When Azriel saw Roland raise his hand, even she was not foolish enough to miss what he intended to do.
So this was what he meant by punishment?
Azriel's confidence wavered. She had once smiled even with an injury as severe as a clean hole punched through her chest.
If Roland had merely intended to execute her, or subject her to physical torture, she would have faced it fearlessly.
But spanking truly crossed a line for her.
This mental humiliation affected Azriel more than physical pain. As the leader of the Flügel and the strongest god's first creation, she would surely become a disgrace to the Flügel if someone pinned her across his knees and spanked her.
No, mere disgrace would actually be the best outcome. Since she was an idiot, she was already a well-known laughingstock among the Flügel anyway.
But if Lord Artosh's reputation suffered because of this, even taking her own life in atonement would not undo the damage. Fortunately, there were no unnecessary living beings here, only Roland and Little Jibril, who were directly involved. That human had run too far away to return anytime soon.
So, as long as she quickly gave in and accepted her punishment, then used the fact that Roland held something over her to negotiate with him, there should still be a chance to turn things around... probably.
But I was already going to accept my punishment, and now I have to give in of my own accord too!
A jumble of thoughts ran wild through Azriel's mind. Although she acted like an idiot, the variation she had used to surpass Jibril's Heavenly Strike showed that she was intelligent. She simply struggled to understand the importance of trying, failing, and learning.
In plain terms, she was not quick on the uptake.