Chapter 24. The Beaten Woman
Two weeks after escaping the Catacomb, the hero team finally returned to the underground city of Horompel. The team members gazed up at the towering earl's castle, their faces lighting up with anticipation of comfortable beds and hearty meals.
The castle, revisited after a full month, hadn't changed a bit. The steward soon emerged to welcome the heroes warmly, providing cozy lodgings and a lavish, delicious spread. They planned to stay for four days.
Exhausted from the ordeal, Grace burst into her room, flung her gear bag carelessly onto the floor, and collapsed face-first onto the bed with a long sigh.
...This expedition was especially brutal.
...A few years back, I could pull two all-nighters and still feel fresh...
It made sense—after nearly two years of booze, smokes, and gambling in a haze of self-destruction, her body was far from normal.
After rolling around on the plush bed for a good while, Grace headed to the bath for a thorough scrub, then returned to her room fresh and dry. A stunning sunset glowed outside the window.
She settled into a chair by the window, savoring a glass of wine while drinking in the mesmerizing view. As her body stilled and her mind wandered, her thoughts branched out in all directions.
They touched on this and that, inevitably circling back to the Catacomb.
Ah... fuck, what do I do...!
Grace's heart still pounded with shame at the memory of her disgrace. Confessing her love, only to throw a fit begging to be killed right after—what a scene.
Guilt over her dead lover, shame at herself—it all churned wildly in her chest.
You stupid bitch. You deserve to rot. Stupid, stupid—!
She slapped her own cheeks, smack smack.
She deserved it. Dragging her lover and comrades into hell, then blabbing about love like some clueless idiot. Even getting called a "fucking bitch" by Ludvine and kicked aside—she had no comeback.
The chain-smoking healer pulled her pipe from her gear bag. She hiked up her pants just enough to bare her thigh, perched on the edge of the bed, and crossed her legs. Her pale thigh was plump and inviting.
Thinking of her dead lover and her own pathetic antics, she swung the pipe down with a whoosh.
Crack— The sharp slap of flesh sent a stinging jolt racing up her spine, shivering her core.
I need to be punished. I deserve it. Rotten bitch. Pathetic idiot.
Crack— Another red welt striped her thigh.
This was nothing compared to the agony she'd endured in the Catacomb. Hell, it almost tickled by contrast—laughably mild.
I'm sorry, Rayg. I'm sorry.
Crack.
Sorry for forgetting you.
Crack.
Sorry, Captain.
Crack.
Grace kept whipping her thigh. Harder. Even harder. Each strike eased her guilt a fraction, lightening her heart. Washing away her sins brought a strange, illicit thrill.
Yeah, if you've done wrong, you take the punishment...!
The savage sting on her luscious thigh was electrifying.
Revenge had been hers, but the guilt lingered. Yet in these moments of self-flagellation, it faded bit by bit.
The ordeal ended. Grace eyed her swollen, reddened thighs with satisfaction. Finally, some peace.
The chain-smoking healer flopped back onto the bed as-is. Hah, hah. Her breath came a little ragged.
Staring at the ceiling, the captain suddenly crossed her mind. She recalled the warmth of his hand gripping hers.
"I like you, Ji-hyuk. What do I do, seriously..."
Grace's chest still tightened at the thought. What possessed her to say it?
She bolted upright and lashed her thigh wildly with the pipe again.
Stupid, stupid, psycho, crazy bitch, fucking bitch.
She hurled the pipe to the floor, kicked off her pants, and sprawled face-down on the bed.
Her thighs burned fiercely. Her restless, wandering heart felt as uncomfortable as numb limbs.
"Aaaargh—!"
She buried her face in the pillow and screamed her frustration.
...She was going mad missing the captain.
Ji-hyuk holed up in his room for two straight days, resting deeply. The rare leisure melted his body like cheese over a hot flame.
On the third day, he stayed put all day again, having meals brought in. He sipped fine wine, staring blankly out the window.
Sunset had fallen before he knew it. The surface of the underground city was paradise. Graceful swans—
But beneath, things thrashed in chaos, no doubt.
Ji-hyuk ignored whatever brewed in those depths. It wasn't his place to meddle. His battle-worn sense of justice stuck to not disrupting the order.
When in Rome, follow Roman law—and this place had its own.
He lifted the wine bottle to his lips. Empty. He shook it over his tongue, then rolled it across the floor to the corner. His fourth.
The hero summoned a maid for another bottle. She soon delivered it.
He kneaded her ass with subtle intent. Ah. She accepted without protest. Attending a great one at night was a maid's duty—especially under the head maid's strict orders: grant any request from the hero, bedding included.
Ji-hyuk felt a rare surge of desire now that tension had eased into lust. Better than whoring in some dive—this proper maid suited him fine.
As the mood thickened, a knock sounded at the door. Healer Grace.
The maid withdrew with faint regret. The door opened; she left, and Grace entered.
Ji-hyuk popped the cork with his thumb and poured straight from the bottle.
"What's up?"
Grace approached slowly, head bowed. She stood silent for a long stretch.
He waited patiently from his armchair, expecting her to speak.
"C-Captain..."
Finally, she spoke.
"Yeah, speak freely. Wanna sit... there?"
Ji-hyuk stood, gesturing to the bed. Grace hesitated, then perched demurely on the edge.
The captain sat close, leaving just enough space for two fists between them.
"What's wrong? Tell me. Hey? It's okay."
He took her hand naturally.
Ah—
The chain-smoking healer melted under his warm touch. Is this okay? Do I deserve this happiness?
Her dead lover haunted her. She'd loved him, which was why the guilt gnawed. Only two years. Forgetting him so quickly for another man—that was low, even for her.
"Captain..."
"Yeah."
"I'm... a rotten bitch, aren't I?"
"Who says you're rotten? People's hearts don't work like that."
"Still... no loyalty, useless, just dead weight."
"Nah, we need you bad. Without you, Bruce would've died back there. You saved him."
He stroked her soft hair. Grace smiled faintly, then saddened again.
Her dead lover loomed in her vision. Ah— Watching him die before her eyes—that trauma never faded.
Swoosh. Ji-hyuk gently pulled her into his arms. She savored the warmth, then pulled away slowly.
Glancing at him, she furtively offered something. Her pipe.
"Go ahead. I don't smoke."
"No, it's not that..."
The chain-smoking healer struggled to speak, eyes flicking nervously to him.
"What? It's fine. Speak easy—I already confessed I like you. What's so hard?"
Emboldened, she pressed on.
"Then... punish me."
"...Punish?"
Ji-hyuk eyed her, surprised. She avoided his gaze.
"It'll ease my mind. I was awful to you... and showed my ugly side to the team."
"Nah, it's fine. No need for this."
"No, it'll bother me otherwise. Please, Captain—punish me. That's how I'll find peace."
She thrust the pipe at him again.
"Please."
Ji-hyuk gave a wry smile. How deep did her guilt run to push her this far? Better to oblige this time.
He took the pipe. Ah— Her lips twitched up, then down.
She extended her palms upward toward him. No words passed.
He gripped it with the biting end up, shot her a stern look, and prodded her hand to flatten it properly.
"Spread 'em. Or you'll hurt yourself. More, more."
Grace splayed her palms wide, gritting her teeth slightly. Her eyes narrowed.
"How many?"
"...Five—no, ten."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Alright."
Crack! Heat bloomed across her palm.
Ngh— Her torso jerked.
It hurt. But it felt right.
"Sorry."
Crack.
"Sorry, C-Captain."
Crack.
"Ngh, sorry."
Crack.
"S-sorry."
Grace flinched with each strike, whimpering apologies pitifully. After six, she clenched her fists and bowed forward.
"Eugh."
She rubbed her stinging palms.
"Hurts? Let's stop."
"No, I can take more... Four left. Here."
The chain-smoking healer was stubborn. Hah, hah. Her spine tingled, cold sweat beaded, her groin throbbed.
Crack.
"Ngh, sorry."
Crack.
"Ugh, s-sorry..."
With the last four done, she slowly massaged her palms.
"Grace, feel better now?"
Ji-hyuk felt a pang of pity. Grace looked at him, flushed like after a jog, panting.
"Captain..."
Her voice trembled.
"What do I do?"
Her eyes glistened, brimming with tears.
"...I like you, Captain. I like you so much—what do I do? I can't anymore. I can't hold back. Hit me. More. Please?"
She clutched and shook his clothes.
"Snap me out of it. Hit me. Anywhere—cheek, body. Beat me senseless."
"Grace."
"Hurry. Or I won't come to my senses. I need beatings to think straight. I'm a crazy bitch...! Hurry, Captain."
She broke into sobs.
"I love you, Captain. Love you. Hit me. Or I'll kiss you. You hate that, right? Kissing a crazy bitch? Then hit me. Hurry."
She leaned in closer.
"Come on. Slap my cheek hard. Make me snap out of it. Why're you quiet? Huh? Does that mean it's okay to love you? Great. Then I'll kiss you. Kiss you... Mmph...!"
Ji-hyuk lunged. He sucked her lips fiercely.
Her body stiffened in shock. But soon her lips parted, welcoming his tongue.
He tasted sharp tobacco. Not bad, in its way.
They devoured each other's tongues madly. Restraint shattered for both.
Grace wrapped her arms around the captain's neck. He stroked her back softly.
The ecstasy overwhelmed her. Too good. Maddeningly good.
Finally, their lips parted. Grace gazed at him adoringly, piercingly.
"Better now?"
Ah— Only then did she grasp what happened. They'd kissed. She'd kissed the captain.
"I-I... this is..."
Grace stammered incoherently.
After watching her quietly, Ji-hyuk spoke.
"Want more?"
She gaped, blinking rapidly.
"Later... I'll take my punishment for sure..."
They tangled again.