Chapter 82
When she opened her eyes, Odette found herself in a massive bedroom. Bear-skin furs were hung on the walls.
‘Where is this place?’
Turning her head from where she stood, she immediately saw a window.
Outside, an endless snowfield stretched as far as the eye could see, with a blizzard falling endlessly.
“Is this… the castle of the Fenril Kingdom?”
Odette muttered and touched the roughly carved stone walls. Despite her thin clothing, she didn’t feel the slightest cold, as if she were in a dream.
Then, she heard a woman’s voice in the room, sounding almost like a scream.
“Please… please, just listen to me! I’ve never asked for anything like this before!”
Turning her head, she saw a woman who looked like a queen, collapsed on the floor, crying and pleading.
“You… just calm down for now. Karl is still a child.”
‘Karl?’
It was then that she noticed a small crib in the center of the room, with a baby inside, wearing a blank expression.
‘No… it’s not exactly blank… it’s like there’s no emotion at all…’
The queen pointed at the baby with an expression of deep unease.
“He’s been like this since he was in the womb. I feel so uneasy about him. He’s terrifying. There’s something wrong with him. It gives me the creeps!”
“You…”
“I knew from carrying him in my womb. That child is like a curse just by existing. He will destroy our lineage. Yes, like a prophecy! He will be a living curse, pure destruction. I fear him more than any calamity that appears from the skies! So please… please…”
“…That child was born with greater power than me. I’ve never seen eyes that red before. Even if you ask, I don’t know if I can defeat him…”
The king’s voice had softened somewhat.
“Still, you are stronger for now. You must kill him before he grows. No one else but you, the head of the family, can make this choice.”
Odette was shocked by those words and called out to the queen.
“Excuse me! That’s too much!”
Yet they didn’t react at all. It seemed that her voice didn’t reach them, and they couldn’t see her.
At that moment, Odette realized: this was a memory from the past, merely shown by the status window.
“…It’s impossible. Even if I used all my power, that newborn would beat me. It’s already too late. He should have been killed immediately after birth.”
The king’s voice sounded helpless, and the queen’s face had turned pale.
“Skadi, I feel the same. That child… his very existence isn’t normal. He’s closer to a living weapon than a human.”
“Then what about this? The wolf’s power has ‘commands.’ What if we instill commands into him?”
“Skadi…”
He groaned. The queen’s face brightened as if holding onto hope.
“If we engrave commands? If he was born as a weapon anyway, we should at least make him a weapon that protects the Fenril clan.”
“…”
“That child has no emotions. He won’t resist commands.”
The queen shivered as if even that fact made her uneasy.
Finally, the king, wearing his crown, slowly walked to the crib and placed his hand over the baby’s eyes.
The baby, staring into space, didn’t cry even as the father’s hand covered his eyes.
“You… will become a weapon for the Fenril clan.”
The king’s eyes glowed a deep red. His voice reverberated lowly. She could feel the surrounding air resonating.
“Prioritize the Fenril clan over yourself. Grow as a living weapon of the clan, fulfilling only that duty. Risk your life for the fallen Fenril, dedicate your future for the young Fenril. Value anything in the kingdom more than yourself.”
Odette inhaled sharply at the king’s command.
“Use your heart, your body—all of it—for the Fenril clan. If anyone attacks the kingdom, sacrifice yourself to eliminate it. Your existence holds value only in destroying Fenril’s enemies.”
Then came a chilling addendum.
“If even your overwhelming power cannot kill it, then capture it. Otherwise, you will only feel hellish despair.”
The newborn, whose eyes glowed the same red as his father’s, glanced at Odette.
‘He probably can’t see me…’
Yet somehow, Odette’s eyes met the baby’s precisely, as if the sensitive creature had sensed her presence.
Her surroundings returned to normal.
She checked the clock inside the cabin—only a second had passed.
The status window appeared in front of her.
[‘Karl’—Actual Hatred Change Log]
[Initial Hatred: 0]
[Current Hatred: 0]
[All Detected Hatred Changes: 0]
This time, without a single red indicator, everything was pale pink.
‘So all those hatred changes I saw before were fake?’
[‘Karl’s Hatred’ is a hypothetical value based on situations in which Karl might feel emotions.]
[Karl hardly experiences emotions.]
The status window had just shown Karl’s truth.
He wasn’t seeking revenge on the empire out of his own feelings. He was mechanically following his father’s command to “protect the Fenril clan.”
Odette faced Karl and commanded:
“Karl, I have no intention of dying. So suicide is forever off the table. Don’t be insolent and take your hand off my arm.”
Karl obediently released his grip.
“I was joking, Master. Since I’m already imprinted on you, I couldn’t use force against you anyway.”
‘He speaks well. Yet his overwhelming presence is completely gone now.’
“When your overwhelming power cannot kill, you must capture it.”
If Karl judged it necessary to capture her, the intimidation instantly vanished. That, too, must have been the effect of his father’s command.
‘Using Karl’s truth will come later. For now, I need to finish cleaning the Count’s house.’
She changed the topic.
“Oh, right. I heard the recovery of the Fenril Kingdom’s remains is nearly complete.”
As soon as she mentioned bait to move Karl, his eyes lit up with interest.
“I had planned to give the kingdom’s heroes a funeral like that of a state funeral, yet you disobey my command.”
Clicking her tongue, Odette saw Karl return to the posture of a loyal servant, his eyes showing obedience.
“I was wrong, Master. I will act immediately.”
Karl knelt on one knee, apologizing. Odette stood and said:
“Raise your head.”
Obediently, Karl lifted his head while still kneeling.
She lightly held his neck with her hand.
“Don’t ever make such jokes again. Don’t think you can grab my wrist like that. This is the last time I’ll forgive a slave’s mistake.”
“Master.”
“If you make this mistake again, I will discard you immediately. I hate those who cannot gauge their place. I never give second chances.”
Karl’s expression stiffened. Unless she died willingly, he had to tempt her out of the empire. So the threat of being discarded terrified him. He knelt on both knees, lowering his head until it almost touched the ground.
“I’m sorry, Master. I was wrong.”
After looking down at him for a long moment, Odette reluctantly placed a hand on his shoulder as if encouraging him.
“Yes. Don’t make mistakes again. Today’s rudeness will be forgiven by your obedience to this command.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Now go. Complete this task well, and I’ll grant you another wish.”
She waved her hand wearily.
Karl rose to leave the cabin and said softly:
“Meeting you, Master, is the greatest fortune of my life.”
A faint smile graced his face, barely noticeable unless observed closely.
