TOOCM 38

Chapter 38

“Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty.”

Having delivered all fifty lashes, Reina tossed the switch aside.

Sweat beaded on her forehead from the relentless task.

Aiden and Rose, witnessing it all, were speechless.

The seemingly frail Reina had administered such cold justice.

When she’d ordered Lady Mary’s dismissal, they thought it lenient.

But making her fetch the switch under sword threat felt like unparalleled punishment.

For Lady Mary, who valued authority and dignity, there could be no greater humiliation.

Dismissal and fifty lashes—what a disgrace.

Rose, realizing how formidable Reina was, felt a growing tension.

‘Is this what royalty is?’

Knowing the Emperor’s ruthlessness, she shivered.

Reina’s sternness in asserting authority mirrored him perfectly.

Rose realized Reina had been lenient with her and shuddered.

“Ugh… ugh…”

As Lady Mary collapsed, Reina spoke to Rose.

“Take her home. Clear out her belongings too.”

“…Yes.”

“Lady Mary wouldn’t want this spread, so keep quiet unless something special arises.”

This implied that if Lady Mary schemed further, spreading the news was fair game.

Catching the hint, Lady Mary swallowed her sobs.

She couldn’t let dismissal and a beating become public.

Though staying in the North was impossible, she needed to leave for elsewhere.

Hiding her shame, Lady Mary bowed.

“Thank you for your mercy.”

“Go.”

At Reina’s cold words, Lady Mary limped away.

In the now-empty parlor, Reina exhaled shakily and collapsed onto the sofa.

“Ugh.”

Punishing Lady Mary had left her breathless.

It wasn’t just from exertion.

While disciplining her, Reina wrestled with her past self.

“Disobedient children must be punished.”

For a moment, her image overlapped with the Emperor’s.

He turned violent when she didn’t obey.

Enduring his abuse was a humiliating, self-destructive process.

As it continued, Reina lost herself.

Unable to discern her true feelings, she became like him.

She thought and acted like the Emperor without hesitation.

In the end, she killed him without a second thought, like a dog biting its master.

It was all his way.

Punishing Lady Mary, Reina grew afraid.

Was she becoming a monster?

“No, I’m different from the Emperor.”

Reina muttered, reassuring herself.

This wasn’t the time for this.

Composing herself, she stood and headed to Dahlia’s room with a calm face.

Ben learned late that Lady Mary’s room was cleared out by Reina’s orders.

It happened right after she woke.

Circumstantially, Lady Mary was clearly involved.

Ben had planned to question her after Rose, so he needed to grasp the situation quickly.

“Lady Mary was limping when she left the parlor. It seems she was whipped.”

A maid who saw her leave cautiously shared this.

Limping after being fine that morning was suspicious.

Though unclear what happened, Reina likely caused it.

Ben had thought her lenient.

Realizing she was sterner than expected, he hurried to find Kaiden.

Hearing the news, Kaiden went to Reina.

“Reina.”

She was eating snacks with Dahlia and greeted him warmly.

“Break time? We’re having snacks. Want to join if you have time?”

Her calm face belied the woman who’d just whipped Lady Mary.

‘Was the report wrong?’

Kaiden glared at Ben, who shrugged, implying he only relayed what he heard.

After learning Lady Mary misused her authority to fire Dahlia’s tutors, Kaiden had planned to dismiss her.

But Reina asked him to wait for the right moment.

He hadn’t expected this to unfold.

“The parlor’s atmosphere was intense. The Young Lord looked dazed leaving.”

“That guy’s always dazed, isn’t he?”

“Rose was shaken too.”

Even bold Rose was rattled, making Kaiden pause.

The next words were harder to believe.

“Dive said he faintly heard whipping. It seems Her Grace whipped Lady Mary herself.”

“No way. You saw her—she’s not cruel enough to hit anyone. With those delicate wrists?”

“Well, maybe we misjudged her.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s sterner than we thought. We should dig deeper into why she came to the North.”

“Nothing came up already.”

“That’s why I’m worried something dangerous might unfold.”

Ben seemed to suspect Reina’s reasons for coming to the North.

Someone who seemed incapable of harming an ant had crushed the obstinate Lady Mary, which was chilling.

But Kaiden didn’t think Reina did it casually.

He closely studied her.

Her lips, drooping more than usual, hinted at hidden self-reproach.

Her trembling hand holding the teacup was unlike her.

Focusing on her thick velvet gloves, he noticed something.

Her normally graceful fingers were awkward.

Though she tried to hide it, she couldn’t fool Kaiden’s keen eyes.

‘Told you I’d handle it.’

Kaiden found Reina’s reluctance to rely on him frustrating.

She could’ve let him deal with it.

The whipping was likely impulsive.

Her original plan was to gradually distance Lady Mary from Dahlia, narrowing her influence.

She hadn’t anticipated Lady Mary’s vile act.

Glancing at Dahlia, Kaiden said to Reina.

“Can I join?”

“Of course. We’re just relaxing with Dahlia. Shall I have them bring your share?”

“I’d like that.”

“Rose, could you bring another teacup?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

At Reina’s request, Rose brought a teacup with a formal expression.

Kaiden looked at her curiously.

Her changed demeanor surprised him.