A hint of chill came from behind, and then Iliana forced her waist into a propped-up position.
She was going to… the answer was already clear!
‘No… no!’
The girl screamed silently in the depths of her consciousness, but she could not even manage to twitch a fingertip. In this state, she had no strength at all to stop Iliana and could only let the other woman have her way.
However, the expected sharp pain did not descend immediately. Instead, a slightly cool, slow sensation took its place.
Iliana gently massaged the girl’s small head, a smile playing on her lips.
“Young Lady, your previous behavior… was truly bold. I didn’t expect you to actually treat me like that. I am truly sad and very angry~”
Iliana’s whisper was like a sigh, mixed with an indescribable, dangerous mirth.
“But now you have fallen into my hands, and in such a miserable state. Since that is the case, I won’t be polite~”
The next second —
*Smack!*
A crisp, loud sound suddenly exploded, breaking the suffocating silence in the room. It was not a tentative strike, but a solid blow delivered with clear force.
A burning pain pierced through her numbed senses half a second later, rushing straight into the core of Ilus’s consciousness.
It was not the sharp pain of split skin, but a dull, scorching ache that spread rapidly, accompanied by the shameful pulse of blood rushing beneath her skin.
“This one is punishment for pushing me down the stairs~”
Iliana’s voice was level, devoid of emotion, as if she were merely stating a fact.
*Smack!*
The second strike followed almost seamlessly, landing on a similar spot on the other side with undiminished force.
The pain compounded. That patch of skin felt as if it had been set on fire, and the agony began to take on a clear shape and boundary.
“This one is punishment for the things you did afterward~”
‘Ugh… ah! It… it hurts so much!’ Ilus felt waves of intense pain continuously washing over her, accompanied by bursts of heat.
Even so, she could do nothing; she could not even struggle.
*Smack! Smack! Smack!*
“Ugh, mgh… ah…”
Muffled sounds escaped her, but the more intense part was still to come. Three consecutive strikes covered the central area of her lower back quickly and evenly.
The pain was no longer a series of isolated points but had merged into a burning, swollen sea of shame.
Ilus’s consciousness tossed violently in the tide of agony. She wanted to scream, to curl up, to disappear, but her body remained as heavy as stagnant water. She could only passively endure every ounce of force, feeling her fragile parts tremble uncontrollably under the blows.
“And these…”
Iliana’s breathing seemed to quicken slightly, but her tone remained completely in control.
“Are punishment for your unpleasant attitude~ I… do not like your attitude, so make sure you remember it well.”
Next came the phase of repeated lashing.
*Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!*
The rhythm changed. It was no longer an even distribution but followed a certain punitive cadence. Sometimes the blows fell on the already red and swollen skin, and sometimes they deliberately targeted the more sensitive area where the thighs met the torso.
Every strike caused the tender flesh to sink deeply before springing back. The snowy white had long been replaced by a large expanse of crimson, transitioning toward a deep red and even showing faint traces of bruised purple.
The crisp sounds of slapping echoed in the room, mixed with Iliana’s occasional low, almost pleasant hums, and… Ilus’s own weak, nearly inaudible whimpers squeezed from the depths of her throat.
These were purely instinctive groans; Iliana was showing no mercy at all.
When the pain reached a peak, it began to turn numb, only to be reawakened by the next strike.
Her consciousness drifted between the scorching heat of the pain and the extreme shame. She felt she was no longer the noble Duke’s Daughter, but merely a lump of soft dough placed before a diner, waiting to be pounded and kneaded.
Finally, the slapping stopped.
Only the sound of Ilus’s own heavy, uncontrollable breathing remained in the air, along with the burning sensation on her back — a patch of skin so hot and swollen it felt as if it no longer belonged to her.
Cool fingertips landed once more, but this time, they pressed gently against the burning swelling.
The sting intertwined with the coolness, causing Ilus to tremble uncontrollably.
“Do you remember this feeling, my dear Young Lady?”
Iliana leaned down, her warm lips almost touching Ilus’s burning earlobe. Her voice was as soft as a lover’s whisper, yet it carried an obvious chill and satisfaction.
Of course, these were things Ilus could not hear.
“Do you like it, my Young Lady? My… Master~”
Iliana propped her chin on one hand and smiled. She could clearly feel the heat and the trembling beneath her palm.
“Perhaps you won’t remember, and you cannot hear my words, but the body will remember the pain. And pain… will teach you obedience.”
Ilus’s consciousness drifted in the aftermath of humiliation and the lingering pain. She could do nothing but allow that sensation — which declared ownership and the consequences of her actions — to be deeply branded into every inch of her shivering nerves.
The softness of the quilt wrapped around her, yet it felt more like an inescapable rack used to display her shame.
And Iliana’s presence, like a shadow, shrouded her entire world at this moment.
Standing up, Iliana did not administer any further punishment to Ilus, instead leaving the girl lying face down on the bed.
Looking at the beautiful sight before her, Iliana narrowed her eyes and nodded with satisfaction, as if she had just tasted an exquisite delicacy.
This was a breathtaking crimson and faint purple dyed by her own hands, like an artist examining a work of art filled with intense emotion that she had just completed.
Such a scenery was truly something one would never tire of seeing.
Next, she pulled a tube of Herb Ointment from her pocket, squeezed some out, and lightly touched the skin that was still burning hot.
That sudden coolness formed a sharp contrast with the scalding pain beneath the skin. It was like an ice needle piercing into a sea of fire, causing her numbed senses to recover instantly, only to be swallowed by a larger, duller ache.
Iliana’s movements, however, were exceptionally gentle — a complete contrast to the storm of slapping from moments ago.
Her fingertips moved slowly with a bit of pressure, spreading the cool, viscous Herb Ointment evenly over every inch of the swelling. Her strength was controlled perfectly, ensuring the drug effect could penetrate while avoiding direct pressure on the most injured areas.
The ointment was cool at first, but as it seeped into the skin, it brought a strange, soothing warmth that began to neutralize the fiery pain.
Ilus felt her tense nerves involuntarily relax just a fraction under this slow, continuous touch.
In her consciousness, the pain indeed lessened a great deal. It seemed Iliana had come prepared!
“There might be some swelling tomorrow, but it shouldn’t hurt. I think you should have remembered today’s punishment by now~”