Chapter 7: Punishment Unit – 3

Life in the punishment unit continued to pass by.

About twenty days.

Today, once again, I was tasked with the menial chores of the unit.

Washing dishes, cleaning clothes, and the like.

It was so ridiculous that I found myself chuckling at the absurdity of doing such things, but there was no way to avoid it.

Refusing to do it would only earn me more resentment.

Even now, the place was crawling with men glaring at me like they wanted to kill me, and I wasn’t dumb enough to complain about doing what everyone else was doing.

Besides, doing these chores was a sweet respite for me.

Not only did it allow me to escape the damp, musty atmosphere of the punishment unit’s quarters, but it also freed me from the company of the junior officers, those so-called “brothers” who acted like they were ready to stomp on me at any moment.

“Ugh.”

Still, I know it won’t be long before I get beaten to a pulp.

I can feel the tension tightening around me.

I can tell just from listening to their muttering in front of me.

‘Ah, damn. If only my dad were alive, I wouldn’t have resorted to stealing.’

‘Ah, if only my dad hadn’t been killed by someone, I wouldn’t have ended up like the guy next door, carrying a club.’

‘Ah, if only my dad had been here, I wouldn’t have…’

“xxx.”

I clicked my tongue.

Should I be thankful that at least they’re my age?

With all the adults having died in the war, most of the penal unit, like me, was made up of young people.

Shaking my head, I stopped paying attention to those vermin-like guys and continued my work.

Inside the fortress of Rondor, a long river flows.

It serves as both drinking water and water for daily use.

I settled by one side of the river and began rinsing the clothes and dishes I had brought with me.

The water turned black with grime after just a bit of scrubbing.

“Filthy bastards. The smell is unbelievable…”

I frowned as I continued washing.

Every now and then, I would take out the clothes and smell them, but no matter what I did, the sour stench wouldn’t go away.

I started worrying that I might smell like this too.

If my mother found out, she would definitely faint.

-Thud!

I threw the clothes onto a nearby rock in frustration when nothing seemed to change no matter how much I washed.

I glanced around.

There was no one nearby, no one watching me.

Left alone like this, my thoughts wandered.

Should I go again today?

It didn’t take long for me to decide.

With a long sigh, I left the dishes and clothes in the water and started walking.

My destination was a familiar one.

I had discovered it while doing these very chores.

Not far from this river was the outer wall of the fortress.

Unlike the other walls of the fortress, this one was special.

The reason?

On the third floor of this outer wall, there was always…

…No one today.

I thought as I reached my secret spot.

Seeing that she wasn’t there, a bit of shame crept in.

I don’t even know why I’m doing this.

These days, I think of her even when I’m lying in bed, eating the slop they call food, or doing chores.

Vivian Rondor.

Was it the hostility she directed at me that left such a deep impression?

Or maybe I felt sorry for her?

Or was it because of the Duchess of Rondor’s request weighing on my mind?

Even though I’m just her nominal guard…?

I don’t know the answer.

But one day, while doing chores, I saw Vivian Rondor sitting idly by the window, staring outside, and ever since then, I’ve come here once a day to check that window.

I really don’t know why I’m doing this.

If I ever get caught, I’ll bite my tongue and die.

That’s how humiliating this feels in my head, but my body keeps leading me here.

Honestly, if I wanted to see her, I could just visit her.

The Duchess of Rondor had granted me permission.

I’m supposed to be Vivian Rondor’s guard, after all.

Of course, if I went to see her, she’d get angry, and I wouldn’t have anything to say in response, so that’s why I don’t go.

Tch.

Whatever.

As I was about to turn around, something caught my eye, a red thread-like object fluttering through the window.

Turning back, I saw that Vivian Rondor had appeared, showing herself at the window.

I hid in the bushes, watching her in a daze.

For some reason, the weariness of the day faded away for a moment.

The expression she wore here was one I never saw in her usual life.

Whenever she faced me, her face was always full of anger, but here, it was different.

Her face looked empty, maybe a little sad.

A powerless, listless expression.

It’s hard to say whether this face was better than her angry one, but seeing her various expressions was…

…no, it wasn’t pleasant, but interesting.

Vivian Rondor stared out of the window for a while, then rested her chin on the sill.

I let out a small laugh at the sight.

Then I quickly scolded myself for being so foolish.

Laughing at that?

I must still be enjoying life somehow.

The fact that I’m here washing the clothes of stinking men is all because of Vivian Rondor.

I tried to regain my composure and glare at her with resentment, but her next action made it impossible.

‘Sob… sob…’

Vivian’s previously blank expression began to break, and she started to cry.

At first, tears fell drop by drop, but soon they were streaming down like a river.

She wiped away her tears with her fingers, but soon she buried her face in her hands and wept.

I didn’t know why, but these tears felt different from the ones I had seen before.

Perhaps because it was the first time I had seen her cry alone, instead of in front of others.

She looked so much more pitiful.

…Why is she sitting there, crying by herself like that?

An uneasy feeling crept over me.

After crying for a while, Vivian wiped her cheeks and reached out through the window.

She stroked her arms like a cat grooming itself…

“…Huh?”

Her pale arms were covered in bruises, not a spot left unmarked.

My mind went blank.

I couldn’t understand it.

“…What’s wrong with her arm?”

Vivian, checking the color of her arm under the sunlight, soon blew on it, soothing the pain.

Then, as if dissatisfied with the unsightly appearance of her arm, she remained still for a moment before suddenly jolting and turning around in surprise.

It felt as though someone was calling her.

Vivian hurriedly wiped away her tears once more and moved away from the window.

I was left behind, caught in a whirlwind of emotions.

In the end, I couldn’t suppress my curiosity and entered the castle.

Surprisingly, the guards did not stop me.

They just stood there awkwardly, observing me without directly asking any questions.

It seemed that Scholar Crellin had been spreading the word about my visit here.

Everyone seemed to know that, following the Duchess’s will, I had become Vivian Rondor’s bodyguard.

I passed by many more soldiers and maids on my way to my destination.

First, I had to resolve this curiosity of mine before I could focus on anything else.

What on earth could have happened for her arm to end up in such a state after just a few days?

Who in the world could have the authority to do something like that to her?

The image of her crying sorrowfully wouldn’t leave my mind.

As I replayed that memory over and over, I found myself standing in front of Vivian’s room.

“…Uh…”

Four maids were already standing quietly in front of Vivian’s room.

“Why are you here…”

I didn’t answer their question.

It was hard to explain even to myself why I was here.

It definitely wasn’t because I was worried about Vivian.

It couldn’t be.

She was the one who had thrown me into the Punishment Unit, the daughter of my family’s enemy—there’s no way I could be worried about her.

Besides, we fought every time we met.

If anything, I should feel relieved, not worried, that she’s like this.

We never got close enough for me to care.

“…Shall we let her know you’re here?”

One of the maids asked me.

I shook my head.

I had nothing to say to Vivian Rondor.

What would I even say if I went in?

Ask her why her arm is in such a state?

Vivian probably wouldn’t even bother to answer.

If anything, she’d accuse me of being a creep for noticing.

So, I stood there, having come all the way but unable to go inside.

At that moment, I heard a voice coming from beyond the door.

‘Th-the rabbit was nibbling on the carrot, saying…’

Slap!!

A sharp sound echoed through the door, making me frown.

‘You’ve stuttered again from the beginning.’

‘Th-the rabbit nibbled on…the c-carrot while saying…’

Slap!!

‘Haven’t I told you to open your mouth wider when you speak?’

‘The rabbit n-nibbled on the c-c-carrot…’

Slap!!

‘Focus!! You’re getting worse. Can you not even read a simple children’s story properly? How many times must I tell you to think before you speak?’

‘Uh…’

Slap!!

‘Didn’t I tell you not to cry? Don’t think the world will sympathize with your pain, Vivian. No one cares about your emotions. Crying will only reveal your weakness.’

‘M-master… Hic… but… it h-hurts too much…’

Slap!!

‘I won’t warn you again. From now on, you’ll learn with your body. Understand?’

‘…The rabbit…’

The more I listened to the conversation, the more a strange heat rose within my chest.

I also felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Without realizing it, I looked at the maid next to me.

Noticing my expression, the maid confessed all at once.

“That’s… Lady Linne, the Duchess’s appointed mentor for Lady Vivian. The punishments are harsh, but she’s… truly trustworthy. There’s no need to worry too much…”

“…I’m not worried.”

I answered automatically.

With that response, I realized how foolish my actions had been.

I came all the way here because of her bruised arm, but if I think about it, this isn’t something I can do anything about.

Vivian Rondor gets hit because she stutters like a fool.

This isn’t something I should be concerned about.

So, I turned and began walking away again.

But before I knew it, I found myself glancing back over my shoulder.