Tia barely managed to assume the proper position to admit her mistake.

“I told you last time to mind your tone when speaking to your future master. Seems like you didn’t learn your lesson.”

Tia looked up at Shia, her cold gaze laced with confusion and unease. A bad feeling was brewing as she stared at his calm, noble demeanor.

Shia didn’t keep her waiting.

“Since you’ve finally shown the proper attitude for apologizing, it’s time for your punishment.”

He gestured for Tia to turn around and face away from him.

The command immediately brought back memories of her last experience.

Biting her lip, her frosty eyes showed a flicker of fear.

Just the thought of what was coming sent a chill down her spine. She didn’t want to go through this again. Her ass hadn’t even fully recovered yet.

The memory alone made her ass tingle with phantom pain.

“C-could we skip the punishment?” Tia asked cautiously, her cold demeanor faltering into timid submission.

She was afraid, plain and simple.

What she didn’t realize was that her mix of icy beauty and quiet fear made her even more tempting to push further.

Shia shrugged indifferently.

“Don’t want the punishment? Suit yourself.”

He smirked. After all, he was a democratic guy. If she didn’t want to be punished, he wouldn’t force her.

But Tia’s initial relief was quickly replaced by anxiety.

Why was he letting her off so easily?

Someone like him, a cunning bastard who had dirt on her, should’ve been taking full advantage. Was he planning to spill her secret if she refused the punishment?

Caught up in her internal struggle, Tia didn’t notice the faint glow from the charm ring on Shia’s finger.

Her eyes were glued to his face as her thoughts wavered.

He’s right. When you fuck up, you have to take responsibility. Trying to dodge it is pointless.

And with him holding her biggest secret, she had no choice but to let him have his way.

Under the influence of the ring, her feelings twisted into reverence and submission.

Obediently, she turned around, kneeling with her back to him, presenting herself in silent acceptance of her punishment.

Shia’s lips curled into a sly smirk.

The pointer stick in his hand came down with a sharp crack, slapping against the table.

Tia flinched, her body trembling instinctively.

But the pain didn’t follow—at least not right away.

Crack!

Another sharp snap rang out, and this time, a fiery sting shot through her ass.

The first strike drained all the color from Tia’s face.

She bit down hard on her lip, but a muffled moan still slipped out.

Shia didn’t hold back. The strikes came fast and relentless, leaving her ass burning like it was on fire.

Tia’s mind was a mess of shame and rage.

She couldn’t believe this piece of trash was humiliating her like this. But with her secret in his hands, what could she do?

Her plush lips turned pale from how hard she was biting them, leaving deep teeth marks.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her pale face looked fragile and pitiful.

But all she could do was endure it, clenching her teeth as the trash in front of her had his way.

Her mind screamed for revenge, to give this humiliation back a hundredfold, but her body betrayed her.

“Mmm~!”

The sound slipped out against her will, a hoarse, breathy moan that sent her embarrassment skyrocketing.

The sharp stings on her ass were the only thing she could focus on.

Hearing herself made her cheeks flush crimson. She hated the sound, hated that it had come from her.

Shia chuckled, his frustration from the game’s annoying storyline melting away as he watched her.

For all her sharp words, this silver-haired maid had an ass that was soft and firm in equal measure—perfect for this kind of punishment.

*Crack!*

Another strike, and the sight before him only got better. Her ass jiggled with the impact, a tantalizing bounce that made the whole ordeal worth it.

Punishing her like this? Absolutely therapeutic.

Tia’s pale face was now flushed a bright red. She looked like she was in the middle of something much more intimate.

Shia couldn’t resist teasing her.

“You should really look at yourself in a mirror.”

“Tell me, would your mistress feel proud or disappointed seeing her maid like this?”

Tia’s tightly bottled shame finally burst, overwhelming her completely.

Being bullied by trash? That, she could force herself to endure.

But hearing those words and imagining her mistress’s disappointed, icy gaze? It was too much.

She trembled uncontrollably, tears welling up in her eyes.

“I’m not… I didn’t…”

She tried desperately to deny it, clinging to the hope that she wasn’t really the pervert Shia was making her out to be.

She looked like a beaten dog begging for mercy.

Shia knew full well that Lilith, the so-called phoenix protagonist, wouldn’t care if her maid was a pervert. She might even like it.

But Tia didn’t know that.

Would she dare to gamble on that?

Of course not.

This game was already over. Tia had lost completely.

---

Later, Lilith found Tia, wanting to ask about Shia’s recent activities.

Her lapdog’s sudden admission to Seven Shields Academy had thrown a wrench in her plans, leaving her uneasy.

But the moment she asked, she noticed something odd.

Her sharp eyes roamed over Tia, sensing subtle changes in her demeanor.

Tia, under her mistress’s probing gaze, couldn’t help but recall what had happened earlier that day.

Was Shia acting differently?

Oh, absolutely.

He was far more domineering, exuding a commanding masculinity that hadn’t been there before.

The memory of what he’d done to her flashed in her mind, making her cheeks burn.

But no matter what, Tia couldn’t admit what had happened to her mistress.

When she snapped out of her thoughts, she found Lilith staring at her with a serious expression.

“Why are you trembling?”

Lilith’s clear, noble gaze held an air of authority that made Tia’s heart pound.

The words Shia had said echoed in her mind.

What if your mistress knew…

Tia bit her lip, hesitating.

But in the end, she chose to lie.

“He hasn’t been acting strange. Everything’s normal.”

She couldn’t bring herself to admit she’d been humiliated by trash.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. He’s just busy settling in and handling admission paperwork.”

Despite her guilt, Tia lied to the woman she admired most.

She didn’t realize she’d just stepped onto the path of a classic tragic subplot.

And the true protagonist of that story was her beloved mistress.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com