Chapter 41: Shattered Illusions

“He… what is he doing?”

Wendy’s petite frame trembled uncontrollably, her hands clamped tightly over her mouth, stifling any sound.

On the other side of the keyhole, the inhumane torture relentlessly continued.

“No… please, please let me goooooooooo!!!”

The woman’s agonizing screams echoed ceaselessly, yet Rayte showed no sign of halting his actions.

“You b*tch, weren’t you so tough just a moment ago? How could you break so quickly?”

“I’m sorry! I was wrong, my lord, please forgive me… please forgive me… ahhhhhhh!!!”

The whip whistled through the air, lashing against the woman’s body again and again.

The woman’s cries grew fainter.

What began as heart-wrenching shrieks eventually faded into weak whimpers as her strength gave out, until she finally lost consciousness.

“Hmph… truly exhilarating!”

Only when the woman lay motionless did Rayte toss aside the whip.

He swept back a strand of his sweat-dampened golden hair, his handsome face marred by a cruel malevolence.

“Damn it, these wretched women never know their place; they always need a good lashing from a whip to learn.”

“And those old bastards, how dare they look down on me? I am a prince! Royal blood flows through my veins! Just you wait, one day, I will make you all pay the price!”

Rayte took a few ragged breaths before casually sinking into the exquisite leather armchair.

He gazed at the bruised and motionless woman nearby, her head lolling, and suddenly a smile spread across his face as he licked his lips.

“Still, despite this merely being a political marriage, Duke Rhine’s daughter is truly a prime specimen. It’s like I’ve stumbled upon a treasure…”

“Heh heh, with such an innocent face, who is she trying to impress? I truly long to see what expression she’ll make when she screams…”

Outside the door, Wendy could no longer bear it.

Her stomach churned violently, her legs turned to jelly, and she nearly collapsed to the floor.

Stumbling, she rushed into the bathroom, throwing herself before the sink, where she began to retch violently.

Who could have imagined that the seemingly refined and gentle Prince was, in truth, a devil cloaked in human skin?

“Miss, are you alright?”

A passing maid, seeing Wendy emerge from the bathroom with a pale face, quickly stepped forward, asking with concern.

“I’m fine, I’m going back to my room. Don’t come looking for me.”

Wendy shook her head, hastening back to her own room.

Carefully locking the door from the inside, she wrapped herself tightly in her quilt.

Every time the recent scene replayed in her mind, her body would begin to tremble uncontrollably once more.

The Sixth Prince’s benevolent smile and elegant demeanor, witnessed earlier that day, now transformed into a repulsive facade within her heart.

Despite the sheer cruelty of his actions, he hadn’t even blinked an eye!

This scoundrel, this piece of trash, was to be her future husband?

Would she, too, eventually end up like that wretched woman, suspended from the ceiling, enduring endless torment?

The night deepened, and all the lights in the mansion were extinguished, leaving only a few candles casting faint glows.

The servants had all long since fallen into slumber, yet Wendy, huddled beneath her quilt, was wide awake.

No, she absolutely could not marry such a scoundrel.

She had to find a way to save herself…

Suddenly, a spark ignited in Wendy’s eyes.

That’s right, she would go to her father!

Though her father was always strict, he would surely believe his own daughter’s words.

Yes, her father must have been deceived by Rayte as well.

As long as she revealed Rayte’s true nature to her father, he would surely protect her.

Moreover, this was the Northern Kingdom, the territory of the Rhine family!

Given Rayte’s inhumane actions, even as the Sixth Prince, he wouldn’t be able to escape unscathed.

He had to face the punishment he deserved!

A glimmer of hope ignited in Wendy’s heart, and she impatiently pushed open her door, rushing towards her father’s study.

A small light still glowed in the study, and Wendy’s heart lifted.

Excellent, her father was still awake.

Just as she was about to push the door open, a hearty laugh emanated from within the room.

There were others in the study.

One was her father’s laugh.

The other, somewhat unfamiliar yet decidedly youthful, undoubtedly belonged to Rayte.

Wendy’s chest tightened abruptly, and she quickly hid behind the door.

That scoundrel was still pretending, still deceiving her father!

Once he left, she absolutely had to tell her father the entire truth!

“So, how was the woman I gave you today? Not bad, eh?”

A coarse voice boomed from the room.

“Eh?”

Wendy suddenly froze in place.

How she wished she had misheard, but there was no doubt: those words had come from her father’s mouth.

“Absolutely splendid! All thanks to you, my esteemed father-in-law!”

“Haha, you rascal, already calling me so intimately?”

“Heh heh, esteemed father-in-law, where exactly did you procure such a fine woman?”

“Bought from the s*ave market. It didn’t cost much, but the key is knowing how to pick the right one.”

“Your discernment is truly excellent, my lord!”

“Of course. Once you’ve ‘played’ with a few more, you’ll naturally gain experience.

I had originally intended to give you a few that were already ‘trained’ (TL Note: A euphemism for being broken or conditioned), but you young men always prefer to get hands-on and try it yourselves.”

“You’re absolutely right. Unfortunately, my methods are still too clumsy, so I’ll have to seek your guidance in the future…”

Splash—

It was as if, in the dead of winter, a bucket of ice water had been poured over her from head to toe.

The faint flicker of hope that had just ignited in Wendy was, in that moment, utterly extinguished.

From her hollow eyes, tears streamed down uncontrollably.

If before she had only felt revulsion and fear, now, in this very moment, all she knew was utter despair.

Those two were actually in league with each other!

Her father not only knew Rayte’s cruel and cold-blooded true nature, but had even personally delivered the tortured woman to him.

And knowing all of this, he still intended to betroth her to that devil!

The Duke himself was an even fouler demon than Rayte!

Wendy felt as though her chest was being ripped open by the pain.

The teachings she had received and the beliefs she had built over many years crumbled in an instant.

For the sake of her family’s interests, she had sacrificed almost everything, yet in the end, her family saw her as nothing more than a cold, disposable pawn.

With not a single shred of attachment left in her heart, Wendy burst out of the Rhine family mansion without hesitation.

Amidst the swirling snow, dressed in thin everyday clothes, she ran desperately through the boundless, freezing night.

Her fair toes were frostbitten and crimson, and jagged gashes appeared on her delicate skin from the thorns, yet she paid them no mind.

Her only thought was to escape that bottomless abyss.

By the time she emerged from the dense forest, the sky was already faintly brightening.

Wendy’s strength finally gave out, and she collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The distant outline of a town shimmered faintly, yet she no longer possessed the strength to rise.

“Am I… going to die…?” Wendy murmured to herself.

Her limbs were long since numb, and her body’s sensations were slowly fading, yet strangely, Wendy felt no fear whatsoever.

Indeed, she had already lost everything; losing her life now seemed hardly a matter of consequence.

Her consciousness gradually dissipated, and through her hazy vision, she vaguely perceived a tall figure rushing towards her…