This chapter contains scenes of physical violence and power imbalance, including corporal punishment and emotional manipulation. It may be disturbing or triggering for some readers. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
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Servant Xin told her there were five guards outside the door, and no one else was around.
She also found out that outside, people were gossiping that the scumbag married a plain-looking woman. Many were upset about his choice. That scumbag claimed he only married the woman because she saved his life and he couldn't be ungrateful.
Pearl Su was furious after hearing this. That scumbag was still so fake, such a good liar. Why not lie all the way to heaven? Scumbag…
With a cold face, she told Servant Xin to leave. Pearl Su lay in bed grinding her teeth.
By noon, Alaric Yun came back right on time. Pearl Su was lying down and saw his calm and elegant appearance, along with his gentle and deceiving smile. It made her want to slap him hard.
Alaric Yun sat down by the bed and smiled. "Wife, I've been away for a while. Did you miss me?"
Pearl Su answered in the same tone she'd been using lately. "Mm, I missed you."
"Hearing that you missed me makes me so happy." Alaric Yun beamed with joy at her obedient reply.
He kissed her cheek, then moved to her lips. He sucked gently, then deepened the kiss, prying her mouth open. It was slow, deep, and possessive. After a long time, when she was out of breath, he finally stopped.
His face carried a charming smile. "Wife, let's have lunch together."
Pearl Su let him carry her to the table and sit her on his lap.
No one knew when the lunch was brought in. There was sliced deer meat, salted goose, roast squab, braised eel, conch with shredded lettuce, and deer blood fish soup.
Pearl Su let him feed her. After lunch, Alaric Yun carried her back to bed, and they lay down to rest.
While resting, Alaric Yun's hands started wandering again. Pearl Su didn't resist and let him do as he pleased.
Only she knew that her hand moved quietly. A pinch of powder flew out swiftly.
Alaric Yun reacted fast. He released his inner energy, and most of the powder scattered away from him.
But he didn't know Pearl Su had already raised her other hand. A second wave of powder spread right in front of him. Slowly, the dust settled, and Alaric Yun lay limp on the bed.
Pearl Su stared at him. His brows, eyes, and lips still carried a smile. Her initial joy vanished. She frowned and let out a cold snort. "You're not even surprised. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
"I knew you could move today. I just didn't know when exactly. When I got back, the guards told me you took your old bag. So I figured you must be up to something."
"Looking at things now, you were already able to move before I got back."
He looked at her, smiling with his handsome face. "It's impressive that you waited until now to strike. You're smart, full of strategy."
"As for you wanting to kill me, I accept it. When I forced you to marry me, I was prepared. Just being able to live as husband and wife for a few days has made my life worth it."
Pearl Su's eyebrows twitched. This scumbag was still saying flirty things even now.
If she didn't know what kind of person he was, a naive girl might've been completely fooled by him.
It was a good thing she was a step ahead. She had already expected that this scumbag would know she was planning something and would be on guard. Otherwise, she would've been the one in trouble.
"Killing you would be too easy on you," Pearl Su said coldly.
"For the humiliation you forced on me these past few days, how could I not pay it back? I'll make you taste what real suffering is like, so you'll stay far away from women in the future."
Alaric Yun frowned. He suddenly had a bad feeling.
Pearl Su pulled a few thick ropes from under the bed. She tied his hands and feet to the four bedposts.
Then, she pulled out a leather whip. She climbed onto the bed and stripped off all his clothes.
She wanted to hit him first to vent her anger.
She snapped the whip a few times, the sound sharp and loud. Pearl Su looked at Alaric Yun with satisfaction and said, "This is just the beginning. You better enjoy it."
She moved quickly, taking out her frustration by whipping him over ten times. Red, bleeding marks crisscrossed his back.
Pearl Su felt satisfied, as if she had released all her energy and anger. She grinned darkly. "So? Did you enjoy it?"
Alaric Yun smiled faintly at the corners of his mouth. "As long as it makes you feel better, that's enough."
Hearing that, Pearl Su's expression turned cold.
She forgot that he was a martial artist. These wounds didn't mean much to him. That was her mistake.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure you enjoy this several times a day. Once I regain my strength, we'll continue."
She picked up a light blanket and covered his body, then called toward the door, "Someone, come here."
A voice responded immediately, "Madam, what are your orders?"
"Bring a jar of salt and a basin of water. If you have chili powder, bring that too."
"Madam, we've never heard of chili powder, so we don't have any. But the rest will be delivered shortly."
"Forget the chili powder then. Just prepare the others."
"Yes, Madam."
Alaric Yun heard everything from the side and frowned slightly. Salt water? That was a torture method. Things were going to get much worse.
Soon, the water and salt were brought in. Pearl Su soaked the whip in the saltwater.
Once it was soaked, she picked it up. It felt heavy in her hand. She gave it a few test swings. It took effort.
She walked over to Alaric Yun, pulled back the blanket, and smiled. "Are you ready?"
Alaric Yun's face was expressionless. "As long as it calms you down, I can take it."
Pearl Su laughed. "Still acting tough?" This kind of pain, not many people could handle it.
She stood up and swung the whip at him with full strength. The sound it made was louder than before.
Even Pearl Su's teeth hurt just hearing it. Seeing the man in front of her not even grunt, she felt irritated and struck again, harder.
Still no sound from him.
She hit again, but still nothing.
However, seeing his handsome face scrunch up in pain, Pearl Su felt pleased.
It was working. That made her hit even harder. After who knew how many lashes, Alaric Yun finally let out a muffled groan.
Pearl Su's eyes lit up. Excited, she struck him with even more strength. His groans of pain grew louder.
Outside the room, a few guards heard the painful sounds from inside and looked confused.
What kind of games were the marquis and his wife playing that could make him cry out like that?
But none of them dared to ask. Everyone knew the marquis had been wild lately, keeping Madam in bed for days. None of them had even seen what she looked like.
Though rumors said she looked average, seeing is believing. And if she could keep the marquis in bed for three days straight, she definitely wasn't ordinary. After all, they trusted their lord's taste.