529 Punishmen (2/2)

”Yes. Is there a problem with that?”

Marquis Qin nearly spat out blood. Is there a problem with that? Is there a problem with that?! He wanted to yank her by the hair and smack her to the ground. This insufferable bitch!

”Of course—”

”Oh right!”

Li Xueyue held up a finger and straightened up. Seeing his befuddled expression, glancing up at her as if she had lost her mind, forced her to stifle her laughter.

”Shouldn't you thank me?”

Marquis Qin blanched at the thought of thanking her. He would do anything but that. Bowing to her was already a disgrace, considering her true rank. He could not wrap his head around her thought process. Surely, she was insane!

”I spared your life.”

Marquis Qin blinked. W-what? He lifted his head, his heart soaring high. Did she finally get some senses knocked into her? Was she going to let him walk out of here?

Just the thought of spending another night in this prison was enough to make his eyes water. His body trembled before the torture even started again. In this quiet cell, where the only sound was his agonizing groans, he was slowly starting to lose his mind.

No human interaction. No light. Barely enough food and water. It was a living hell.

Suddenly, something clanged onto the floor. He shrieked in fear and cowardly back away, his heart thundering against his chest. Through his blurry vision, and the dim lighting, he could make out the distinctive shape of a…knife?

”W-what's this?”

Li Xueyue kicked the knife closer to him. She maintained her distance, her nose crinkled as if he was some sort of animal. She regarded him as such, especially lowlifes like him.

”Don't tell me you forgot?” she mused.

Marquis Qin's brows drew together. ”What are y-you babbling about this time!”

The Crown Princess always spoke in circles. He despised it. Did she think she was so great, just because of her riddles? She was just a lowly woman!

”I didn't forget a-anything!” Marquis Qin screamed. He spat out a loud, infuriated curse at his own stammering. If he had not bitten his tongue yesterday from screaming so much, then he wouldn't be stuttering so much.

If only the poor thing knew, the same torment would occur again tonight. When his body would be stitched together and healed by a doctor, the horrendous torture would begin again.

”Oh, but you did.”

Li Xueyue reached into her pocket and pulled out a pristine set of scrolls. She heard his loud exhale in disbelief. He threw his head back and squeezed his eyes shut, nearly admitting defeat. His legs went slack and he sank back onto the ground.

”Seeing as you failed your mission, it's time for you to face your punishment.”

Marquis Qin could not bring himself to look at the scrolls, for he already knew what awaited his fate. The scrolls loudly unrolled. He flinched in fear.

”Self-disembowelment, just as you had promised.”

Marquis Qin's heart sank to the ground, much like his faith in this world. With trembling eyes and shaky breath, he glanced down at the knife in front of him. He could not believe his eyes.

The knife that was going to be sinking into his flesh, the knife that was going to result in his death, was the very one he had spent half his fortune getting for her. The curved dagger shaped like a crescent moon.