I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 17
Whack-!
The sharp pain on her calf made her grip the hem of her dress tightly as she slowly straightened her head.
Whack, whack-!
The sound of the whip slicing through the air and the pain on her calf made her grit her teeth.
Red welts formed, and delicate skin split, causing blood to trickle down. Despite the agonizing pain, under the watchful eyes of her oppressor, she forced her expression to remain composed, lowering her gaze.
Whack, whack-!
The pain was familiar, as were the contemptuous stares and the disdainful remarks.
With a detached look, she neither resisted nor tried to explain, enduring the punishment silently.
Her expression didn’t change, and she didn’t utter a single groan, causing those around her to click their tongues in disapproval.
“Enough.”
With a curt command, the maid who had been mechanically striking her calf with all her might stepped back, folding her hands respectfully.
Even though it was an act of contempt to have a maid strike her, a princess, no one found it strange or commented on it.
“How much more do you have to degrade me to be satisfied?”
The soprano voice descended calmly, sounding infinitely graceful.
“I apologize to Your Majesty, the Empress.”
Empress Celiana of Roshan furrowed her elegant brow in rising displeasure as she observed the woman who showed no change in expression or tone.
Despite her age, approaching fifty, she looked as beautiful as a woman in her thirties.
It was clear where her two children’s good looks came from.
Her refined, pale face and the red makeup on her lips enhanced her beauty, while her sharply upturned eyes gave her a venomous look.
“I’ve always told you. You are never to raise your head and always live reflecting on your sins. Yet you decided to abandon the opportunity to repay the imperial family by attempting to run away?”
“…I just needed some fresh air, so I went for a walk…”
Smack-!
As soon as she uttered her excuse, her head was whipped to the side.
The ring on the empress’s hand left a small cut on her cheek.
“The maid I assigned to you said she saw you sneaking in through a dog hole!”
“…”
Realizing that excuses were futile, Nisha kept her mouth shut.
There was no such thing as a dog hole.
Even if the palace was corrupt, there were people maintaining and repairing it.
The maid assigned to monitor her must have reported that she found the room empty and assumed Nisha had fled at dawn.
But since she had returned, the maid had to fabricate a story to cover her lie.
Celiana never bothered to hear Nisha’s excuses or discern fault regarding her.
“I apologize to Your Majesty the Empress,” Nisha said calmly, her gaze lowered without any emotion. Both she and Celiana knew it was an empty apology.
Celiana only sought her submission.
“Today is a special day for you, Nisha,” Celiana suddenly said with a soft voice.
She placed the jeweled fan she was holding under Nisha’s chin, using it to forcefully lift her head.
Celiana narrowed her eyes. Every time she looked into Nisha’s amethyst eyes, she was reminded of her dear friend, who had been like a sister to her.
‘Of all things, why do her eyes have to be the same color?’
This was why she could never bring herself to like Nisha.
Nisha possessed both the hair color of the woman Celiana wished she could kill again, even if it meant raising her from the grave, and the eye color of her most beloved friend.
‘It doesn’t matter, I won’t have to see them for much longer.’
It had been a long and bitter time.
Though losing the war and the empty treasury were painful, the thought of finally avenging her friend filled Celiana with a grim satisfaction.
