrifying speed, the smiling and chatting noblewomen stiffened.
Dudududududududududu!
The sound now could not have been from hunting rifles alone. When the machine gun sounded, the ladies were genuinely startled.
As a huge flock of birds fell from the sky, they turned pale and fell silent in awe.
“W-what…? Did they intend to completely wipe out Athena Island’s birds?”
The ladies could hardly call the empire’s heroes “crazy,” so they elegantly fell silent after that thought.
At that moment, Count Lilienthal appeared.
“It seems the young ones haven’t noticed yet. Clearly, two foolish males are engaging in a power struggle.”
“Count Lilienthal.”
“Just because one is noble doesn’t mean all of his vigor is elegant.”
In a firm voice, the count sat beside Odette, as usual in pants.
Then he glanced at the focused ladies and spoke.
“Today all the young ladies are wearing ‘Odette Dresses,’ including the noblewomen. Well, the island and its proximity to Merso Beach do suit the style… Tsk.”
At the count’s picky tone, all the ladies in Odette dresses tensed.
He clicked his tongue lightly and turned to Odette.
“This time you used teal ribbons and styled your hair up. Lady Odette, you even made the fabric more elaborate than last time. You resemble a forest fairy. To evoke such a different feeling, your taste is impressive.”
“You flatter me.”
Odette smiled. Riege had helped a lot this time. The trend of the “Odette Dress” had given her confidence.
This time, she used small wildflower lace and beads, adding sparkle rather than simplicity.
After parting from Zion, Odette tied her hair high, exposing her neckline.
“Yes, Lady Odette. Similar yet completely different from last time. Your sense is truly remarkable.”
Another young lady complimented her.
Dolly, who had been fidgeting all the while Odette was praised, stepped forward.
“Ah, it’s not entirely the lady herself; the maids simply demonstrated skillful handiwork. Hohoho.”
The other maids standing in a line grimaced. A maid speaking in the young ladies’ conversation—unthinkable.
“…….”
The tea table instantly fell silent at the bizarre situation. But Dolly, seemingly unaware, continued.
“And the most important thing is character. It’s not about what dress one wears—”
“Some rumors must be false. If Lady Odette were truly so vicious, she wouldn’t forgive a maid’s insolence.”
Count Lilienthal coldly cut off Dolly’s words.
“Furthermore, if she were greedy and foolish as the rumors claim, would so many young ladies follow her dress trend without question?”
“M-my point is—”
Dolly, flustered, tried to speak, but the count sharply interrupted.
“Really insolent! How dare you humiliate your mistress! Should I inform Count Albrecht to fire you?”
What Dolly needed to do now was immediately prostrate herself and apologize to Count Lilienthal, Odette, and all the young ladies present.
Her arrogance shocked the young ladies, who were already appalled.
But Dolly silently bit her lip and retreated, rejoining the maids’ line.
‘Dolly started her career as a head maid in the Albrecht household.’
She had been employed by a mistress who knew nothing of noble etiquette and had never properly learned how to behave as a maid in such settings.
Dolly was like someone who climbed from the lowest employee to manager in a company with strange corporate culture—too late to objectively evaluate her own actions.
‘And ignoring me has become an unconscious habit.’
Courtney, the housekeeper, had harassed Odette with sinister tricks, while Paula directly hit her.
Dolly isolated Odette through rumors. As head maid, she had many opportunities to meet other households’ staff and townspeople.
‘Perfect. There are many noblewomen, young ladies, and experienced maids here.’
Odette had never actively conversed with any noblewoman or young lady. They had never witnessed how unusual a maid Dolly was.
‘Good. I can use this atmosphere to separate Dolly from me.’
Odette smiled gently. Count Lilienthal looked at her as if sensing something unusual.
