Royal reckoning.

"Father!" Eva stomped her way into the courtyard, her face red with anger.

The Duke's face darkened, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. What was it this girl wanted now? Hadn't she already caused him enough troubles?

She halted in front of them, her gaze flashing with disdain as she turned to face Xavier. He seemed utterly carefree, his attention focused on the garden, a peaceful smile on his face.

"Your slave insulted me, Your Highness." She reported, her voice trembling in rage. "He called me useless and said he doesn't care whether you know or not, that you can't do anything to him. He even boasted that he came to the palace to steal and will take everything of value you have here."

The Duke face palmed, himself. What was she thinking reporting such a thing to the prince? It was clear Xavier didn't like her, so how did she expect him to believe her or even care about her hurt ego.

Xavier's gaze lingered on her face, as if searching for something, but he soon looked away, shaking his head in disappointment. "So, what do you expect me to do?"

Eva's response was immediate. "Punish him, of course. Or better yet, dismiss him from the palace. Or even...chop off his head."

Xavier nodded thoughtfully. "Very well. Go fetch me Liam."

Eva's face lit up with a bright smile as she hurried off to comply.

Xavier turned his gaze to the Duke. "Seems like you have quite some power, Duke. Your daughter even has the courage to tell me what to do with my own slave."

The Duke shivered, despite the prince's neutral tone. He sensed a cold malice lurking beneath the surface, and it sent chills down his spine.

Eva quickly returned with Liam in tow. "Your Highness, I've brought him. Please, tell him how to punish that boy."

Xavier's expression turned cold as he gazed at Eva. "You seem to have misunderstood the situation," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Take her away. Give her a hundred slaps, and then twist her mouth so she'll learn who to speak to and who to respect."

Eva's eyes widened in horror. "W-what do you mean, Your Highness? I thought you were going to punish that slave, not me!"

Xavier nodded in agreement. "Ah, yes, the slave."

Eva sighed in relief.

"Liam, see to it that he receives a hundred whips as well. No one will be allowed to speak ill of me behind my back."

With that, Xavier stood up and strode away, leaving Eva in a state of panic.

Her face turned ugly and she quickly turned to the Duke. "Father, please! If my mouth is twisted and I'm slapped a hundred times, I'll be disfigured! No one will want to marry me!"

But the Duke turned his back on her, his face a mask of indifference. He stood up and walked away, abandoning Eva to her fate. Liam then dragged Eva away to the back courtyard, her cries for help echoing through the walls.

**********

Alexia strode back to the servants' quarters, determined to find a way to bathe and clean herself. She felt sticky and filthy, and her face throbbed with pain. She was afraid to look at her reflection, but she needed to assess the damage.

"Hey, wait," she stopped a male servant who was passing by. She recognized him as one of the men who had barged into her room the night before.

The servant turned to her, his eyes fixed on the mark on her face. "What is it? Xavier's slave?" he asked, his tone thoughtful.

Alexia bristled at his gaze. "What do you mean by 'Xavier's slave'?" she asked, her voice firm. "And what's with the stare? This," she gestured to her face, "don't address me as that, I have a name you know?"

The servant raised an eyebrow. "Well, it does make you look more manly now," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Alexia's eyes narrowed. "If having a burn mark on my face makes me more 'manly', then maybe you should get one too,"

The servant chuckled. "I think I'll pass. But if you're looking for a bath, your in luck, I'm actually heading to the wash house now, that's where all of us bath. Come on, Let's go together."

Wait, all of us?

Together?

Her eyes widened in horror. She definitely didn't want to see naked, hairy men.

"Oh no, I can't possibly...I mean, I don't want to bathe with...with..." She stuttered vaguely, trying to convey her distress.

The servant chuckled. "Don't worry, little one. Not everyone is savages like the man from yesterday. You'll be perfectly safe." He mistook her distress for fear from what happened yesterday night.

But Alexia was already backing away, her mind racing. If she had to bathe with men, her true gender would definitely be exposed. And what if she saw...things...that she didn't want to see?

"Actually, I'm not that dirty. I was just asking, I definitely don't need to bathe right now," she hastily said turning to flee.

But the servant caught her arm, his grip firm. "Nonsense, you look like you could use a good scrubbing. Let's go. Don't worry about what happened yesterday, big brother will take good care of you." He patted his chest proudly, a self-satisfied smile spreading across his face.

Alexia's eyes narrowed. "Big brother?" she repeated, frowning. Why was this ugly fat man calling himself her big brother? She tried to shake off his grip, but he held firm.

Without another word, he started dragging her towards the wash house, Alexia stumbling along behind him.

Her mind raced with panic. This was a nightmare come true. She was going to be exposed, humiliated, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. And to make matters worse, she wouldn't even be able to get revenge on that prince for what he did to her face.

"Wait!" a voice called out.

They turned to face the speaker, and Alexia saw Liam staring at them sternly.

The man quickly released her hand and bowed, placing his hands behind his back. "Good day, my lord."

Liam nodded at him and turned to Alexia. "You, follow me," he commanded.

Without another word, he turned and headed out the door, and Alexia hastily followed, eager to escape the awkward situation. She didn't know why Liam was summoning her but she was more than relieved to avoid bathing with...Brrr!

As they walked though, she couldn't help asking. "My lord, where are we going? Is His Highness finished with his meeting?"

"You ask too many questions. You'll know once we get there." He said simply.

Alexia didn't dare speak again, and they continued their walk around the palace, eventually arriving back at the courtyard. However, it looked a bit different now.

The execution platform had been replaced by a large, flat table. Alexia's gaze drifted to the corner, where Eva glared at her with hostility. Her face was red and swollen, like a pufferfish, and her lips were twisted in an unnatural way, making her look grotesquely disfigured.

"Mmm...mm...mm.." Alexia bit her lips to keep herself from laughing.

"Lay down," Liam commanded, pointing to the table.

Alexia knitted her brows but obeyed nonetheless. Liam nodded in satisfaction and picked up a long twisted whip, she hadn't noticed was lying on the floor.

'Oh no' Alexia's eyes widened in disbelief.

But before she could react, Liam held her in place with one hand and struck her with the whip, targeting her buttocks.

"Aaaahhrr!" She cried out in pain.

But Liam showed no mercy, striking again and again, each blow landing with a loud crack.

"Aaahr! Aaahr!" Alexia's pained voice echoed through the courtyard.