3. The Punishment

The luxurious manor looked and dark, as if there was no life in there. However, in the room where several hippo-skin whips were hanging, two humans of different ages, Barend and Felen, were standing opposite each other after a brief quarrel.

“Turn around, show me your calves,” Barend said with his jaw tightened in anger. In his right hand, a black whip was ready to be used.

“Papa...!” said Felen with a pitiful face. Tears rolled down her chubby, pale cheeks.

“Felenia, don’t make me repeat the words.”

Her lips clenched at Barend’s bitter voice. Her body shook as the clock ticked in the night's stillness. She tried his best to hold back the sobs that escaped her lips. Not wanting to further exacerbate the anger directed at her from her father. Felen turned around as ordered. She closed his eyes, hoping that the pain she was receiving could lessen a bit by doing that.

“Five lashes for one mistake you did. Hmm ... how many times did you make a mistake today?” Barend asked while rubbing his chin. Seems to play back memories in his memory.

“...I don’t know, Papa.” Felen said, squeaked in fear. A soft chuckle escaped from Barend’s lips. “Two mistakes, Felenia. One ... for trying to harm Abelard until he drowned, and the second because you lied, denying the truth that you pushed Abelard into the pool.”

Felen’s lips remained tight as Barend stated the mistake she had made. She had explained many times that what happened to Abelard was because of the boy’s carelessness, but her father seemed to turn deaf to her explanation.

“Ten lashes. Count until I’m done,” he said. His grip on the tip of the whip tightened even more. He swung up the whip, then moved down with all his might. The thin tip of the whip grabbed Felen’s calf so hard it made a painful sound.

Felen was about to fall to the ground when a hot and painful sting hit her legs. However, Barend’s cold, threatening voice made her stand back up, even though her legs seemed like jelly. She bit her lips hard to hold back the cry of pain that almost escaped.

“Didn’t I tell you to count?”

Felen’s body twitched in surprise as Barend, without warning, swung the whip at his calf. She stumbled forward with his knees against the cold marble floor.

“Looks like I’ll have to increase your punishment,” said Barend without Felen’s approval. The indifferent tone in his father’s voice made her feel a suffocating horror. She shuddered at the thought of the possible next few minutes spent by the whip. Her hands cupped together.

“I’m sorry Papa. I’m sorry... I’ll do it right this time.” The state of Felen, who was begging for forgiveness from Barend, looked very pitiful. However, the man did not show the slightest mercy to her.

“Stand up. You’re wasting my precious time, Felenia.”

Felen immediately stood up as she was before, her back to Barend with his now red calves. She tightly clenched her hands into fists, waiting for her father to continue his unfinished punishment. The stinging sensation in Felen’s calves from the previous two lashes was still felt, but she braced herself for the next lash from Barend. As Barend swung the black whip again with significant force, the sound of the whip clashing against the skin echoed in every corner of the room. Barend didn’t hold back his strength in moving the whip.

“Th-- ree...” Felen counted in a trembling voice. She wanted to scream aloud, but Barend, who ordered not to make any noise, made her voice just stuck in her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes, but not the slightest cry of pain escaped her lips. She endured every pain that was wracking inside of her.

“Count from one!” Barend’s snarl buzzed in Felen’s ears, making her realise her father was losing his temper because of her inappropriate actions.

“O... ne--“ Felen said.

“Repeat from the start!” Barend seemed not tired of yelling at Felen. He again hurt her with the whip in his hand. Even though she looked like she might faint at any moment, he had no intention of stopping or delaying his punishment.

Felen counted from the start as Barend wanted, while holding back her pain. The lashes not only left red spots but blistered and bleed because Barend whipped her in the same place. She suffered extreme dizziness along with her body shivering; she felt the heat was hitting her body. The cold sweat that ran down her forehead and temples was also proof that her youthful body could no longer endure the pain she was receiving. At the last count, as Felen’s voice grew softer, hallucinations took over her mind; she spotted a large black shadow watching from the other end of the room with golden eyes. She wasn’t certain about what she looked because she lost consciousness. Intense darkness greeted Felen as her body fell forward.

Meanwhile, Barend, who saw Felen lying on the floor, only stared with no intention of moving her to the sofa or a more comfortable place. After throwing away his whip, he stepped towards the bells connected to several main halls, then pressed the button to call for the butler. He sat in his oversized chair, waiting for the head butler to come. Not long after, there was a knock on the door, and a middle-aged man entered the room. Before the butler had time to ask the master’s wishes, he gave the order first.

“Take Felenia to her room, and order the maid to treat her wound,” Barend said as he looked out of the window.

“Very well, My Lord.” The middle-aged man carried Felen with no difficulty. He said left Barend in his darkroom, unaware of a golden-eyed creature sitting arrogantly on her luxurious sofa. Before the door closed, the figure grinned, revealing its sharp canines.

In Felen’s room, Aghnya anxiously awaited her daughter. The news she heard from the servants prompted Aghnya to meet Felen. When the doors of the room opened, Aghnya ran to Felen. “Felenia!” The hysterical scream came from her. Surprise and worry shone in her blue eyes.

“Madam, you shouldn’t be here. Master will be furious if he finds out you broke the rules.” Although the butler’s words sounded flat, there was a hint of anxiety that made him nervous.

“I need to meet my daughter. What’s wrong with that?” Aghnya asked. She took over Felen’s body, which was in the butler’s arms. “Let me treat her wound,” she said. The middle-aged man could only sigh and nodded. Unable to refute Aghnya’s wishes.

“Very well, Madam, but allow a maid to assist you. You must return to your room after that.”

Aghnya agreed, thus carried Felen to the bed with the help of the maid carefully. Tears continued to flow down her cheeks when she saw Felen’s injured calf. After the maid cleaned Felen’s wound with warm water, she applied an herbal ointment to the wound. Felen’s cry of pain in her deep sleep made Aghnya cry even louder.

“I’m sorry, Felenia,” she whispered as she held Felen’s hand. Feeling guilty for having lost control and attacking Felen, who didn’t have any faults. She didn’t know when she would lose control of her unstable emotions again. Even now, she still couldn’t control her anger well. Little things that she finds annoying could make Aghnya’s emotions explode.

***