My mind was tired, tired for nothing, tired with everything, with the world's weight in my shoulder that I wasn't sure if I could still holding on. I didn't choose it but the fate had chosen me.
The sun shone and the awful feeling washed all over me, I didn't have a decent sleep. Who would have one when you know you were in the habitat of the enemy.
And even Fierce and Maddox had insisted on staying, nagawa ko pa rin silang ipagtabuyan. I hated the idea when someone is taking me like their responsibility. When Emeritus gone, I started building a wall. The reason, I always ended up avoiding Storm's offer of being my assistant. He eventually, appointed as my future man. Na hindi ko na naiwasan dahil sa mga elders at dahil na rin kay uncle Amer. And just a few years later, Jasmin happened.
"Are you ready?" Maddox inquired as I opened the door. Somehow I was hoping to see him, to see Fierce but then he didn't show up. And the idiot Maddox appeard read my face. "Master Fierce will meet you there. He just need to do something."
"I'm not looking for him." sagot ko at akmang lalabas na ng kwarto but the idiot halted me.
"You have to put this on." he showed me a.. box. A so huge box that heaven knows what's inside. Hindi ko tinanggap iyon at tiningnan lamang. Nang makita niyang wala akong naging reaksyon ay muli siyang nagsalita. "You are the underboss' mate-I mean the maiden. Normally, men in the business should not allow to look at you that way.." kibit balikat niyang sabi. I quickly looked at my appearance, I was still in Fierce's black shirt and shorts. At dahil napaka undecent nga naman ng suot ko tinanggap ko na lang ang box.
Maddox didn't speak anymore and just stayed silent the whole time of the walking. I thought he would make an annoying remarks because I was wearing this black robe. Not exactly the usual bath or night robe but he said it was usually worn by those women in their organization, who got the same punishment as mine.
He brought me back where exactly we got caught last night. It's part of the huge backyard of the mansion. Napalunok ako ng makita ang isang puno ng cherry bloosom, don't tell me they wanted to hang me on that tree while whipping my ass. I pursed my lips when I saw the huge carpeted ground by a natural moss. It reminded me of my backyard in Germany.
What ruined the wonderful view was the group of people who were waiting there. The man called Sven was already standing next to a.. executioner. It's not hard to guess that he's the Hangman. He wore differently compared with those men in suit in black.
"Maddox." the guy Sven uttered. "Lioness Schultz."
"Consigliere." Maddox said in an even tone.
I almost snorted at this Consigliere. "Which kind of whip will I'm going to have?" my eyes darted to the seven men who's holding each kind of whips. "Oh, I have the honor to choose then?" Sven tilted his head and nodded. Crap!
I had never been whipped but I know the names of each of these damn thing. Cat o' nine tails, Knout, Baton whip, Chain whip, Stockwhip, Quirt and Leather Whip.
"We'll start soon. But first we have to make sure that the offender knows his or her crime." his eyes past me and even not glancing I could sense who were the people that joining us. The way he bowed his head and greeted them.
They gathered all in like a circle and from where I was standing I saw Fierce stood next to his father, a bit far from us. With two another older men. I averted my gaze and just stared at the man who's like the judge or.. yeah, the Hangman and his friends.
"Sven will read your sentence." bulong sa aking gilid ni Maddox.
"Lioness Schultz, the offender will be punished for a sin that she committed five years ago. She failed to kill our underboss, master Alfiero La Nostra, second in rank of La Nostra Mafia. On this day, the offender named Lioness Schultz will take the punishment of One Hundred whips. Flogging is-" I tuned him out. I was trying to memorize the faces of these people. Carving them in my memory and would make them pay once I escaped from here.
