“So, I have prepared something new.”
Once again, footsteps could be heard. They did not belong to Duke Bedford.
Now that I think about it, since she had just arrived, a servant had been standing in one corner of the study, holding a large wooden box.
The unfamiliar box seemed odd, but it appeared that the duke had made all the necessary preparations before her arrival.
Snap! The sound of fingers snapping echoed in her ears.
Recognizing that it was a signal from her father, Ariella lifted her head as he wished. Then, she checked the contents of the box the servant had brought.
It was a whip.
A thin, sturdy whip that one would use to punish a servant who had committed a grave sin.
“Father, this is…”
“Yes, Arrie. The switch has grown quite a bit since the last time, hasn’t it? That means it will surely hurt more and be more agonizing. It will take a long time for the wounds to heal.”
The whispering voice in her ear was so soft that anyone who heard it would be led to believe he truly cared for her.
“However, once the wounds take a long time to heal, I believe you will commit another mistake. As your father, I can assure you of that.”
You really know me well, Father.
Ariella almost replied like this. Fortunately or unfortunately, the servants had restrained her arms, bringing her back to her senses and forcing her to keep her mouth shut.
“So, I will strike the same spot again every time it heals.”
The face of Duke Bedford, whom she faced when she lifted her head, was still chillingly cold, cruel enough to be unrecognizable as a father looking at his child.
“So that you never forget. So that you dare not entertain any other thoughts.”
An instinctive fear surged within her. Ariella bit down hard, as if to crush her teeth, suppressing her trembling body filled with terror.
Was it said that if you cannot escape, you should enjoy it? Unfortunately, she did not know how to enjoy the pain that was about to come.
However, there was one thing that could slightly lessen her fear. It was the desperate vow that she would turn even this pain into the nourishment for her revenge.
“Don’t worry. Being as conservative as you are, your future husband will only discover the scars after you are married.”
Ariella inwardly scoffed at the duke’s attitude, even mentioning marriage at such a moment.
Suddenly, Nobert came to mind.
The way he looked at her, as if she were a precious and extraordinary person, someone he cherished dearly. His voice, which was so kind it was almost incomprehensible, lingered in her mind.
‘What kind of reaction would you have if you found out I was such a being?’
Would he change his mind, thinking she was a pitiful creature treated so contemptibly? Or would he offer pity as if giving alms to a beggar?
Either way, she never wanted him to see her like this.
With her arms held by the servants, a fine handkerchief stuffed in her mouth, and the fierce lashings continuing, she let out beast-like groans.
This disgraceful sight, above all.
***
The terrible and painful time passed very slowly.
“Master! Please forgive the lady! Rather, please hit me instead! Master…!”
From beyond the door, Amira’s voice could be heard pleading desperately, but it gradually faded away after a while. Perhaps Adam had taken her away, worried about Amira.
Thank goodness. Ariella felt a brief sense of relief. But before she could think of anything else, the next wave of pain came.
Crack!
“Ugh…! Aaaah!”
Crack, crack!
“Aaaah-!”
By the time the seemingly endless whipping finally ended, and the bright red marks had stained her white legs, Ariella was already in a half-conscious state.
“Remove her.”
Duke Bedford ordered as if to dispose of trash, instructing them to take his daughter away, and the servants carried Ariella to her room. Soon after, the family’s healer arrived to treat her legs.
“Ugh! Hah…!”
The process was so agonizing that it felt like a new punishment had begun. Especially when disinfecting her split and torn thighs, the pain was so intense that she involuntarily writhed and screamed.
Only after wrestling with the pain for a long time did the treatment finally end. Only then could Ariella find some semblance of rest.
To be precise, it was more akin to a sickly state than true rest. Her head was endlessly dazed, and her whole body felt as if it had been thrown into a furnace. Even the breath she exhaled was laborious.
She suffered in the suffocating heat for a long time before losing consciousness.
At some point, the heat began to subside little by little. In her drowsy state, she felt a cool, damp sensation sweeping over her skin.
