Chapter 1.7

Though it was early spring, it was still the tail end of winter, and the dawn was bitterly cold. The room had no carpet or fireplace, making it even worse.  

Dragged out of bed suddenly, Yvonne was clad only in thin sleepwear.  

Shivering in the icy room, she held Emma close. Partly to keep herself warm, but mostly out of fear that Emma might freeze to death.  

Fortunately, Emma regained consciousness. But only after dawn, when the servants dragged them to the center of the estate’s square and doused them with water.  

The shock to her body and the freezing water forced Emma to open her eyes.  

Given the circumstances, Yvonne couldn’t simply rejoice that Emma had regained consciousness.  

Soon, the soldiers assigned to carry out their punishment stepped forward.  

While the servants and maids called Philip “Lord,” they couldn’t impose such severe punishments on their own. They weren’t slaves.  

But defying a noble was a different matter. There was an unbreachable wall between commoners and nobles, and defiance could be punished by law. Thus, the soldiers were tasked with carrying out the sentence.  

The soldiers read aloud the document Philip had prepared.  

It was rare for punishments to involve soldiers, and the sight of two women tied to a post in the square drew a curious crowd.  

“What’s going on?”  

“See that young woman? Apparently, she got pregnant with someone else’s child and tried to marry the lord. The older woman helped her. So, they’ll each get twenty lashes as an example.”  

“Oh my, oh my! Such shameless women. Don’t they fear God?”  

“Who needs witches when you have women like that? They’re the real witches. The lord is so merciful, sparing them with just a whipping.”  

The crowd sneered and pointed at Yvonne and Emma.  

Philip was a well-loved lord, so the public’s criticism was particularly harsh. Yvonne squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head low under the weight of their scorn.  

“Filthy wench! How dare you try to deceive the lord and marry him!”  

“Witch! Just die already!”  

Soon, raw eggs and small stones were hurled at them. Though the soldiers intervened to stop the crowd, the verbal abuse didn’t cease.  

When the appointed time arrived, the soldiers picked up long, thick whips. These were typically used to tame wild animals or in performances.  

Without mercy, the soldiers carried out Philip’s orders. Yvonne and Emma were whipped and then cast out beyond the estate’s borders.  

“By the Lord’s decree, you are forbidden from ever setting foot near Rivette or even the Bertrand region again.”  

“……”  

“Take these and get lost.”  

The soldiers threw a few hard loaves of rye bread, a leather pouch containing water, and a single silver coin worth one shekel to Yvonne and Emma. Though the silver coin held four times the value of a day’s wage of one denarius, it was far from enough to settle in a foreign land. The money would vanish quickly once spent on travel expenses.  

But travel expenses were the least of their worries. There was something far more urgent.  

“Medicine… Is there no medicine?” 

Yvonne asked, writhing in pain. She had been struck twenty times with a long whip, leaving her clothes in tatters and her body bleeding profusely.  

“Even just bandages would be fine. Please, show some mercy…”  

“You women still haven’t learned your lesson, have you?”  

“But—”  

“Silence! You shouldn’t have committed any wrongdoing in the first place. None of this would’ve happened then, would it?”  

Yvonne trembled and lowered her head. Though her appearance was disheveled, her slender frame and delicate beauty hadn’t faded in the slightest.  

Especially Yvonne, who had been dragged out of bed in her nightgown. The sunlight revealed the curves of her body through the thin fabric, catching the attention of one of the soldiers, who cleared his throat awkwardly.  

“You really need medicine that badly?”  

“Yes, yes.”  

“Then do me a favor.”  

“What kind of…”  

“Let me have a go at you.”  

“W-What are you saying…?”  

“Don’t play dumb. Everyone knows the situation. You’re already a wreck after being caught by the Lord himself.”  

The soldier’s gaze ran lewdly over Yvonne’s body. Once he began to see her as a s*xual object, his desire only grew stronger the longer he looked.  

His sinister eyes roamed up and down her figure. If he had been alone while carrying out the punishment, he would’ve stripped her and taken her without hesitation. The only reason he held back now was because of the onlookers.  

As the soldier’s vile intentions became evident, one of his comrades, unable to bear it, spoke up.  

“Hey, you… Are you really into a woman who’s pregnant? And besides, look at her condition.”  

“It’s not like I can afford to be picky.”  

“Don’t do anything stupid. If the Baron finds out, it won’t just be you who gets punished.”  

“That’s why I’m asking for her consent. As long as you and those women keep quiet, the Baron won’t know a thing. It’ll all end quietly.”  

It was only through the soldiers’ conversation that Yvonne realized what the man wanted. Her face turned pale with shock.  

How could anyone be so cruel…?  

If Yvonne had been the only one injured, she would’ve refused without hesitation. But she couldn’t ignore Emma’s plight. Emma had been hurt while trying to protect her. Yvonne’s resolve wavered.  

“It’s enough, Yvonne.” 

Emma said, panting. She seemed to understand what Yvonne was contemplating and firmly cut her off.  

“Don’t listen to such nonsense… Let’s just go.”  

“But, Head Maid…”  

“Let’s go.”  

Despite her pain, Emma bent down to pick up the bread, water pouch, and silver coin from the ground. Then, she began to walk ahead.  

Yvonne hesitated for a moment before chasing after Emma and helping her stand. Thankfully, the soldier who had made the indecent proposal only muttered to himself without attempting to stop them.  

“Are you alright…?”  

“I-I’m fine.”  

Yvonne asked cautiously as she supported Emma. Emma tried to appear fine, but her condition was dire.  

The day before, she had been caught by Philip while attempting to switch a bundle of barley stalks and had been severely beaten. And now, on top of that, she had endured twenty lashes with the whip.  

Emma was old enough to be Yvonne’s mother. These injuries were not easy for her to endure.  

Before long, Emma collapsed. Yvonne, who had also fallen to the ground with her, held Emma and pleaded desperately. She feared Emma might die. Her condition seemed that severe.  

“No, Head Maid. Please, no. You can’t leave me.”  

“Yvonne…”  

“I’ll go back and beg them again. Please, just hold on a little longer.”  

Though she didn’t want to give in to the soldier’s demands, she couldn’t bear to abandon Emma.  

If she just closed her eyes and endured it… She had already been through it once. It would be fine. If she asked carefully, she might even get some medicine and a blanket…  

Yvonne stood up and started retracing her steps. But Emma grabbed her and shook her head.  

“Don’t do it.”  

“But—!”  

“Look for Artemisia leaves. They should be nearby since they grow everywhere.”  

“Yes, yes! I’ll find them right away!”  

Yvonne quickly ran around, scanning the area. Though her entire body ached, her determination to treat Emma’s wounds kept her going.  

‘…I found it!’  

After searching through the bushes, Yvonne finally found the plant she was looking for. Artemisia, an herb known for its anti-inflammatory properties, was a common sight.  

Yvonne gathered as much Artemisia as she could. In a hurry, she washed a stone with the water from the pouch and used it to crush the herbs, applying the paste to Emma’s wounds.  

Normally, the herbs would go through a proper refinement process before being used as medicine, but they didn’t have that luxury now. When the plant’s juice touched her wounds, Emma groaned in pain.  

“Does it hurt a lot…?” 

“I’m fine. You need to treat yourself too.”  

Emma reached out and applied the remaining Artemisia paste to Yvonne’s back.  

Afterward, the two tried to move again, but it wasn’t easy. Emma stumbled and collapsed after only a few steps.  

“I’m sorry… I should keep moving…”  

“It’s alright. I don’t feel like moving either. Head Maid, let’s rest for a bit.”  

Yvonne forced a smile. Though she said this, she was genuinely worried.  

‘It’ll get colder as night falls.’  

If they were unlucky, they might encounter wild animals like wolves or stray dogs.  

But she couldn’t push Emma to walk any further. Emma needed rest.  

‘What should I do…?’  

Yvonne looked around, hoping to find a place to stay. It was then that she heard the faint rumble of the ground and the sound of hooves. It seemed to be a carriage.  

Yvonne helped Emma off the road to make way for the approaching carriage. Though she wanted to ask for help, she knew it must be a carriage from Rivette.  

‘Even if I ask for help, they won’t assist us.’  

Emma seemed to share the same thought, as she didn’t stop Yvonne. As expected, the approaching carriage was a supply wagon.  

But what was unexpected was that the wagon didn’t pass them by. Instead, someone called out to them.