Chapter 26
“You know your mistake, so I won’t say any more.”
Laura, who had been staring at Iella with stern eyes, called for a maid.
“Bring me the cane.”
Iella, who had thought at worst she’d just be confined to her room, lifted her head in shock at the word cane.
“You’ve reached marriageable age, yet instead of carrying yourself with grace, you keep scheming ways to run away. Just thinking about you gives me a headache, Iella. Are you planning to become an old maid?”
Holding her throbbing head, Laura shook her head.
“But Aunt, you live alone.”
“Are you the same as me?”
“Sorry. But I’m not thinking about marriage…”
“Enough! Still—”
Laura’s eyes widened as she cut Iella off.
“You still haven’t repented!”
“Mother, it’s not that. Please just listen to me—”
“That’s enough! I don’t want to hear another word.”
Laura instructed Sandy, who had brought the cane, to go fetch Betty immediately.
“Why Betty…?”
“She failed in her duty, so she must be punished.”
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Iella clung to Laura in a panic.
“Mother, talk to me. It’s all my fault.”
But Laura didn’t answer her pleading. A moment later, Betty was brought in.
“Madam, you called for me?”
Betty stood hesitantly beside the couch where Laura sat. Even Iella could sense her unease in the tense air.
“Betty, when I sent you to the capital with Iella, it wasn’t just because you were her maid. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, madam.”
‘She has no interest in dressing up or caring for her appearance, so even in the capital it’ll be a problem. Since you’re good with your hands, I’m sending you along to help her. If she marries into a good family, it’ll be good for you too. In that case, I’ll support your family as well. You understand what I mean, right?’
‘Yes, madam. I’ll serve the young lady with all my heart.’
“And yet, what have you actually done? I clearly overestimated you.”
“…”
Betty couldn’t offer any excuse. She couldn’t even defend her lady by saying she was beautiful without any effort.
“Mother, Betty hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s all my fault. Punish me.”
“Enough! You’ll get your punishment as well, so don’t speak up.”
Iella could only bite her lip and wait anxiously.
“Betty, I’ve kept quiet all this time because Iella cares for you. But I can’t overlook this any longer.”
“I’m sorry, madam. I failed in my duties and will accept my punishment.”
“Betty…”
Iella’s voice trembled with shock, but Betty remained calm.
“Iella will receive thirty strikes on the palms. Betty will receive sixty on the calves.”
Laura gave Sandy a signal with her eyes.
“Mother! Please, I’ll take it all instead!”
By now, Iella’s eyes were brimming with tears. Laura’s heart wavered at the sight, but she steeled herself.
“This time, I’ll stop here. But if you disobey me again or go out dressed in a way that undermines your dignity, Betty will take all of the punishment. Keep that in mind.”
“Th-that’s—”
“One more word, and I’ll increase Betty’s lashes.”
“….”
Iella had no choice but to step back without another word.
Smack! Smack! Smack! The heavy silence in the drawing room was broken only by the sharp sound of the cane cutting through the air. At Laura’s order to hold nothing back, the strikes were especially harsh.
Even Iella had trouble enduring the pain, but when the final blow landed, Betty nearly collapsed, looking on the verge of fainting.
When it was finally over, Laura left the drawing room. The maid who had done the beating also departed, exhausted.
Iella, who had been sobbing into her chair, finally went to Betty. Her tender calves were mottled red and purple, with some spots where the skin had split and bled, making Iella’s chest tighten painfully just to look at them.
“Betty… I’m sorry. It’s my fault…”
Her face still wet with tears, Iella’s hands hovered over Betty’s legs, trembling but unable to touch.
“I-it’s fine, my lady.”
Betty forced a weak smile, as if to reassure her.
“I’m sorry. It must hurt so much.”
“You’ll make your hand worse. Let me put ointment on it for you.”
Looking at Iella’s raw, reddened palms, Betty spoke. Only then did Iella glance down at her own hands. They throbbed and burned as if scorched. The fact that Betty worried for her even now made tears spill anew.
“It’s all my fault.”
She looked at the injured calves with pained eyes, then helped Betty to her feet.
“Let’s put ointment on together. Can you stand?”
“Yes… oww.”
Betty stumbled as pain shot through her leg.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, I-I’m fine.”
Just then, Louisa, who had been staying out of the way with their aunt, entered the drawing room with her maid.
“Sis, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Betty’s hurt far worse than I am.”
Louisa’s gaze softened with pity.
“Mary, take Betty and treat her wounds.”
“Yes, miss.”
Mary, Louisa’s maid, came forward to support Betty and led her out. Left alone, Louisa gently embraced Iella.
It was the first time she’d seen her sister beaten by their mother, and it had shocked her. She had wanted to intervene, but their aunt had stopped her.
‘For Iella’s sake, it’s better to let this go this time.’
‘But Aunt…’
‘Whether she marries or not, she can’t keep dressing in those dreary clothes forever. A woman should at least enjoy that much in her life. We can’t just stand by forever, can we, Louisa?’
In a world where every woman was expected to marry at least once, Louisa couldn’t agree with her sister’s stubbornness rationally—but emotionally, she understood.
‘Why is it that, unlike prosperous Lapland that advances every day, people’s views on women are the same as a hundred years ago? Even if a woman can study, what’s the point if she can’t work?’
‘Not everyone thinks like you, sis.’
‘It’s not like I want to change the world or anything big. I just want to be the one steering my life, to live actively and voluntarily.’
Her sister had always said she disliked how women were forced to be passive, unable to carve their own paths, and how marriage was a burden forced upon them.
No one knew why she had formed such beliefs—she hadn’t grown up in hardship. Perhaps she was simply born in the wrong era.
“Let’s go upstairs.”
All the way up to the second floor, Louisa didn’t know how to soothe her complicated feelings. She sat Iella down on the bed bench and pulled out the ointment she’d brought.
“Give me your hand.”
“It’s fine. It’ll heal on its own.”
“I brought ointment for a reason. You shouldn’t let such fair hands scar.”
Reluctantly, Iella held out her hand. The sight of the white, slender hand covered in abrasions made Louisa frown.
“It hurt, didn’t it?”
“Yeah…”
“Sandy really has no tact. Why hit so hard just because Mother was watching? This might scar.”
“It’s not Sandy’s fault. It’s mine.”
“You can still say that?”
“Because it’s true.”
“Honestly…”
Louisa sighed. Feeling both pity and frustration, she applied the ointment gently, though Iella still flinched from the sting.
“Bear with it a little.”
“Okay.”
After smoothing on the ointment, Louisa blew softly over it, and the burning eased a bit.
“That’s better. Haha.”
“You’re laughing now? I guess you’re feeling a little better.”
Louisa smiled, wrapping the hand in bandages to keep the ointment from rubbing off.
“So what will you do now?”
“What else? Since everyone seems to hate the way I dress, I’ll just play along.”
Iella pouted in irritation.
“Everyone? Who else said something to you?”
“There was… an incident.”
“What incident? Who said something to you?”
Louisa, who usually scolded her with ‘Why hide such a pretty body in those clothes?’, suddenly narrowed her eyes at the thought of someone else saying it.
“It’s someone you don’t need to know about. Not worth mentioning.”
Iella shrugged as if it were nothing.
“Good. Whoever it is, I’ll make them eat their words.”
Smiling faintly at Louisa’s fiery tone, Iella thought of a nose far too high to be flattened. She spoke in a drained voice.
“They wouldn’t bat an eye.”
“Who on earth is it?”
“Just… someone.”
“Are they like F4 or something?”
“Ugh, don’t even bring them up. They’re already causing a stir at the Academy. I really don’t get it.”
Shivering as if to shake off the thought, Iella made Louisa chuckle.
“Sis, they say women who believe there are men worthy of respect and love are happier than those who think all men are wolves and thieves.”
“Who says that?”
“I don’t know. I heard it somewhere.”
“Respect and love? Hmph. As if men like that are common. And even if they were, would they give someone like me the time of day?”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“I know you’re biased, but I still have enough self-awareness to know my place, Louisa.”
“And what place is that? You’re nothing but beautiful. Are you trying to brag about your looks to me?”
“Ew! Louisa, stop. I can’t listen to this. How could you compare someone as plain as me to you?”
