Governor Cordelia Rootpia raises my chin with her riding crop and presses the tip into my throat.
“So, what am I misunderstanding? Please do tell.”
What should I do?
Should I think of an excuse?
“It’s a curse.”
“…Curse?”
“Any woman who sees my body is cursed.”
“Nonsense. Cursed how?”
“With rapid ageing.”
“………..”
How’s that? This person is so concerned with her beauty that she won’t want to take the risk!
“………Strip.”
It was impossible after all I guess.
My excuse was not accepted.
I tasted terrible humiliation as my clothes were stripped off and my chastity belt was laughed at.
They asked me where I had hidden the key to the belt but I refused to say.
“There is no key.” is the story I kept on repeating.
I was whipped many times but kept quiet.
Even when I fell to the floor and was rolling around from the whipping I said nothing.
I felt like I had both won and lost the game.
After a while of me saying nothing, Cordelia went away with a tired look.
I was actually reducing the pain I was feeling by slowly trickling in recovery magic.
Without my magic, I’d have broken long ago. On this day more than any other I appreciated my magic.
Damn Cordelia.
I will clear up this grudge by any means!
After Cordelia left everyone returned to work and I was left unattended on the floor.
I was contemplating going to sleep when the old steward came over.
“Can you get up?”
I slowly got up off the floor. My body stings all over but it’s not too bad.
Luckily Cordelia is a woman and a civil servant so her strength was lacking.
It was just painful. Not exactly a mortal wound.
“Follow me.”
The steward walks briskly away without saying unnecessary things.
I had little choice but to follow after him.
I thought I was being taken back to the prison but instead I was led to a room in the back of the mansion.
The room I was led to was the living room of the governor.
As I entered the room Cordelia who had changed into loungewear elegantly stood up from a sofa she been sitting on.
“Oh, you came. Come here.”
Cordelia flashed me a smile that was overflowing with kindness.
Her face was as sharp as ever but her attitude had changed completely.
What’s this?
“Are you in pain? You endured it well without letting out any noise. Show me your wounds and I’ll treat them.”
Her cold white fingers stroke my neck.
“Your poor blood is coming out.”
Who do you think did this to me?
Cordelia goes behind my back and rubs ointment on my wounds.
I immediately used appraisal on it but it was just common ointment.
What are you up to? Are you really treating my wounds?
“I flew into a rage because that fellow carrying the sofa with you looked at me with disgusting eyes.”
While talking in a gentle voice Cordelia applies the ointment herself.
I’m afraid to move.
“Your name?”
“Ippei…….”
Cordelia is diligent with her treatment. She even helped me put my shirt on when she was finished.
It’s strange. Even though I hate her, my feelings have calmed down after just a little bit of kindness.
Am I too forgiving?
“All done. I’m sorry for laughing earlier. What is that chastity belt of yours Ippei? Did your previous partner or master put it on?……”
“……”
I fumble over the right words.
She seems to think I was wearing this before I got to the mine, which would be possible since they don’t search you when you arrive at the mine.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. It must be a painful past.”
Yeah. I was almost raped by a man.
“I’ll remove it. I’ll call a blacksmith from the town tomorrow. They will surely be able to free you Ippei.”
Eh?
Is she an unexpectedly good person?
Pushing her chest against my arm she whispers “It’s okay. Leave it all to me….” then licks my ear.
This is bad.
A certain part of my body reacts after a long period of abstinence whilst another part screams out a warning. A part of me is touched by her feelings. What a mess.
After being stripped, humiliated and whipped not even 30 minutes have passed. I’m below a choroin. (1)
“Because your wounds still ache you will spend the night here.”
After this, I was given a room in the mansion.
After being left alone in the room I calmed down.
Is this like being a victim of domestic violence? You are in a state of codependency?
Cordelia’s face is a little sharp but still pretty and she’s stylish, however, she can suddenly turn extremely violent.
Let’s think calmly about this.
Is she a good person or a bad person?
More than likely bad.
She was being gentle with me but she could be waiting for me to trust her then start beating me.
She could be wanting to take my mithril underwear off before torturing me and finally killing me.
On the other hand what if she’s a good person? Though I can hardly believe a person who can whip someone like that is a good person.
In this case, she might be sick.
If violence is normal to her then she may just be angry with no malice involved.
Perhaps she has goodwill towards me?
No. I don’t think that’s it.
As Asians go I was just an average looking guy but what about this world? Am I handsome here?
It’s possible, but probably not.
Perhaps I touched some sort of chord in her through that short contact?
Perhaps I’m a person who can satisfy her suffering heart and soul?
In other words, just by looking at me she feels good?
……….No! That’s too scary.
I’m not a big enough person to accept those type of perverted feeling.
What’s she after?
She’s scary and I don’t mean her whip.
If I accept her love I’ll wake up as a masochist.
When getting beaten turns to pleasure I won’t be able to go back to Patty or my friends.
No matter the reason Cordelia is definitely a difficult woman.
Should I escape?…….
[Escape] This word come into my head.
I don’t want to become a fugitive but I have a very bad feeling about Cordelia.
I can cope with the mine due to my recovery magic, the food has improved thanks to George-kun and I have made it hygienic but the sick new governor is here now.
I don’t want to become the favourite of this yandere governor.
The desire to run away has become very strong in me.
[Run away, run away, run away, run away…….]
Once I thought of escape my heart lost all restraint.
I want my freedom. I want fresh air.
The feeling has become impossible to ignore.
” (Geroge-kun. Today’s hunting is cancelled. Shift to standby mode at once and preserve MP. At midnight bring the hummingbirds to me.) ”
After instructing George-kun I start thinking of my escape plan.
I’ll preserve the meat George-kun has caught using material refining and use the fur and leather to make clothes to protect against the cold.
I need a bag as well as a cooking pot.
I’ll collect iron from the ground like I did when I was with Patty that time.
I’ve got no money but I’ll manage. I can turn my mithril underwear into fake silver coins if need be.
In fact, the silver purity in my coins will be higher so it’s okay.
I won’t be able to return to Nepia right away. Perhaps I should go to the royal capital Elimore?
My only problem is I don’t know the geography of where I am at all.
I finished my preparations at midnight and sneaked out of the governor’s mansion.
The door was locked and there was a grate over the window. I deformed the grate using material refining and returned it to its original state after escaping.
Will they be baffled at how I escaped?
Because the mansion was in town and not the mine the lookouts were sparse.
Farewell Kombu Wall mine.
I started running towards freedom in the darkness whilst the cold stang my skin.
(1) Had to look this up. Choroin is two words. Choroi (someone who’s easy to trick/win over) and heroine. It has become popular to refer to (generally female) love interests who fall for the MC super easily as choroin. ( Ippeis referring to how easily he’s fallen for her.