Chapter 89: Punishment For Running
In the dead of night, Melly could be seen frantically sprinting through the dense forest, sweating profusely and gasping for air as she carried the unconscious Emma on her back.
’What am I even doing? I don’t even know where I’m going... and why am I even doing this? I could just leave her here in the bushes and run to the village much faster on my own,’ Melly thought, her lungs burning as she ran through the dark trees.
’No... No... No, I shouldn’t think like that,’ she scolded herself, shaking her head. ’Even though I’m just a lowly maid to them, these sisters have always treated me and sis with great respect. Especially Miss Emma. Even though Miss Emily had been a little distant lately, locking herself in her room ever since Young Master Ian left... Miss Emma didn’t change at all. She would always kindly help us if we ever needed it. Why would I leave someone like that out here, so I have to keep Miss Emma safe!’
"Aaaah...!"
Distracted by her thoughts in the dark, Melly suddenly stepped wrong on a steep, downward slope. Her ankle violently twisted. She lost her balance, and both she and Emma went tumbling hard down the dirt hill.
"Aah... dammit, my leg!" Melly hissed in pain, grabbing her rapidly swelling ankle. Hot tears of pain flowed down her dirty cheeks.
’How am I supposed to carry the Young Miss now, with a broken leg like this?’ she thought in despair.
"Aaa... my whole body hurts... what happened? Where am I...?"
Emma suddenly groaned, waking up. She touched the cold dirt and slowly sat up straight, rubbing her head.
"Young Miss, you’re awake..." Melly said softly, wincing from the pain in her ankle.
"It’s you... you are the maid who was with Emily... EMILY!!! Where is she?! Is she safe?!" Emma suddenly panicked, grabbing Melly by the shoulders and shaking her.
Melly just stared silently to the side, too afraid and ashamed to meet her eyes.
"I see... so she actually stayed behind," Emma whispered, thick tears instantly flowing down her cheeks as she realized her twin was fighting alone. Then, she looked down and saw Melly clutching her swollen, bruised leg.
"Hey... sniff... are you okay? You seem really hurt," Emma said, her panic instantly shifting to a worried look. "It’s my fault you got hurt like this for trying to carry me."
"It’s okay, Young Miss... just leave me here. You have to at least get out of this forest," Melly urged, struggling to sit up straight despite her injured ankle.
"Do you honestly think I would leave you behind just like that? If you thought so, then you are completely mistaken," Emma scolded her with a deeply worried look. "And we seem to be in the middle of a dark forest! What if a magical beast came here by chance and you got eaten while you couldn’t run?!"
’For some reason, hearing her scold someone as lowly as me really makes me happy,’ Melly thought, forcing a warm smile at Emma despite the pain. ’She really is such a sweet person, with all that is happening she is still caring about other people.’
"Here, let me help you up..." Emma suddenly said, wrapping Melly’s arm around her shoulder and struggling to pull the maid up onto her feet to help her walk.
"Where exactly are we, anyway?" Emma asked, looking around the pitch-black surroundings.
"Well, you see... when I first started running, I was only following the road. But then I quickly took a turn into the forest, since following the road was pretty obvious and could have eventually endangered the village below if they tracked us. So for safety, I ran in here. I hope you don’t mind the forest," Melly explained, scratching her head awkwardly as she limped leaning on Emma.
"I don’t mind at all, actually..." Emma said softly.
"Well, well. If it isn’t the little runaways," a raspy, mocking voice echoed through the trees.
Number 10 suddenly stepped out from the shadows, casually blocking their path.
"It’s you! What did you do to my sister?!" Emma screamed, staring absolute daggers at him, her eyes burning with pure rage.
"Ohh... me?" 10 smiled under his mask. He casually pointed at his own chest using the hand he was holding up—a hand that was tightly gripping a bloody bundle wrapped in dark cloth. "I am completely innocent. I didn’t do anything, truly."
"Oh my God!!" Melly gasped, violently covering her mouth in pure terror as she recognized the bloody sleeve hanging from the bundle. ’Isn’t that the Miss Emily’s arm?!’
"...?!"
Emma just stared at the bloody, severed arm in absolute, complete silence. Her breath hitched. Then, a torrential flood of tears burst from her eyes.
"Just why... why are you doing this to us...why ... just why...what have we ever done to you? Just why...WHY!!! GODDAMMIT!!!"
Completely blinded by rage and grief, Emma let go of Melly—causing the maid to fall hard into the dirt—and furiously rushed directly at 10, throwing a wild punch.
"That beautiful, broken reaction is exactly the reason I showed you her hand," 10 laughed mockingly, effortlessly dodging her punch. "And it seems you never learn from that first slap..."
SMACK!
He suddenly backhanded Emma brutally across the face, sending her tumbling to the side into the dirt.
"Young Miss!!" Melly yelled in horror, desperately trying to crawl through the dirt toward Emma.
But suddenly, 10 appeared right in front of the crawling maid. "It is entirely your fault that I had to spend so much extra time searching the woods for you guys. Who would have known you would run so far. For a measly maid I’m kinda impressed. Now I have to go back to that crazy bitch 44 without getting to properly play with my new toy," he sighed, casually pulling out his hunting dagger.
"No, please... don’t...please... I will do anything.." Melly cried, shaking her head in absolute fear.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!!" Emma screamed, blindly charging at 10 again.
"Sigh... you are really starting to piss me off now, little missy," 10 muttered.
He casually activated his dense red Aura around his body. This time, he didn’t even bother to dodge. Emma’s small fist slammed directly into his Aura-coated chest.
"Huh...?!" Emma gasped in shock, feeling like she had just punched a solid block of iron. Nothing happened.
"Is that really it?" 10 asked in a bored tone.
He suddenly grabbed her by the throat, effortlessly lifting her off her feet and pulling her closer to his masked face. "Is that absolutely all the strength you could muster to defend this poor servant girl? Tsk. Your sister was at least a bit more entertaining than you."
10’s eyes narrowed coldly. "If your arms are this incredibly weak... then you really shouldn’t use them at all."
"Aaaahhhh!!!!"
10 grabbed her right arm and suddenly started ruthlessly crushing it in his grip. He started from the top near the shoulder and slowly worked his way down to the wrist, shattering the bones inch by inch while Emma screamed in pure, unadulterated agony.
Melly openly wept as she watched the horrific scene from the dirt. It was her first time ever witnessing something so brutal and horrifying.
After completely turning her right arm into crushed jelly, 10 casually moved his grip and began slowly crushing her left arm.
"Please... stop... it hurts... just please stop!" Emma begged in a low voice, her vision going dark from the agonizing pain.
But when 10 heard her begging, he just chuckled and crushed her bones even harder.
Suddenly, a warm trickle of yellowish liquid started flowing down Emma’s legs, dripping onto the ground. The excruciating, mind-breaking pain had caused her to completely lose control of herself.
"What the... did you just...?! Fuck, that’s gross," 10 cursed in absolute disgust, immediately tossing her broken body away like garbage. "To think a supposed noble would actually pee herself. That is just pathetic and disgusting."
"You bastard!! I hope you rot in hell for this!!" Melly screamed from the dirt, glaring at him with pure hatred.
"Hahahaha!"
When 10 heard Melly curse at him, he started laughing like a maniac. "Girl, I have done things way worse than this! And to tell you the truth, I have been cursed at by many, many people too! But the funny thing is... I am always the last man standing, while those who wished me dead are the ones in the ground." he smiled sadistically, stepping closer to her.
"And here is a free piece of advice for you: never curse at the person who is actively holding a knife to you."
10 raised his glowing dagger. "And I also did not punish you about that little running fiasco of yours, causing me to lose track of time. So let’s fix that for you right now."
SHLUCK!
"Aaaaaahhhhh.....!!!" Melly released a blood-curdling scream.
With one fluid, horizontal swing of his Aura-infused blade, Number 10 cleanly sliced both of Melly’s legs off just above the knees.
"Is it because you are just a mortal? Your legs literally felt like I was cutting through warm butter," 10 mumbled in a low, fascinated voice, casually rubbing his chin as blood sprayed across the grass.
He looked down at the shrieking maid. "Anyway, now with your legs completely gone... you definitely won’t be able to run away that much huh."