An Unknown Punishment
The freezing night passed and a new day dawned, but an awkward silence hung heavily between Su-ryeon and Eun-hye. Forcing themselves to bury the horrific events of the previous day, they exchanged only strained, feeble smiles. Neither could bring herself to break the oppressive silence and speak of yesterday's nightmare; they merely watched each other warily.
After wrestling with a mountain of laundry for what felt like hours, Su-ryeon straightened her back to catch her breath. Just then, Eun-hye quietly approached and sat down beside her without a word. In her hand was a single roasted potato she had managed to smuggle out. Eun-hye held it out to Su-ryeon with an air of casual indifference, as if nothing had happened.
"Do you want some?"
Eun-hye's voice was even lower and more cautious than usual. At that simple question, the emotions Su-ryeon had kept bottled up deep inside her chest surged forth. Hot tears instantly welled in her eyes.
"Sister... are you alright? Watching you get... trampled so brutally right before my eyes... it broke my heart..."
Su-ryeon's voice trembled uncontrollably, dissolving into choked sobs. Eun-hye silently took Su-ryeon's shaking hand. A dark shadow hung over her own eyes as well.
"This is just... what the life of a sex slave is..."
Eun-hye's voice was heavy with resignation and sorrow. Yet, she quickly reached out to gently caress Su-ryeon's reddened eyes, offering comfort instead.
"More importantly... you went through a far worse ordeal yesterday... Are you alright? It must have been so hard on you."
The two women locked eyes and fell into a long, silent embrace of glances. The horrific pain and humiliation of yesterday, coupled with the looming dread of an uncertain future, weighed on Su-ryeon's heart like a leaden shroud. Only the warmth of the roasted potato offered a fleeting sliver of solace in this freezing reality.
Their shoulders trembled in unison. It was a quiet testament to their deep bond of solidarity, a silent shared understanding of the tragic fate from which they could never escape.
A week slipped by in a blur after that sickening, skin-crawling nightmare of a party. Strangely, however, all traces of Baek Kang-ho's brutal floggings and horrific sexual torture vanished from the estate during that time. Though Su-ryeon, Eun-hye, and Ha-jin carried on with their daily routines in apparent tranquility, a dark, suffocating shadow of anxiety loomed large in the depths of their hearts.
Like the calm before a storm, Baek Kang-ho's unusually prolonged silence only served to amplify their sticky, ominous dread.
Su-ryeon's heart, in particular, sank as if bound by heavy iron chains. Ever since the journey back from the party, when Baek Kang-ho had informed her that her true identity had been exposed to Baek Jang-mi, she had been trembling in terror of the horrific punishment that surely awaited her.
Yet, for an entire week, the harsh retribution she anticipated did not even cast a shadow. If anything, the quiet, peaceful days only caused her anxiety to multiply exponentially. It felt as though she were living with a ticking time bomb strapped to her chest, every passing second a tightrope walk of agonizing tension.
It was then that the firmly shut door to the sex slave quarters suddenly opened without a sound, and a pale-faced Ok-hui stepped cautiously inside. Her hunched shoulders and the deep sorrow in her eyes cast an immediate, ominous pall over the room.
"Su-ryeon..."
"Duke... Duke Baek Kang-ho is looking for you. He wants you to go... to the drawing room... right now..."
Her final words caught in her throat, as if choked by sheer pain. Ok-hui's gaze, filled with an inexplicable, agonizing pity, pressed down heavily on Su-ryeon's already anxious heart. Su-ryeon felt the blood drain from her face, turning ice-cold in her veins. It felt as though her worst fears were finally manifesting into a horrific reality.
Is he... is he going to torture me first thing in the morning...?
The mere thought of the impending agony caused her muscles to seize up in rigid terror. Her legs trembled so violently she wanted to collapse to the floor, but she didn't even have the luxury of breaking down. Forcing herself to swallow past a dry throat, she stared at Ok-hui with a ghostly pale face. She wanted to ask what was happening, but her throat was so tight that no sound would come out. Her heart hammered violently against her ribs, and the sheer dread of the horrors awaiting her bound her body like heavy shackles.
Dragging her feet through a swamp of absolute terror, she slowly began to walk toward the drawing room. Each step was heavy and halting, like a condemned prisoner marching toward the gallows. Eun-hye and Ha-jin could only watch her depart in silent, helpless agony, unable to offer a single word of comfort.
As she walked down the long corridor leading to the drawing room, Cheon Su-ryeon's mind ran wild with horrific scenarios. Vivid memories of cold rods and whips relentlessly tearing into her flesh flashed before her eyes. The suffocating agony, the crushing humiliation, and Baek Kang-ho's frigid voice—dripping with contempt and mockery—echoed endlessly in her ears. Every step felt like a descent into the deepest pits of hell.
Finally standing before the drawing room door, Cheon Su-ryeon licked her parched lips. Her heart beat so frantically she thought it might burst, and her trembling hands hovered in the air, unable to grasp the doorknob. Only after taking a deep, shuddering breath did she manage to wrap her fingers around the brass handle and slowly push the door open.
"Master, did you summon me?"
Yet, contrary to her expectations, a strange, heavy silence pervaded the room. Baek Kang-ho was nowhere to be seen. Just as a fleeting sense of relief began to wash over her, her eyes locked onto a familiar figure elegantly sipping tea from an ornate porcelain cup. A beautiful yet frigid smile, crimson lips, and sharp, piercing blue eyes... Cheon Su-ryeon froze on the spot, her breath catching in her throat.
The woman sitting alone in the drawing room was none other than... Baek Jang-mi.
Confronted by this unexpected encounter and the chilling atmosphere, Su-ryeon's heart turned to ice, seized by a new, paralyzing terror.
"L-Lady... Lady Baek...?"
The trembling words barely managed to squeeze past Su-ryeon's lips.
"Have you been well? Lady Chae-hwa... or should I call you Cheon Su-ryeon?"
In that instant, Cheon Su-ryeon felt as if her breath had been stolen away. Although Baek Kang-ho had already warned her that Baek Jang-mi knew her true identity, hearing it directly from the woman's mouth made her blood run absolutely cold.
"How... how are you here, my lady...?"
Baek Jang-mi wore a leisurely smile, clearly savoring Cheon Su-ryeon's utter panic.
"Hehe... I summoned you. I asked Duke Baek Kang-ho to lend you to me for the day."
"L-Lend... me?"
Cheon Su-ryeon's voice cracked in disbelief. A wave of deep humiliation washed over her at the sheer arrogance of being treated like a mere object.
A sharp, dangerous glint flashed across Baek Jang-mi's beautiful face.
"You heard me, so why ask again? For today, you are my sex slave."
Her voice carried a frigid blade concealed beneath its soft exterior. Cheon Su-ryeon was rendered speechless by shock, confusion, and the sheer terror of what lay ahead. Then, the image of Seon-yeong flashed through her mind, prompting her to ask desperately:
"What about Seon-yeong...? Is Seon-yeong alright?"
Baek Jang-mi nodded slowly, her smile cold and detached.
"She has been treated well, so do not worry about her. Though... I suggest you worry about yourself today."
Her sickening, twisted chuckle felt like a chilling omen of the torment to come. Cheon Su-ryeon's heart began to hammer wildly once more.
"Worry about... myself...?"
Su-ryeon's terrified voice trembled, barely audible.
A flicker of irritation crossed Baek Jang-mi's exquisite face. Her crimson lips parted, her tone turning icy.
"How many times do I have to repeat myself? Today, you are my sex slave."
Her sharp gaze was terrifying, like a predator locking onto its prey.
"Which means, I can do whatever I want to you today, and no one will stop me!"
Cheon Su-ryeon's face drained of what little color it had left. The blood in her veins felt like liquid ice. The chilling weight of the words "do whatever I want" pierced her chest like a jagged dagger. The anticipation of unimaginable pain and humiliation crashed over her all at once. She bit her lip hard and squeezed her eyes shut, the overwhelming dread of the impending darkness binding her body like heavy shackles.
"Why... why are you doing this to me?"
Though her voice shook, Su-ryeon kept her anxious eyes fixed on Baek Jang-mi's cold face.
Baek Jang-mi offered a light, amused smile.
"Do you truly not know, or are you just playing innocent?"
The corners of her crimson lips curled into a subtle, mocking arch. That enigmatic smile made Su-ryeon's heart beat with even greater unease. Baek Jang-mi's eyes slowly swept over her, as if examining a fascinating toy.
"You dared to hide your identity and ruin my wedding anniversary. Acting as if you were actually Baek Kang-ho's beloved!" Baek Jang-mi's voice grew louder, her composure slipping. "That day, I was supposed to be the main attraction! But you ruined everything!"
Baek Jang-mi's blue eyes flashed with venom as she glared at Cheon Su-ryeon. Su-ryeon, her face a mask of helpless injustice, replied in a trembling voice:
"That was not my choice. It was Duke Baek Kang-ho's command... I had no power to refuse..."
Baek Jang-mi waved her hand dismissively, her tone resolute.
"Save your excuses. You will pay dearly for setting foot in here today, so you had better brace yourself."
Wearing a cold smile, Baek Jang-mi slowly brought the teacup to her lips.
Su-ryeon's delicate shoulders trembled at Baek Jang-mi's unreasonable, forced accusations. Her clear eyes, swimming with a mixture of injustice and dread, stared pleadingly at the noblewoman as she cautiously spoke.
"Then... what do you intend to do with me? Do you... do you plan to whip me?"
A shadow of mingled terror and resignation hung over her final question.
Baek Jang-mi met her trembling inquiry with a peculiar smile. It was a chilling, deceptive smirk, devoid of any warmth.
"If someone as delicate as me were to give you a vulgar whipping, how deep could the pain possibly be?"
Her voice was soft, yet it carried a razor-sharp chill. Suddenly, a sinister grin spread across her crimson lips.
"But you can look forward to it."
Those few words sent an icy shiver down Su-ryeon's spine. An ominous premonition flashed through her mind—that a punishment far more insidious and cruel than the bite of a whip was waiting for her. A cold dread wrapped around her entire body, and she swallowed hard, terrified of the darkness that was about to consume her.