Dungeon Defense (WN)

e I can understand…all that……without any words…….”

I quietly covered Daisy’s mouth with my hand.

“Taking revenge is my job, so I will be the one to carry it out.”

“Haa…….”

Daisy let out a breath of air that sounded like both a normal laugh and a mocking laugh before her head drooped back down.
I checked her pulse just in case.
It was fine.
She had just passed out.
Daisy went through a surgery that was far more painful than this.
There was still time left.

Shortly after.

My executives entered the prison one by one.

Among them, there were executives who let out gasps after they saw Daisy and those who only furrowed their brows as if they had already known.
I’m not sure if I should say it was fortunate or unfortunate, but only one person had done the latter.

“Everyone.”

I spoke once everyone had arrived.

“Kneel.”

Everyone prostrated themselves the moment I gave them the order.
Lapis, Laura, Parsi, Jeremi, and Ivar, a total of five people.
Blingy and the fairies were watching us nervously from a distance.

“Lapis.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Raise your head.”

Lapis slowly raised her head.
I then slapped her without any hesitation.
A clear sound echoed as Lapis fell powerlessly to the ground.
Lapis herself didn’t let out a cry, but the people who were watching held their breaths in shock.

It is well known that Lapis receives almost all of my affection; however, I had struck that very person.
The other vassals couldn’t utter a sound as they lowered their heads further.

“Stand.”

Lapis pushed herself up.
I immediately slapped her.
Lapis stumbled.

I continued to order her with a cold tone.

“Stand.”

And repeat.

Lapis didn’t let out a single sound and I didn’t say anything beyond my cold commands.
Only the sound of brutality echoed throughout the prison.

I withdrew my hand after I had struck her exactly thirty times.
I didn’t go easy on her.
I had put my all into striking Lapis’ cheek.
This was clear by how her shoulders would silently tremble after each strike.

“Even though, as the Chancellor, you were supposed to have thoroughly supervised every department and made sure that no one overstepped their authority, you neglected your duty.
The crime of not stopping the Military Affairs Minister’s dogmatic action is heavy.
I am deducting your stipends by two years.”

“Thank you……very much…for the merciful punishment.”

Lapis bowed with her trembling body.
Her two legs could no longer support her body as she collapsed.

Silence and fear loomed over the prison.

I said a person’s name in the coldest way I had ever done before.

“Laura de Farnese.”

“Yes, Your Lordship.”

“I will allow you to give a final defense.”

Laura pressed her forehead against the ground.

“This lady of humble birth has committed a great crime.”

“Very well, then.”

I nodded.
This meant that she had no excuse.

“Jeremi, tie the criminal to the chains on the ceiling.”

“Yes, Your Greatness.”

Jeremi’s tone was different from usual as it didn’t have even a tiny bit of playfulness to it.
She was an assassin whose expression, tone, gestures, and emotions were like that of a seasoned assassin.
Jeremi immediately stood up and bound Laura’s hands with chains.
Laura was then hung from the ceiling like some slab of meat from a butcher shop.

“The Military Affairs Minister decided to take matters into her own hands and punished the Head Maid for a crime that I did not even blame her for.
Laws have been violated as this was also not done through a fair trial, she went against her duties as vassal and lord by deciding upon something on her own, and the foundation of the state has been distorted as she had punished the head of another department.”

I grabbed the whip that was placed at one side of the prison.

“Therefore, Laura de Farnese will be removed from her position as Military Affairs Minister and serve in war as a commoner.
Additionally, she will receive thirty strikes from a whip.

“Y-Your Highness!”

Parsi shouted in panic.
He was the only person here who was unrelated enough to this incident that he didn’t have to ask for permission to speak.
This was because he was in a separate position from the other executives as he had to manage the territory.

Parsi, who would usually always talk to me like a friend, was acting like a different man as he followed etiquette. 

“It would be difficult for a young girl to withstand thirty strikes from a whip! Instead, please equally punish the rest of us!

“The rest of you will have your wages cut by half a year.
However, the criminal’s sentencing cannot be reduced.”

“Your Highness!”

Parsi raised his head.

“……!”

Parsi froze the moment our gazes met.
His grizzly face filled with shock as if he saw something he shouldn’t have.
Parsi blankly stared at my eyes for a moment before he helplessly lowered his head.

I tightened my grip on the whip.

“Reveal the criminal’s back to me.”

“Understood.”

Jeremi took off Laura’s top, revealing her pale nape and back.
The body of the girl whom I had made love to countless of times was there before me.

The whip cracked through the air as the sound of flesh being torn into resonated.

Laura screamed.

I didn’t give her a moment to rest as I kept swinging the whip.
Her skin was already completely torn by the second strike.
Blood scattered in the air with each swing of the whip.
I received that blood on my face as I swung my arm.

Laura passed out around the ninth hit.
I glanced at Jeremi.

“Wake her.”

Jeremi poured cold water over Laura.
The water seeped into her wounds.
Laura was forced back to consciousness due to the sharp pain.
I swung the whip again.

Again.

And again.

Laura passed out a total of seven times.
The muscles on her back had become ragged.
Blood washed blood as it flowed to the ground.

I breathed heavily.
My stamina had been exhausted after punishing Lapis and Laura in succession.
That was how much I refused to show mercy.

I spoke while panting.

“The responsibility of a vassal’s crime lies in their lord.
I, Dantalian, had appointed the wrong person as my chancellor, I did not realize that one of my ministers had committed a crime, and I did not realize that the head maid had been tortured.”

I handed the whip to Jeremi.

“I must decide upon my own punishment.
Civil Militia Captain, from this moment on, you will give me sixty lashings.”