Phrolova's Revenge

"You—" Luna's eyes reddened, but she still stubbornly insisted, "I'm warning you, you'd better let me go now, or else when the Second Miss finds out—"

"Second Miss?" Phrolova sneered, folding the whip twice in his hand. "Do you think you'll live to see her again?"

With a flick of her wrist, the whip lashed out, its tip striking Luna's side with a sharp crack.

Luna flinched as if she'd been scalded; she could feel the burning pain even through her clothes.

"Ah!" Luna cried out, twisting in mid-air Tacet Discord, rubbed painfully.

"That's it?" Phrolova tilted his head, looking at her. "I haven't even started yet."

"Aaaaaah-- Phrolova, you bastard! Let me go! If you've got the guts, put me down and we'll fight one-on-one!"

Phrolova ignored her, walked closer, looked down at Luna hanging upside down, raised his hand and slapped Luna across the face with a crisp, loud sound.

Luna's head was knocked to the side, her ears were ringing, her face was burning, and five finger marks slowly appeared.

"That slap," Phrolova said, "Was because you forced me to smell chicken poop."

Slap, another slap.

This time it hit the other side of the face.

"This slap is because you forced me to wear a maid outfit."

Smack

"This slap is from when you called me a slut."

Luna's cheeks were swollen, her eyes were brimming with tears, and her mouth was pursed like a child about to cry.

"You actually hit me..." Her voice trembled violently, and tears finally slid down her cheeks, flowing backwards into her hair. "From childhood to adulthood, even my sister has never hit me! My sister might scold me a couple of times, but she has never laid a hand on me! How dare you hit me! How dare you!"

Phrolova burst out laughing after hearing that.

"Your sister never hit you, so you think the whole world won't? Well, today I'll teach you a lesson on her behalf."

She turned her head and gestured towards the red Tacet Discord.

Hecate's eyes lit up, and she tightened her grip on Luna's ankle, then lifted Luna up and started spinning her around.

Luna's vision instantly spun around.

Hecate grabbed her ankle and swung her around like a windmill.

One lap, two laps, three laps.

Luna's hair flew up, and her whole body was stretched into a horizontal line by centrifugal force. The wind rushed into her mouth, and she couldn't even scream.

My stomach was churning, and my mind was a complete mess.

"Stop--stop--stop--" Luna managed to squeeze out a few words.

Phrolova leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching Hecate fling Luna with a gleeful expression, as if he had finally gotten his revenge.

After spinning around for about a dozen times, she finally raised her hand.

Hecate stopped, Luna was still swaying from the momentum, her hair a mess, her face as white as paper, and her eyes full of tears.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Phrolova walked over and reached out to pinch her cheek.

Luna's tears finally fell.

She had never suffered such injustice in her life.

She is Lucia's sister. Her family has been maids in the Montelli for generations. She grew up in the Montelli and was pampered and fawned over wherever she went.

Now she's being hung up, slapped, whipped, and spun around like a giant windmill; her face is burning with pain from the beatings. When has she ever suffered such humiliation?

She burst into tears.

She was sobbing uncontrollably, and snot bubbles were coming out of her nose.

She looked exactly like a little girl who had been bullied by bad guys.

Phrolova, however, grew impatient.

"Why are you crying?" Her tone was devoid of emotion. "When you tormented me that day, did I cry?"

Luna raised her head, sobbing, her voice almost inaudible. "You... you deserved it... you're a prisoner... I'm in charge of the prisoners..."

"Oh." Phrolova nodded in agreement. "Then I'm in charge of prisoners now. You're my prisoner, so guess what I'll do to you?"

Phrolova pulled out a short knife.

She walked up to Luna, held the knife to Luna's neck, the blade against her skin, the coldness sending a shiver down Luna's spine.

"What do you think would happen if I made a cut from here?"

Luna's eyes widened, her sobs caught in her throat, and she froze completely.

"No... no... don't kill me..." she pleaded in terror, the knife already embedded in her carotid artery, as if her own blood would spray all over her face at any moment.

Phrolova wasn't in a hurry.

Her knife was pressed against Luna's neck, and it began to slowly slide down.

The tip of the knife passed his chin, his collarbone, and stopped at his chest.

Luna's breathing almost stopped; she was as tense as a string.

She even started to regret bullying Phrolova in the first place.

Phrolova's knife stopped.

She remained in that position for a long time without moving.

Luna dared not speak or move; she could only feel the knife pressed against her skin, its chill seeping in little by little.

Phrolova really wanted to kill Luna.

Since so much blood has already been spilled, what's one more life?

This young, blond girl treated her like an animal, making her smell chicken droppings, wear maid outfits, and act as bait.

She would feel no guilt whatsoever if he killed her.

only--

She remembered Kexi's words.

He stood before her, a chilling smile playing on his lips, his voice lashing her face like a whip:

Your hands are stained with blood. You no longer deserve my gaze.

She looked down at the knife in her hand, then at Luna's face, which was contorted with unbearable tears.

After a long silence, she put the knife away.

Luna thought she was going to die, and was so scared that she forgot to cry.

To my surprise, her calm voice suddenly rang out.

You're lucky.

"I don't want to kill anyone today."

Before Luna could even breathe a sigh of relief, Phrolova had already taken off her stockings, crumpled them up, and stuffed them into her mouth.

"Ugh--!" Luna's eyes widened, and she twisted and turned desperately, but her mouth was stuffed tightly, and she could only make muffled whimpering sounds.

Phrolova waved to Hecate.

Hecate produced a rope from somewhere and tied her up tightly. Then, grabbing Luna's ankles, he lifted her out of the room and carried her all the way to the chicken coop in the backyard.

Before dawn, the speckled chickens in the coop were dozing when they were suddenly startled by a person who appeared out of nowhere. They flapped their wings and clucked incoherently.

Hecate tossed Luna aside next to the chicken coop and released her grip.

Luna fell to the ground with a stocking stuffed in her mouth and her hands and feet bound, unable to run away.

Phrolova crouched down and glanced at her.

She looked up, but her mouth was stuffed with the taste of Phrolova, so she couldn't say a word. She could only glare at her with a venomous look to vent her dissatisfaction.

Phrolova was very pleased with her gaze.

"Don't hate me like that. You should be glad I didn't want to kill you."

"You should even feel honored that after playing a trick on me, I'm still letting you live in this world."

Phrolova stood up, didn't look at her again, and turned to leave.

"Waaaaah--" Luna stared wide-eyed, unable to utter a complete syllable, tears welling up in her eyes again with anger.

The chickens in the coop gathered around, curiously circling their new roommate.

Luna lay on the ground, her face burning with pain, staring blankly at the night sky, utterly despondent.

This night will forever be her nightmare.