A Cherished Emblem and a Starving Sadist
Su-ryeon tried to lose herself in organizing the warehouse to clear her cluttered mind, but her eyes kept drifting back to the dildo tucked into the waistband of Ha-jin's skirt. She tried her best to look away, but her gaze strayed of its own accord, leaving her utterly mortified.
Though she was still bewildered by Ha-jin's mindset—which she could almost understand, yet not fully accept—Su-ryeon decided to focus on finishing the task at hand first.
After battling the swirling dust in the warehouse for quite some time, Su-ryeon suddenly noticed a massive box sitting right in front of her.
It looked far too large to move all at once, so she decided to open it and carry its contents out in smaller batches.
However, remembering the box that had burst open earlier and spilled its contents, a sudden wave of tension washed over her. She couldn't shake the feeling that another unexpected item might be waiting inside.
With trembling hands, Su-ryeon carefully pried the box open. She braced herself, terrified that another horrific object would reveal itself, but to her relief, there were no broken whips or dildos inside.
Instead, there was only a single piece of crumpled cloth. When Su-ryeon picked it up, a strange sense of familiarity washed over her. The peculiar texture against her fingertips made her pause.
What is this cloth? It looks like some kind of flag...
She slowly unfurled the fabric. As the deep creases began to smooth out, an emblem gradually revealed itself, and Su-ryeon's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
The moment the emblem was fully exposed, her breath hitched. She froze on the spot, utterly paralyzed by shock, unable to tear her eyes away.
Why...? Why is my father's Revolutionary Army Flag in Baek Kang-ho's underground warehouse?
Finding the Revolutionary Army Flag in such an unexpected place sent a wave of shock and confusion through Su-ryeon, accompanied by a sudden, painful rush of anxiety and longing.
Yet, at this moment, Su-ryeon only wondered why the flag was here; she had no idea of the true, dark reason why it had been discarded and left to rot in this damp underground warehouse.
While Su-ryeon stood there, lost in her daze, Eun-hye and Ha-jin finished their tasks and approached her. Seeing her staring blankly at the fabric, they asked gently,
"What are you doing?"
Startled by Eun-hye's voice, Su-ryeon hastily stuffed the flag back into the box, desperately trying to hide it.
"Oh, this box was just so big... I was curious about what was inside, so I took a quick look."
Eun-hye found Su-ryeon's secretive behavior odd, but she decided that finishing their work quickly was more important right now.
"This must be the last box. It's heavy, so let's lift it together."
At Eun-hye's suggestion, Ha-jin and Su-ryeon grabbed the box with her, and they began to carry it out together. To Su-ryeon, the box felt as heavy as the tragic weight of the flag buried inside it.
Before long, the boxes from the warehouse were carried to the estate's incinerator. One by one, they began tossing the boxes into the roaring flames.
The boxes were quickly consumed by the fire, turning to ash. After throwing in several smaller boxes, only the final, massive box remained.
Working together, they hoisted the large box and threw it into the furnace. As the cardboard burned away, her father's Revolutionary Army Flag briefly revealed itself amidst the flames. Watching the emblem of her family's legacy turn to ash, Su-ryeon felt a suffocating tightness in her chest.
"Good job, everyone. It's lunchtime, so let's wash up and get something to eat," Eun-hye said, signaling the end of their task.
As they prepared to leave, Eun-hye and Ha-jin started walking ahead. Su-ryeon was about to follow, but she paused and looked back one last time.
Staring at the flag as it was completely consumed by the fire, a profound, indescribable emotion seemed to take root deep within her soul.
They headed to the shower room to wash away the sweat and grime. The heavy fatigue and agonizing pain racking Su-ryeon's body threatened to bring her to her knees, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand tall.
As the streams of water cascaded over her in the shower, the raw, stinging pain on her shredded calves and back flared up with agonizing clarity.
Every time the water hit her wounds, it wasn't a soothing coolness she felt, but a sharp, electric jolt of agony. Still, she endured the torment, washing her body and trying to let the rushing water carry away her exhaustion.
After barely managing to finish her shower, the three of them went to the slave cafeteria to receive their lunch. Their meager rations consisted of a single kernel of corn, one boiled potato, and a cup of milk.
It was far from enough to satisfy their gnawing hunger, but knowing they wouldn't survive the rest of the day's labor without it, they silently swallowed the food.
Though the meal was sparse and pathetic, it at least offered them a brief moment to catch their breath.
Once lunch was over, they began their afternoon chore: washing the heavy curtains. Su-ryeon was already exhausted, but she had to start by pulling down the massive drapes.
Reaching up to unhook the curtains one by one made the pain in her calves and back flare up with terrifying intensity.
Taking down the heavy drapes and soaking them in water was grueling work. Even as her body stiffened from sweat and fatigue, Su-ryeon kept stomping on the wet fabric to wash it.
Eventually, the laundry was finished, and the three of them finally got a moment to rest. But when Su-ryeon idly checked the time, her heart sank into a dark, heavy abyss.
It was 3:30 PM. She had to report to the Punishment Room by 4:00 PM. As the minutes ticked away, a suffocating dread and anxiety began to tighten around her chest.
Just then, Eun-hye let out a deep sigh and slowly stood up.
"Ah, look at the time... I should head out first..."
Seeing Eun-hye leave so suddenly, Su-ryeon already knew where she was going, but she asked gently just to be sure.
"Eun-hye? Where are you going?"
Eun-hye offered a bitter smile, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Where else? The Punishment Room... I told you yesterday, didn't I? Today is my turn."
As Eun-hye turned to leave, Su-ryeon stopped her, her voice trembling. The words caught in her throat, but she had to say them.
"Eun-hye, you don't have to go today."
Eun-hye froze. She spun around, her face clouded with confusion.
"What do you mean?"
There was no way to escape punishment, so she couldn't comprehend what Su-ryeon was saying. Su-ryeon hesitated, then forced herself to stand up, speaking with great difficulty.
"...I have to take your punishment today, and Ha-jin's punishment tomorrow..."
Eun-hye and Ha-jin's eyes went wide at the sudden revelation. Eun-hye stared at her in utter bewilderment, biting her lip.
"Three days of consecutive whipping...? No matter how cruel Baek Kang-ho is, he's never done this before... Unless...?"
Eun-hye's voice was laced with suspicion and confusion. At that moment, Ha-jin's heart skipped a beat, her eyes trembling.
She couldn't hide her trembling gaze as she looked at Su-ryeon, biting her lip hard as she asked softly,
"Is it... because of the Recovery Herb you gave me? Is your punishment for that still not over?"
Looking at Ha-jin's face, which was filled with worry and guilt, Su-ryeon couldn't bring herself to tell the truth. To ease her friend's mind, she forced a lie.
"No, it's not that... The Duke said yesterday while whipping me that I... react well to the lash. That's why... I think that's why..."
Eun-hye and Ha-jin could only stare at her in stunned silence, their expressions showing they didn't entirely buy her explanation.
Su-ryeon offered them a reassuring smile, though she couldn't completely hide the terror trembling behind it.
But she couldn't afford to waste any more time. She had to drag her heavy feet to go change into her Punishment Outfit.
"If I'm late, the punishment might get worse... so I'll go ahead..."
As Su-ryeon forced her trembling legs to move, her steps faltered unnaturally. Her stiff, retreating figure was a picture of sheer desperation and dread.
Watching her go, Eun-hye and Ha-jin felt their hearts break. They watched her departure in heavy silence, their faces filled with profound sorrow.
Putting on the Punishment Outfit for the third time... she still couldn't get used to it. As the cold air brushed against her completely exposed breasts, goosebumps erupted all over her skin, accompanied by the terrifying realization that another round of agony was about to begin.
The moment she stepped into the Punishment Room, the wounds on her calves and back from yesterday began to throb.
Though her skin was already covered in dark bruises and raw lacerations, the mere thought of the whip striking those exact spots again made her body flinch instinctively.
Dong!— Dong!— Dong!— Dong!—
The moment the grand grandfather clock in the Punishment Room finished chiming four, Baek Kang-ho stepped through the door with absolute, terrifying punctuality.
Cowering at his imposing presence, Su-ryeon clutched the hem of her micro-skirt, her eyes wide with terror as she forced out a greeting.
"Greetings, Master."
Detecting the faint tremor in her voice, Baek Kang-ho narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a cruel smirk. His expression instantly turned sinister as he looked down at her, letting out a low, mocking chuckle.
"Good. An excellent attitude. I assume you've prepared yourself?"
Prepared myself? How could anyone prepare for such torment? She was simply filled with despair at the realization that there was no escape. Yet, in the end, she had no choice but to give him the answer he wanted.
"Yes... Master... I am prepared."
Seeing Su-ryeon so submissive and trembling, a fresh wave of sadistic arousal surged through Baek Kang-ho.
He slowly walked up to her, tracing her cheek with his fingertips. The moment his thick, calloused fingers touched her small, pale face, Su-ryeon's entire body tensed up, freezing in place.
The sheer helplessness of being unable to pull away from his touch filled her heart with a crushing despair.
"Shall we begin today's session, then?"
Moments later, Su-ryeon was bound helplessly to the Punishment Rack. In that brief span of time, her body had become drenched in cold sweat, her eyes staring blankly ahead. Bound to the wooden frame, she looked utterly defeated, her complete powerlessness laid bare.
Meanwhile, Baek Kang-ho took his time admiring her bound body, his eyes lingering on the raw, red welts carved into her back and calves. Nodding in satisfaction, he spoke in a low, rumbling voice.
"Those marks look quite painful! In that spirit, I shall whip your calves and back all over again today!"
"...Ah..."
He's insane! That was the first thought that flashed through Su-ryeon's mind. To utter such sadistic cruelty so casually, he truly was a monster starving for violence.
As the air in the Punishment Room grew even colder, Su-ryeon's lonely battle against the agonizing pain was about to begin once more.
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