Chapter 41: Angelica’s Will
As expected of the Dark Witch, her confidence was boundless.
Modifying Loseweisse’s potion was a trivial matter to her.
Meanwhile, the two nuns, their patience exhausted by Angelica’s repeated refusals, exchanged a look.
Their expressions turned menacing.
“Angelica, you’ve disappointed me,” one of them said, her voice laced with danger. Her finger traced a line along Angelica’s pale cheek, down her slender neck, stopping at her waist.
Angelica trembled, her body wracked with fear, her mind flooded with terrifying memories.
“I’ll ask you one last time: will you cooperate?”
Despite her terror, Angelica shook her head, her jaw clenched.
She wouldn’t betray her master, no matter the cost.
Qin Chu was the only light in her dark life. She couldn’t lose him.
“Ah, I didn’t want to resort to violence…”
The nun’s eyes hardened. Her finger, resting on Angelica’s stomach, curled into a fist.
With a sickening thud, her fist slammed into Angelica’s abdomen.
Pain, sharp and agonizing, shot through her, doubling her over. Tears welled up in her eyes.
The pain was unbearable.
“Don’t worry…” The nun crouched down, grabbing a fistful of Angelica’s hair, forcing her to look up. “I’m using Battle Qi to focus the impact. You won’t have any bruises, but the pain will be… exquisite.”
She slammed Angelica’s face into the ground.
Grit dug into her skin, drawing blood.
“Does this feel familiar?”
Another blow, this time to her side.
The Battle Qi, like a thousand tiny needles, pierced her flesh. Her body convulsed, her muscles spasming uncontrollably. She felt like her body was being torn apart.
She gasped for air, her mouth open wide, unable to even scream.
Darkness threatened to consume her, memories of Loseweisse’s torture flashing through her mind.
Why was this happening?
She had escaped from hell.
Why was she being tormented again?
The pain was so intense that she felt like she was burning.
Her head was yanked back, the nun’s lips close to her ear. In a soft, gentle voice, she uttered the cruelest words:
“Do you think you’ve escaped?”
“Don’t fool yourself…”
“You’ll never escape.”
“You’ll live like a dog, groveling at the bottom of this world…”
“That’s your fate!”
Angelica’s face was pale, her body trembling, her teeth chattering.
Was this truly her fate?
Whether from pain or despair, darkness enveloped her, threatening to extinguish her will.
Why was the world so cruel?
“Cooperate with us. Obey our commands, and I promise you’ll never be treated like this again. You’ll be free. No one will ever hurt you again…”
“But if you refuse, this won’t be the last time.”
Her body was numb, her senses dulled. Perhaps she was becoming accustomed to the pain?
But it still hurt.
From this day forward, you will live within me. As long as I live, you will never return to hell.
I won’t let anyone bully you again. If anyone dares to harm you…
I will be there!
A light, a beacon of hope, pierced through the darkness.
Warmth, faint but undeniable, spread through her numb body.
Her master would come for her. He had to.
Her gaze, regaining its focus, its spark returning, made the nun’s lip twitch. This woman hadn’t broken.
Her spirit remained unbroken, her faith in her master unwavering.
Damn this stubborn bitch!
They didn’t have to resort to violence. They could have simply used the scroll to control her.
But humans had a cruel streak, a sadistic side that relished in the suffering of others.
This was especially true when the victim was someone who had already endured hardship. Tormenting Angelica brought them pleasure. To see the once-proud Holy Maiden candidate reduced to a whimpering mess, groveling at their feet… It was intoxicating.
Since she wasn’t broken yet, they would continue the game…
There was another reason for their cruelty: their master’s orders.
Even if Angelica cooperated, they had to make her suffer, to remind her of her place.
And breaking her spirit would make the scroll more effective. Their master’s mental magic was unstable. A strong-willed individual might be able to resist it.
Angelica shuddered as the nun’s gaze turned predatory.
Terror gripped her as the nun produced a knife, its blade glinting in the sunlight, tracing a line across her face.
Master, please, save me!
“You seem to trust that fool, Qin Chu…”
“But do you know what he’s doing right now? Lady Ekaterina is with him. Who do you think is more desirable, you or her?”
“Do you think he’ll care about you with Lady Ekaterina by his side?”
“No one cares about a lowly maid.”
“You’ll be back in that hellhole soon enough.”
No, I won’t!
“Do you truly believe he chose you because he cares?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. There were countless noblewomen at the banquet, beautiful nuns, even princesses. Why did he choose you? Because he’s insecure…”
“He lacks the courage to approach exceptional women. He chose you because of your low status. He can control you, use you, without any fear of rejection.”
No, that’s not true! My master isn’t like that!
“He must have promised to protect you, to shield you from harm,” the nun continued, her voice dripping with malice.
“But where is he now?”
“He can’t protect you. No one can.”
Her master wasn’t coming. Had he abandoned her?
Angelica’s eyes, once filled with defiance, turned dull and lifeless.
The mental torture was far more agonizing than the physical pain.
The two nuns, observing her despair, smiled triumphantly.
What a pathetic creature, breaking so easily. They hadn’t even gotten started. But there would be plenty of opportunities to enjoy her suffering. As long as she lived… the fun would continue.
“Cooperate with us… and you’ll be free from this pain,” one of them said, her voice deceptively gentle.
“Free…” Angelica mumbled, her voice barely audible.
“Yes, free… Cooperate with us, and you can live like a dog. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Like a dog?
Hah…
She had lived worse than a dog under Loseweisse’s tyranny. Even a dog wouldn’t be beaten every day. Even a pile of dung wouldn’t be trampled upon by everyone…
Perhaps… living like a dog wouldn’t be so bad.
Her master wasn’t coming. Even if he did, he wouldn’t stand a chance against these women.
“I… will… coo…” Angelica began, her voice a broken whisper.
No one could save her.
The two nuns, their smiles widening, savored her surrender, her descent into despair.
…
This was her will.
“I… will never cooperate with you, even if it means death!”
Angelica raised her head, her face bruised and bloodied, but her eyes, once again, filled with defiance.
She had experienced three days of kindness with her master. That was enough.
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