Chapter 22: The Apology and the Unseen Punishment

Felicia was inevitably a little nervous. Her small face was taut, making it seem as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

“Every time I tease you, your face makes such an adorable expression, hehe.” Seraphina reached out and poked Felicia’s cheek.

“I didn’t come here to have my face poked,” Felicia said, a hint of exasperation in her voice. “Do you have something serious to discuss?”

“Something serious?” Seraphina asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

It was then that Seraphina finally noticed the fries in Felicia’s hand. She couldn’t help but recall the colorful curry rice she had eaten two days prior.

No, ‘curry rice’ was hardly the right term. It was more akin to a lethal poison, a toxin potent enough to kill millions if unleashed into a city’s water supply.

‘Could it be…’ Seraphina considered a terrifying possibility: that Felicia’s “serious matter” involved using her as a guinea pig once again.

Though Seraphina’s strength was immense, even approaching that of a legendary Overlord, her physical constitution alone could grant immunity to most poisons and curses.

However, it was painfully clear that Felicia’s cooking was an exception; it wouldn’t kill her, but it certainly wouldn’t be pleasant.

“Don’t worry, I ate some myself and had no problems. This time, it’s normal food,” Felicia explained.

Afraid Seraphina wouldn’t believe her, Felicia picked up a fry and bit into it. It was crispy and delicious.

Five seconds passed, then a minute, then two. Felicia remained perfectly fine.

“See? What did I tell you? This is normal food. Last time was just a mistake on my part.”

Seeing that Felicia was indeed unharmed after eating, Seraphina picked up a fry and took a bite.

“It’s actually quite tasty.” Seraphina nodded, offering her approval. “So, was this all you wanted to talk about?”

“Uh, how should I put this… it’s just…”

Felicia’s mind went blank. She had meticulously planned her words on the way here, but now, when it came time to speak, she found herself tongue-tied.

Simply put, she had forgotten what she wanted to say.

Seraphina didn’t interrupt Felicia, merely waiting patiently.

“In short, making something like that last time, not only did it harm you, but I almost poisoned myself to death. It was all my fault.”

“So, I’ve come to apologize, even if what I did might seem insignificant…”

Seraphina hadn’t expected Felicia to come for such a reason.

To be honest, she hadn’t cared much about the incident, as it hadn’t caused any serious consequences. One might even say Felicia had inadvertently helped her.

While researching Felicia’s potent “poison” dish, Seraphina had noticed a complex intermingling of magical attributes within it.

This chaotic blend of magic had given Seraphina an invaluable insight, allowing her to solve a problem that had plagued her for a long time.

As a result, Seraphina had even considered finding an opportunity to thank Felicia. However, with Felicia’s sudden apology, she abruptly changed her mind.

“Even if it didn’t cause serious consequences, it was still your mistake, so of course I will punish you,” Seraphina told Felicia.

“As expected, then…” Felicia wasn’t surprised by Seraphina’s decision.

Rather, if Seraphina had not only refrained from punishing her but had thanked her instead, Felicia would likely have thought Seraphina had lost her mind.

Poor Felicia, however, was unaware that this was precisely what Seraphina had initially intended…

Felicia stood awkwardly, contemplating the punishment she might face.

Would she be locked in the basement for three days and nights without food?

Or perhaps restrained and severely whipped?

Or even a more terrifying penalty?

The mere thought of these potential punishments made Felicia feel as though her legs might give out.

“I haven’t even said anything yet, what’s wrong with you?” Seraphina was also surprised by Felicia’s reaction.

Was there really a need to be so terrified? She hadn’t uttered a single word.

Seraphina felt that Felicia had a profound misunderstanding of her true nature.

Yet, ever since witnessing Seraphina’s stern reprimand of the tuxedo-clad youth, Felicia had developed a sense of dread toward her, a fact she might not even realize herself.

“So, so what kind of punishment will it be? I can accept anything…”

“As for the punishment, let’s discuss it tomorrow. I’ll think about it thoroughly today,” Seraphina said. “Alright, little one, you can go play now. I have some things to attend to.”

It wasn’t until Seraphina had departed that Felicia felt a slight easing of her stiff body.

“She took my fries when she left. Will tomorrow’s punishment be a little lighter?” Felicia whispered to herself.

“Miss Felicia.” Anna’s voice suddenly reached her.

“I’m here,” Felicia replied.

She had grown accustomed to such occurrences. Even if Anna were to suddenly appear before her now, Felicia could remain perfectly calm.

“Is there something you need?”

“My mistress said that Miss Felicia can now freely enter and exit the castle,” Anna replied. “I came here to inform you of this.”

“Furthermore, I will not follow you when you walk outside the castle.”

“Mhm, I understand.” Felicia nodded.

Anna’s figure vanished again. Felicia guessed she had left.

“Oh yeah! I can finally go out and explore on my own!” Seeing no one around, Felicia could no longer hold back and jumped up excitedly.

Her calm demeanor in front of Anna had all been an act; in reality, Felicia was ecstatic.

****

Felicia walked alone in the garden, occasionally spotting gardeners tending to the flowers.

“Hello there.” Felicia greeted a gardener.

“Good morning, Miss Felicia,” the gardener replied.

Every flower in the garden was a type of magical material, and these materials shared a common trait: Felicia didn’t recognize any of them.

“Why do I feel like an illiterate walking through here?” Felicia grumbled.

As she walked, Felicia came across a wall. It appeared to be made of some kind of stone, but its hardness was extreme; Felicia doubted she could even make a crack with a single punch.

The wall was only ten meters high, a height that was effortless for the current Felicia to clear with a single leap. However, it was also covered in magical patterns.

Felicia observed the patterns, noting that their effect was to prohibit flight and jumping, meaning one could only climb over. Yet, the wall was smooth as a mirror, making climbing impossible.

“Is this really necessary? Both anti-flight and unclimbable. I thought I could just get outside and hop over the wall to escape.”

Felicia shook her head. It seemed scaling the wall was out of the question.

As for using the main gate? Several guards were patrolling in front of it, and Felicia didn’t believe they were mere ornaments. On the contrary, she felt that if she approached, the guards would package her up and throw her onto Seraphina’s bed.

Felicia could imagine what would happen then, even with her tail.

‘If this were an escape game, it would be hell mode. Am I supposed to reenact *The Shawshank Redemption*?’

Felicia considered it for a moment, then decided against it.

She’d better go back for now.

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