As the harsh, metallic wheezing from Robellia’s throat continued, so did the relentless beating. She was repeatedly kicked and rolled across the floor by the m*n. How long had she been tossed around like a rag doll? Suddenly, a sharp crack pierced the air, followed by a searing pain that cut into her skin.

“Ahhh…!”

A thin, flexible cane struck her body without pause, leaving bright red welts on her pale skin in an instant. The excruciating pain cut through her, making it impossible to suppress her reaction. Tears streamed down her face as she let out agonising screams, the sound echoing through the room, raw and desperate.

Robellia even forgot the desperate need to breathe. At this point, it seemed that being beaten to death would be quicker than suffocation.

As she curled into a ball like a small animal, the cane continued to whistle through the air, striking her thin, exposed back again and again. Her cries soon turned to sobs.

“P-please… I’m sorry… I won’t… I’ll be quiet… I’ll… I’ll…”

At last the terrible violence stopped. One of the m*n kicked Robellia’s trembling body with his foot.

Her curled form, weak and unresisting, rolled limply to the ground. She lay there, her face a mess of tears, snot and saliva, unable even to sob aloud. Her back, pressed against the carpet, burned painfully – a sharp, raw sensation that suggested the extent of the damage even without seeing it.

Through her blurred vision, Robellia looked towards the dining table. Akan, as if oblivious to the horrific scene, continued to eat, undisturbed by the sights or sounds of her suffering.

Robellia couldn’t understand him. If he didn’t enjoy her pain, then why go to such cruel lengths? What was the purpose of it all? Her broken mind could find no answer.

Swoosh

The staff sliced through the air once more, striking Robellia in the chest. Her mouth opened in a faint cry, but no sound escaped. Human or b*ast, when faced with excruciating pain, submission eventually becomes the only option. Perhaps it was only to confirm this that the man threw the stick onto the carpet.

As Akan raised his post-meal drink, one of the m*n positioned himself between Robellia’s legs. What followed was a violent penetration, his rough movements serving as evidence of her punishment. Barely reacting, Robellia opened her mouth as if gasping for air, but no words or cries came.

Thud – a sharp thrust pushed her body a hand’s width forward on the carpet.

For the moment, the searing pain of her raw back scraping against the carpet overshadowed any fear of the man’s seed taking root in her. A fleeting thought crossed her mind: ‘Will they give me food when this punishment is over?’ The realisation that she was beginning to think like an animal gnawed at her, but she couldn’t push it away.

“Teach her well.”

Having finished his meal, Akan left the dining room with a sober expression on his face. One man had finished, but another took his place and repeated the same act. The servants, feigning ignorance of the degrading scene unfolding nearby, quietly began to clear the dishes. Robellia felt a wave of self-loathing as her attention was drawn to the disappearing plates of food rather than her own suffering.

“Oh……!”

A p*nis is forced into her mouth, muffling her cries of pain. As Robellia tries to turn her body, another man climbs on top of her and holds her down. Tears stream down her face as she sinks further into despair, consumed by the hopelessness of her situation. No pr*stitute would ever endure the humiliation of serving a man in her mouth and v*gina at the same time.

s*men is deposited into her body again, and the man is replaced by another. The one who finished in her throat presses his palm over her mouth, forcing Robellia to swallow the fluid. With a reluctant gulp, the thick liquid slides down her throat, only to be immediately followed by another p*nis being forced into her mouth.

One man was replaced by another in a never-ending cycle. That night, the m*n didn’t even allow Robellia to return to her bedroom. Instead, she was left to endure it all on the dining room carpet, her body exposed to more than ten m*n who used every part of her.

‘I don’t want this anymore. Somebody, please save me.’

These fleeting, desperate thoughts vanished as quickly as they came, erased by the hopelessness of the relentless abuse. The pain in her body and the torment in her heart had long since exceeded her limits.

‘Why can’t I just die? Is it because I lack the courage to end it myself?’

The m*n eventually withdrew from Robellia, leaving her without the strength to even lift her body. Her pale skin was now covered in deep bruises and red sores. White fluid oozed from the two openings between her legs with every breath she took.

The faint light of dawn crept through the thick curtains. Any trace of will left in Robellia had been completely shattered. Each blink of her eyes revealed her empty, hollow amethyst pupils, which seemed to have lost all purpose, fading in and out with each fleeting moment.

The servants who entered to prepare the Emperor’s breakfast frowned at the gruesome sight before them. But they quickly hid their faces and began their work. They drew back the curtains, opened the windows to air the room, and set the table with fresh linens and place settings. The savoury aroma of breakfast wafted in through the slightly ajar door. In the bright morning light, only Robellia remained trapped in last night’s nightmare, unable to wake.

The servants, as if by agreement, remained silent as they finished their chores. The door opened and the man who had been part of last night’s endless nightmare – and the last ten years – entered the room.

Akan’s foot brushed lightly against Robellia’s cheek. She blinked, her eyes unfocused.

“Good morning.”

It was then that Robellia realised that not even death would allow her to escape Akan. Life and death would be no different. In the end, she and Akan were destined to remain together, side by side, in the same endless hell.

—

In the Imperial Office, Akan furrowed his brow as he listened to Viscount Ansley’s report. The news was unfavourable, and Duke Mos’s expression hardened as well. The viscount, having failed in his mission, bowed his head in shame.

“You lost the trail, you say…”

Akan threw the report, filled with disappointing details, onto the desk. Once again, the root of the problem had not been completely eradicated.

One of the reasons Akan had reluctantly accepted the onerous role of emperor was the issue of slavery. The founding emperor of the empire had legalised slavery immediately after the end of the wars of conquest. The reason for this was to deal with the remnants of the defeated armies.

While the kingdoms that had submitted to the Empire were paying the price to reclaim their citizens, the remnants of many of the fallen nations posed a problem. Rather than execute them all, the founding Emperor decided to use them as a labour force to rebuild the war-torn lands.

Although this decision was part of ancient history, it laid the groundwork for what was to come. Over time, those convicted of serious crimes such as treason were also sentenced to life in slavery.