A Queen's Chastisement
Carmel climbed onto my thighs with an utterly displeased expression. Her heavy softness pressed down on my legs in a highly pleasing manner. The sight of Carmel waiting for her punishment like this was unbearably seductive. Clad only in her underwear, her body's curves were laid completely bare. Just looking at her sent a sweet ache deep into my lower abdomen. It felt as if I had arrived at a buffet named Carmel. I feasted my eyes on the perfect curve running from her back to her waist, before shifting my gaze to the next destination. None other than her buttocks. Carmel's rear, which was on the larger side, trembled slightly as if anxious about the impending blows. Well then, I suppose it is time to taste the main dish. I grabbed Carmel's underwear and pulled them down past her thighs.
"H-hyah...!"
Had she not expected me to strip her before the spanking? Carmel squeezed my thighs with her entire body as if startled. Yet, she maintained her posture. It seemed she had steeled her resolve. Exposing her lower half in a space where men were present—this was undoubtedly the most humiliating ordeal she had faced while disguised as Sophia. Yet, Carmel only let out a sobbing groan and did not resist. From the moment she climbed onto my lap, she seemed to have resolved to endure it somehow without making a futile scene. An excellent attitude. I kneaded Carmel's buttocks with my right hand for a moment, then raised my hand high and brought it down.
Smack!
"Ah-ahhn...!"
Carmel let out a sharp gasp. Judging by the sound alone, it was a lewd moan, one that was utterly unimaginable coming from a queen. Carmel's face, as she endured the humiliation, was turned toward the wall and hidden from view. But even without seeing it, I could easily picture it in my mind. She wouldn't just be feeling humiliated; her eyes would be burning with a fierce desire for revenge. A bright red handprint had formed where my palm struck. Seeing my mark engraved upon Carmel's flesh sent a sticky wave of arousal swelling in my chest. Once she returned to her room, this would be the very first place she checked. Looking at her own flushed, red bottom, how on earth would Carmel vent her rage? Would she even dare to see a doctor? How did she plan to hide this from the maids who helped her dress? Imagining the ripple effects my mark would have on Carmel made me want to burst into laughter. Wearing a gentle smile, I brought my palm down a second time.
Slap!
"Hih-giah..."
The physical pain itself probably wasn't too severe. Though I was striking with some force, Princess Sera's physical strength was nothing remarkable. Compared to actual flogging, this was mere child's play. However, the humiliation piling up in her heart was by no means light. The queen of this kingdom was exposing her bare flesh in front of men, being spanked on her most shameful part. There were few things in the world more humiliating than this.
Smack! Smack! Spank!
The whipping continued. Brilliant red flowers were blooming in full across Carmel's buttocks. Before long, Carmel stopped squirming altogether, seemingly resolving to remain rigid and simply endure until this ordeal passed. I lightly squeezed Carmel's flushed flesh and whispered into her ear.
"Fufu, you endure so well, Mother."
"...What...?"
As if the person whispering in her ear were a literal demon, Carmel slowly turned her face toward me, her expression frozen in sheer horror. Her face, slick with heavy beads of sweat from shame and humiliation, was now a chaotic mess of shock and confusion. Feasting my eyes on her expression, I struck her once more.
Crack!
"Hngh-giah...! W-wait, you... ah... S-stop, just wait...!"
Now that she realized I knew her true identity, Carmel began to struggle. It seemed her belief that no one knew who she was had been her final line of defense to endure the humiliation. I turned to the knights and made a polite request.
"I'm sorry, but could you hold Sophia's limbs? It seems she cannot bear the pain."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The two knights stepped forward and expertly suppressed Carmel's struggles. With her arms pinned behind her back and her legs held fast, Carmel was left utterly helpless, unable to do anything but take the beating. I disliked the knights touching Carmel's body, but the sheer arousal of this situation made it tolerable. Besides, they were wearing training gloves rather than bare hands. Once the knights exerted their strength, Carmel stopped thrashing. She even ceased making protesting noises.
"...Ngh..."
She merely let out short groans, as if spitting out the humiliation she couldn't swallow. Now that her head had cooled down a bit, Carmel seemed to understand. Resisting here would bring her absolutely no benefit. Since she couldn't reveal her identity, acting insolently toward me, the princess, would only make her punishment harsher. Enduring the spanking was the best move Carmel could make right now. No matter how unbearably humiliating it was.
In Carmel's mind, everything she had suffered while disguised as 'Sophia' was likely playing back in sequence. Having her private parts fondled under the guise of a body search, spitting out absurd lies at my command, and now, being punished on her bare bottom like a child. Only now did Carmel truly realize that all of it had been chipping away at her own dignity, not Sophia's. It must have been a humiliation so intense she wanted to scream. Perhaps that was why Carmel bit her lip and glared at me with murderous intent. I whispered to her again in a barely audible voice.
"What were you trying to do in the barracks disguised as Sophia? Tell me the truth, and I will stop here."
Carmel seemed to waver for a moment. Her lips parted instantly at the thought of ending this humiliation. But she soon clamped her mouth shut and turned her head away. So, she chose to be degraded. I, for one, welcomed that choice.
"Fufu, you don't seem very repentant, Sophia."
Letting out a soft voice, my right hand roamed across Carmel's buttocks. My fingers brushed over her deep valley, and even touched the tight opening within. Further down, they lightly grazed her split crevice and her bush. Then, raising my arm higher than my head, I brought it down hard in a single, swift motion.
Spank!
A ripple ran through her flushed flesh. The peach-like hue of her bottom had deepened into a dark, rosy red. Amusingly, the reddest part of Carmel's body wasn't her spanked rear, but her face—specifically, her two cheeks.
Spank! Spank! Spank!
I brought my palm down hard, over and over. As a tingling sensation lingered in my palm, and as Carmel's face filled with a resentment that transcended mere humiliation, I found it difficult to suppress the ecstasy welling up inside me.
"I suppose this is enough, Sophia. Are you truly reflecting on your actions?"
Once again, I threw her a lifeline. Merely grasping this hand of mercy would be an unbearable humiliation for Carmel. Yet, she was in no position to refuse.
"I-I am... reflecting... Princess... Sera..."
Her voice sounded as if she were grinding the words between her teeth before spitting them out. Anyone could tell she wasn't actually reflecting. Even the knights, who had looked somewhat sympathetic when they first held her down, now wore displeased expressions. My, Sophia's life as a maid might become quite difficult after this. Of course, I didn't actually expect Carmel to sincerely repent. That was impossible anyway. All I wanted was to see Carmel shuddering as she was forced to squeeze out words of apology. That desire had been fulfilled beautifully. I could let her go now.
"Very well. You may put your clothes back on."
The moment the knights released her, Carmel scrambled away from me. She picked up the maid uniform Filgret had left after searching it and calmly began to dress.
"Are you truly satisfied with this, Your Highness?"
"Yes. This should be enough for Sophia to understand. She won't dare harbor any foolish thoughts again."
Sophia, of course, did not reply. Though her tightly clenched fists served as answer enough. I commanded one of the knights.
"Abel. Escort Sophia back to the Jehwagung."
"No, that is fine. I will go alone," Carmel replied calmly. She had somehow managed to lock away her swirling rage and humiliation deep inside. Though it would almost certainly explode violently the moment she was alone.
"No, Sophia. I cannot allow you to wander around the barracks by yourself. Abel, escort her."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The knight roughly grabbed Carmel's arm and led her up the stairs. If Carmel ever gets her hands on the Book of Enekra, that guy will probably be the first to die.
After Carmel and Abel left, I commanded Filgret.
"Filgret. Search everything in the barracks immediately. Every bit of food, training equipment, weapons, and gear that will be used until the Festival of the Sword in two days!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Filgret moved swiftly. After some time, in a room within the barracks, he reported to me in a calm voice.
"Your Highness, the search is complete. Everything is in order. There are no anomalies."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes. We thoroughly inspected the items you specified, as well as the bedding. It is completely clean."
"Hmm, I see. Good work. Return to your regular duties."
"Yes, ma'am."
Filgret bowed deeply and withdrew.
No problems at all... Of course, that couldn't be true. There was something Carmel had tried to do, even at the risk of moving personally. Nothing unusual had been found in Sophia's clothes or on Carmel's body. Even the suspicious white powder turned out to be a common laxative prescribed by Reynard, with no harmful effects on an ordinary person. If so, she had likely already done something by the time the knights caught her. Furthermore, if it hadn't been found despite the knights' extensive search, it was highly likely to be something difficult for an ordinary person to notice. In that case... A sudden flash of intuition sparked in my mind.