Chapter 5

The rod came down hard, pain exploding across Evelyn's back. She bit down and let out a stifled groan.

Martha rushed forward the moment she saw it, throwing her whole body over her mistress. The blows kept falling, each landing with a dull, heavy thud. It felt like each one struck Evelyn's heart harder than the last.

Tears sprang to her eyes. "Martha, get up! You're too old to take this!"

Martha clung to her, her voice growing fainter and fainter. "I'm fine, my lady. My skin's tough. I can take it..."

Once the twenty strikes were finished, the attendants stepped forward to untie Evelyn. Julian had already left the estate with Ivy in his arms. Evelyn scrambled up on hands and knees and gathered Martha into her arms.

The older woman was weak and pale, yet she still managed a smile for her mistress. "Don't cry, my lady. It doesn't hurt."

Tears kept streaming down Evelyn's face. "Stop talking. I'll go get a physician right now..."

She turned in a panic, and that was when she saw several royal physicians hurrying toward her with their medicine chests. She froze for a moment, then pushed the thought aside and helped them carry Martha into her room, standing by as they worked.

After a long while, one of the physicians packed away his tools and turned to Evelyn. "The injuries below the waist are severe. She may never walk again. But she'll live, at least."

At the physician's words, Evelyn felt like someone had just pulled her up from underwater. She gasped, her voice hoarse. "Thank you. Thank you all."

The physician waved a hand quickly. "No need to thank us, Lady Evelyn. Lord Julian sent us here. He said what happened today was meant to give Miss Ivy some justice, and he hopes you'll remember this lesson and never do something like that again."

With that, the physicians wrote out a few more prescriptions and took their leave.

Evelyn sat on the edge of the bed, her chest tight with a dull ache.

This was always how Julian operated. A slap, followed by a sweet to make up for it. She used to think that meant he cared. Now, she didn't want that sweet anymore.

She sat by the bed all through the night. Not until dawn broke did Martha finally stir and open her eyes weakly, and only then did the knot in Evelyn's chest finally loosen.

Julian showed up again ten days later.

When Evelyn stepped out of her room to find him standing outside, she stopped in her tracks. "What brings you here, my lord?"

Julian clapped his hands, and behind him, attendants carried in box after box of engagement gifts, filling up half the courtyard.

He let out a soft sigh. "I've thought about this a great deal these past few days. I promised you the position of secondary wife, but never formally sent the engagement gifts. No wonder you felt insecure enough to quarrel with Ivy over it. I've already spoken with the family elders. Three days from now, you and Ivy will both marry into my household together."

Evelyn looked at the gifts and said nothing for a long moment.

When she didn't respond, Julian frowned slightly. "Is there something else you're unhappy about? Tell me. I'll make it right."

Evelyn let out a light laugh. "There's no need. Let's just leave it as it is. If there's nothing else, my lord, you should go."

Taking her silence as agreement, his face relaxed. "There's one more thing. Ivy has no living family left. You're the closest thing she has to family. So, on the wedding day, let her leave from your estate."

"Fine," she agreed without hesitation.

Julian blinked, clearly not expecting her to agree so readily. Watching her calm profile, something strange stirred in his chest. But he quickly talked himself out of it, deciding she'd finally come around and accepted Ivy.

The corner of his mouth lifted into a pleased smile. "I knew you've always been reasonable."