“Oh? It’s all your fault?”
Melo narrowed her blood-red eyes slightly, scanning Alette up and down on the bed.
“Then start talking. Tell me everything—from when you two arrived at Dice Town, to why you came to get a room, then why you took off your armor, lay on the bed calling her ‘Mom’, and started cuddling together…”
“Explain every single word of it clearly. Otherwise, not only will you be punished, that long-eared one can forget about staying.”
As she looked at the two in front of her, the fury in Melo’s eyes only burned hotter.
She already had more than enough to be annoyed about today.
The dungeon expedition had stalled, her dinner blood was cold again.
Just yesterday, Alette had taken the witch’s potion.
And today, he’d already gotten mixed up with that long-eared elf.
They’d even gone this far.
The more Melo thought about it, the more the nameless fire in her chest blazed.
It felt like her own toy had been handled and doodled on by someone else without her permission.
Did he even see her as his master anymore?
“Miss, it’s like this.”
“Please, let me explain.”
Alette began, enunciating each word, recounting how the two had come to Dice Town to shop, encountered goblins, how he’d been gravely injured and brought back to the inn, the fever and delirium—he told everything.
As Alette spoke, Melo’s anger gradually shifted to a frown.
“That’s how it went. It doesn’t have much to do with Flaf. It’s my fault for meddling and insisting on saving someone—that’s how I got hurt.”
“Flaf is just my teammate. She couldn’t just leave me behind.”
“During all of this, the town guards saw everything. You can ask them anytime to verify what I’m saying.”
“Miss, if you want to punish someone, I’ll take Flaf’s share as well. I’ll bear it all myself.”
Everything Alette said was reasonable, and even had witnesses like the town guards to back him up.
It was nearly flawless from every angle.
But the displeasure in Melo’s eyes didn’t dissipate at all.
“You’re willing to bear all the punishment yourself just to protect that elf?”
That line made Melo even more annoyed.
Ever since that woman named Vivian had appeared, Melo’s possessiveness toward Alette had multiplied countless times.
She couldn’t stand her servant being so attentive to other women.
Saying he wanted to protect her during shopping, and now taking the blame for her—that was the same thing.
Even if the reasoning was sound, she couldn’t accept it.
At the same time, Alette sensed the displeasure in Melo’s eyes.
He had served Melo for ten years; he knew exactly what kind of person she was.
So, in the next instant, his mind raced, searching for a way to protect Flaf while also appeasing Melo’s emotions.
And at that moment, Flaf beside him started to speak up for Alette.
“Sir Knight… You don’t need to do this…”
“This time, I was at fault too…”
Hearing that Alette wanted to take all the punishment, Flaf immediately lost her composure.
She already felt plenty of guilt and shame toward him. If he took all the blame for her on top of that…
She really wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.
But she didn’t know that her words were exactly the springboard Alette needed at that moment.
“Got it.”
A spark flashed in Alette’s mind. He instantly furrowed his brow, turned his head, and spoke coldly:
“Be quiet. I don’t need you to say anything.”
“If you make a mistake, you bear it yourself. That’s my pride as a knight.”
“I’m bearing all of this simply for my own pride. It has nothing to do with you.”
“If you respect me, if you see me as your teammate, then keep your mouth shut from now on.”
While saying all this, Alette wasn’t excited or shouting. He spoke to Flaf in a tone that was ice-cold, stern, and even disdainful.
Flaf never expected that the usually silent but always gentle Sir Knight would speak to her like this.
Right now, though Alette wore no armor, the pressure he emitted was stronger than when he did.
“Did I say something wrong…?”
Timid fear crept up her spine again.
Flaf dared not speak another word, shrinking pitifully into the corner, anxiously watching the two before her.
Strangely enough.
The irritation in Melo’s heart suddenly lessened as she raised her brows.
Not just because Alette had scolded Flaf.
It was more because she completely agreed with what Alette had just said.
That’s right—pride.
As a bloodkin, she valued her pride above all.
And her servant Alette, holding to this belief, made her very satisfied.
Moreover, his statement had distanced Alette and Flaf.
Alette was not shielding her because she mattered to him—he cared about his “knight’s pride.”
The end result was the same, but the change in motive felt completely different.
With all these reasons combined, Melo’s displeasure faded a fair bit.
Still, a better mood alone wasn’t enough to let the two off completely.
She still needed to punish and intimidate them, to anchor her status.
“To be laid this low by such a minor illness… Alette, Alette.”
Muttering Alette’s name, Melo began to chant an incantation, gathering magic in her hands.
She drew a beautiful silver dagger from within her pure white dress and gently cut her palm.
Dark red blood flowed instantly, then, as if it were dry ice meeting air, exploded into a mist of crimson.
Soon, under the influence of magic, that mist gathered and took form.
In just a few seconds, a blood-red whip more than a meter long formed in Melo’s beautiful, pale hands.
“Get off the bed.”
In the next instant, Melo snapped the whip through the air. It made a sharp, resounding crack.
With that icy command and whip in hand, Flaf shrank into the corner, tears pricking at her eyes.
Anyone could see what Melo was about to do to Alette—
Corporal punishment.
And one of the harshest forms: the whip.
“Yes, Miss.”
After receiving Melo’s command, Alette didn’t hesitate. He pulled back the covers and slowly crawled out of bed.
His injuries and illness made even getting out of bed extremely difficult.
Realizing what was about to happen, even though Alette had just scolded her, and despite her fear, Flaf rushed to stand between him and Melo.
“Captain!”
“Sir Knight’s injuries haven’t healed—he’s still feverish!”
“If you punish him now, it could ruin his body!”
“This isn’t all Sir Knight’s fault. I also—”
“Flaf!!!”
Before she could finish, Alette croaked out a harsh, hoarse roar.
“Move.”
Those two short words pierced Flaf’s heart like daggers.
Her pupils shrank, her trembling only grew worse.
“Didn’t you hear, Flaf?”
Melo spoke, following right after Alette, voice icy.
“This time, Alette is taking the blame, so I won’t punish you harshly.”
“Just stand to the side and watch how I punish the guilty.”
“If you can’t, leave my party tomorrow and find your own way.”
“Of course, even if you do leave, nothing will change. I will still punish Alette.”
“Stay or go—your choice.”
Flaf’s fists clenched tighter and tighter.
In the end, she gave in.
She slumped helplessly against the inn wall, watching the scene before her unfold in despair.
As soon as Flaf backed away, Melo raised her whip.
With a sharp crack, a lash of pain struck Alette’s body, barely covered by thin clothes.
Alette did not scream or beg.
He just knelt on one knee, his whole body shuddering.
“Holding it in? Nineteen more to go.”
Melo looked down at her servant, blood-red eyes without a trace of pity.
The next stroke came down with another sharp crack!
Melo looked tall and slender, but her swings were ruthless, each one forceful and loud.
Soon, streaks of crimson began to seep through Alette’s shirt.
Flaf could do nothing.
Tears streamed down her face, soaking her cheeks.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
She clamped her hand over her mouth, stifling her sobs.
Flaf knew that if she made a scene now, it would only make Melo angrier.
Then the whip would fall even harder on Alette.
She couldn’t let that happen.
Finally, after several minutes, that hellish scene ended.
Alette’s once-pure white shirt was stained a faint red with blood.
And he, having forced himself to endure the punishment, collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.
“Heh, even in this state, you managed to endure it—barely passable.”
Melo spoke lightly as she tossed aside the whip.
The dreadful instrument vanished into blood mist the moment it left her hand, disappearing without a trace.
As for Flaf—
She was drained, sliding down the wall bit by bit.
Melo’s terrifying blood-red eyes shifted slowly to her.
“Long-ears, punishment is over. Get out of the room now.”
“Of course, you can stay if you like. But then I can’t guarantee Alette’s survival.”
After witnessing everything, Flaf dared not utter a single word of protest to Melo.
“I—I’ll go, Captain, I’ll listen to whatever you say.”
Choking with tears, Flaf nodded, then staggered for the door and ran out of the room.
Hearing the door shut behind Flaf, Melo immediately rushed to Alette, anxiously checking his condition.
Sweat beaded her brow.
“Tch, what am I even doing…”
For some reason, even though she felt a little better than before, there was still a nameless anger in Melo’s heart.
Just thinking about Alette’s closeness with Flaf made her swing the whip even harder.
Her strength had far surpassed what she’d initially intended.
If she just left the unconscious Alette here…
He might really die.
“This time is an exception. I’ll waste some time to keep you alive.”
She glared fiercely at the unconscious Alette, then gently picked him up and laid him on the bed.
Then she quietly reached behind herself, unfastened the buttons of her white dress, and slid it off, revealing the smooth, delicate skin beneath.
“Even if you die, it’ll be on the way into the dungeon with me.”