Episode 8
“……”
A strange tension filled the space between Kyle and me as we locked eyes. No—I was the only one tense. I had to provoke and test him on purpose.
Looking straight at him, I boldly raised my cuffed wrists and demanded,
“Take these off. They’re scraping my wrists—it hurts.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow in a mocking arc. I didn’t care and pressed on shamelessly.
“You say you want me to be your woman, and you can’t even do this? I told you it hurts.”
“…Didn’t take you for the clingy type.”
Kyle reached for my wrist as if he were about to undo the cuffs, then paused and leaned in, staring down at me with playful eyes.
“If I do this for you, what will you give me in return?”
“Why do I need to give you anything? As you know, I’m completely broke.”
“I’m not giving anything for free. And even with nothing, there are plenty of ways to repay someone.”
“……”
A raw tension pulsed between us as we stared each other down. The bright yellow of his slightly curved eyes urged me to answer.
Looking into those beast-like irises made me feel like I was about to be devoured.
I paused, pretending to think, then raised the corners of my mouth just before he could speak again. A confident nod was my answer.
“Fine.”
“Fine what?”
“You know what I mean. I get it—you want me.”
“…!”
His eyes widened slightly in surprise, then curved like crescent moons, filled with interest.
“I’m looking forward to this.”
Even though nothing had happened yet, Kyle already looked pleased as he smiled smoothly.
With a click, the cuffs around my wrists were undone. My hands were finally free.
I rubbed my now bare wrists, stood up, and met Kyle’s gaze—he was still leaning against the desk.
“Now it’s time for your reward, isn’t it?”
I stepped in between his legs, and Kyle lowered his long lemon-colored lashes.
I stole a glance at the keyring hooked to the harness on his waist. Fortress Prison was built with four floors above ground and one below—each requiring a key to access. Guards always carried them.
Of course, stealing the keys didn’t mean I could just waltz out without running into any guards. That would be a ridiculous fantasy. But still—I intended to steal them.
The keyring hanging on his harness was dangerously close to his backside.
Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to snatch that without being noticed…
Stick to the plan.
I reached out with both arms as if to kiss him and softly wrapped them around his back in a hug. I could feel the warmth of his breath.
Feigning a ticklish shiver, I tilted my head and slid one hand lower. My fingertips brushed against the cold metal of the keys.
Kyle had his eyes closed. Just as I unhooked the ring from his harness—
“…Didn’t think you’d be this dumb.”
Snap. Kyle grabbed my wrist, and I shuddered at the shock.
Like a crocodile waiting for prey to wander into its mouth, Kyle had been waiting for this exact moment. Amused, even entertained.
He smoothly took the keys from my hand and reattached them to his harness as I stared in helpless disbelief. It had been going just as planned—for a second there, I’d even felt triumphant.
“Well, I enjoyed that too, so it’s fine.”
Kyle straightened up from where he’d been leaning on the desk.
Standing, he towered over me with a menacing presence. With a crooked smile, he pulled me closer.
“Now it’s time for your punishment, isn’t it?”
Gulp. As reality sank in, a chill ran down my spine. It felt like I was standing before the jaws of a predator.
Fear, at times, could become a twisted thrill. I forced the corners of my lips down to keep from smiling—everything was still going according to plan.
The only light in the damp, musty torture room came from an old lamp on the table.
The stained floor, the walls lined with menacing tools, the shackles and chains bolted to the stone—it was a deeply unpleasant place. Even though I’d brought this on myself, it was only now that I began to truly feel the weight of the situation.
My wrists were bound and lifted high above my head, and the ache was growing worse. Soon, my arms would go completely numb.
The cold from the stone wall pressed into my back.
Unlike me, who was getting increasingly miserable, Kyle was leisurely selecting a whip. His relaxed posture made it clear—he was in no rush.
“What do you think? I brought these all the way from the fourth floor just for you.”
“I told you I’m sorry. Please, let me go.”
“You should’ve thought about what could happen before acting.”
Kyle shook his head, chose a whip, and gave it a test swing in the air.
Swish! The well-made whip sliced through the air and cracked against the floor.
I couldn’t say I was used to torture, but today, Kyle felt different. His face, usually graced with a deadly smile, now looked colder—almost unrecognizable.
Is he really going to torture me for real this time? Anxiety crept up, and my eyes trembled slightly.
“I’ve been too gentle. Looks like you’ve lost your sense of fear. If another guard caught you trying something like that, even I couldn’t help you. So I’ll teach you a proper lesson this time.”
“W-What exactly do you plan to do?”
“I’ll punish you, of course. But I won’t leave any scars. I don’t want my woman’s body to be marked.”
“……”
“Oh, and don’t bother holding in your screams. It’ll just make me want to tease you more.”
“You’re insane.”
The insult slipped from my lips before I realized it. But anyone would say the same, seeing that smiling face holding a whip.
I glared at him with contempt. I’d known from the start he wasn’t normal—but to take pleasure in something like this…
And calling me his woman without even asking me?
I struggled against the chains, trying to free my wrists from the wall. But the anchor was solid—my weak attempts were useless.
Meanwhile, Kyle wrapped the whip once around his hand and approached me.
“Feel free to curse at me. That might be exciting too.”
“…!”
I definitely messed with the wrong person.
At last, Kyle raised the whip—and the punishment began.
Dragged back to my cell, I slumped down and hugged my knees, tears streaming down my face in humiliation.
He’d whipped me thoroughly. Red marks bloomed on my arms and legs where they peeked out from my prison uniform. No wonder Richard looked so shocked.
“Wait… Did—did he actually whip you?!”
Richard’s voice trembled with horror.
Just like Kyle promised, there were no lasting wounds, but the pain was very real—and the tears came easily.
As I started sobbing loudly and pitifully, I felt movement near the bars—Richard pacing in worry.
“Why… Even if she’s a witch, she hasn’t been sentenced yet…”
So you already think I’m a witch, huh?
He hadn’t believed in me, no matter how much I pretended to be a saint. Apparently, he thought I didn’t deserve to escape, because I was a witch.
Self-righteous fool. Even though he’s a prisoner himself, his twisted sense of justice would be a major obstacle to our escape.
Between sniffles, I said in a teary voice,
“H-hic… I tried to… steal the key… to escape…”
“You were caught?”
A long sigh came from beyond the bars. Maybe he thought I was a hopeless woman.
But now he’d seen it with his own eyes. That I wasn’t on Kyle’s side—and that my determination to escape couldn’t be broken.
So think it over again—about escaping with me.
“…Does it hurt a lot?”
I nodded, still hiccuping as I cried. Fat tears rolled down my cheeks like chicken eggs.
I wiped my face roughly on the sleeve of my prison uniform. Then I heard Richard’s resigned voice:
“…I’ll think about getting out of here. So stop acting recklessly.”
Finally…!
I forgot to even wipe my tears and stared at him blankly.
He gave me a faint, pained smile, looking at me with sympathy.
