Chapter 13: Exposed
Ropes. Lina was very familiar with them.
Unlike the pain brought by fists, feet, sticks, and clubs, the torment of the mind was far more horrifying.
When the coarse hemp rope coiled around her limbs, a person’s dignity was instantly lost.
Losing control of one’s body is a terrifying thing, especially when it is not voluntary.
To be bound meant to be controlled. To be controlled meant to have no say in one’s own fate.
Lina looked at the elastic band again.
She didn’t know it was a training tool to assist with pull-ups and build arm strength.
She couldn’t help but let her thoughts stray. Her breathing hitched slightly. The shadows of the past clung to her like ghosts, making the soles of her feet go cold and a cold sweat seep out inch by inch from her back.
Adele was carefully adjusting the width of the elastic band and didn’t notice the change in Lina’s expression.
Overlapping, stretching, tightening…
With each change of the elastic band, the feeling of suffocation in Lina’s chest grew heavier.
Skin scraped raw by the knots, blood slowly soaking through the fibers of the rope. A pious believer should sacrifice everything to the Lord God. The flesh and blood of a sacrificial offering were never their own to command.
Limbs, deprived of blood, went from numb to cold, then to unfeeling. The illusion of being crippled caused panic. The compressed nerves gradually died with each passing second…
Lina squeezed her eyes shut. She desperately wanted to kneel.
She really did.
In the past, she had no ability to resist. This was the only way she could try to earn forgiveness, a relatively safe posture.
She desperately wanted to kneel on the floor, hug her head as she used to, and then curl up.
But the “first rule,” as if accompanied by Adele’s painless warning, was forever branded on her left hand.
The moment she thought of kneeling, the palm of her left hand grew slightly warm.
Cannot kneel.
Cannot belittle myself.
Lina took a deep breath, trying hard to overcome the feeling of fear.
She looked at Adele’s back, trying to ease her fragile spirit.
Teacher… probably won’t bully me…
Teacher is doing this… she must have her reasons…
Lina’s face turned slightly pale. She clenched her hands and, holding on to the last shred of hope, walked over to Adele.
If possible, she still didn’t want to be controlled.
It was too terrifying.
But Adele was focused on her hands and still didn’t look at her.
For an equestrian coach, meticulousness was extremely important. She couldn’t get distracted while adjusting training equipment. Any mistake, no matter how small, was extremely irresponsible to the student.
What’s more, the person she was dealing with was the little rabbit.
Adele was exceptionally serious.
There was a hint of pleading in Lina’s eyes. She didn’t dare to disturb Adele. After a few moments of hesitation, she didn’t open her mouth and silently lowered her gaze.
She secretly bit her lip, as if trying to convince herself—
Lina, don’t be willful.
It’s not easy to find someone willing to care about you. Don’t make her angry…
If it hurts, it hurts.
…
Lina gripped her trousers. The tail hidden behind her back trembled. She had finally made up her mind.
Be obedient.
“Wait for me a minute. I left my gloves downstairs. I’ll go get them,” Adele said as she walked away.
Lina gave a low “Mhm.” After Adele left, she picked up the elastic band from the stool and, in a few swift movements, tied herself up.
Adele, who had just returned: ???
Adele stepped through the door and froze.
What had happened in the few minutes she was gone?
Had the elastic band gained sentience?
“Teacher, I’m ready.” Lina said with forbearance, “I will be obedient.”
“What are you…” Adele caught Lina’s pale lips and had a sudden realization. “This is an elastic band, to help you do pull-ups and train your upper body strength.”
“…Oh!” Lina was stunned. The expression on her face changed at lightning speed. Even though the person before her had long since promised that she would never hurt her, never force her, she still let her thoughts run wild.
Lina said awkwardly, “Sorry, I misunderstood.”
“My fault! I didn’t explain it clearly to you.” Adele was filled with guilt.
With her understanding of the little rabbit ball, one thought was all it took for her to know that this person had probably scared herself half to death.
She didn’t mind Lina’s lack of trust at all.
To expect a person covered in wounds to completely let down their guard after just a few days of warmth was a fantasy.
“I’m fine.” Lina put on an obedient smile. “It doesn’t hurt.”
“Quick, let me help you untie it.” Adele hurried behind her and was suddenly dumbfounded.
She looked at the dozen or so knots, at a complete loss.
Where to start untying?
The person behind her remained motionless for a long time. A question suddenly arose in Lina’s mind:
Could it be that Adele doesn’t know how?
In the Sacred Cult, before a martyr sacrificed themselves, in order to keep the body intact in the flames, they would usually bind the body with hemp ropes soaked in alum and coated with clay slurry.
At the same time, in occasions such as confession and worship, believers were required to bind themselves to show their piety and renounce worldly desires.
Therefore, most followers of the Sacred Cult knew simple self-bondage. An instructor like the original Adele, who held a certain status within the cult and had to assist martyrs in completing the ritual, would know even more.
Lina focused her attention on her back. It wasn’t a very difficult system of knots. Anyone with a little experience could untie it with a single glance. What was Adele dawdling for?
If she didn’t know how, then was she also just making up the numbers?
Or, was she not a follower of the Sacred Cult at all, not an instructor at all?!
Lina grew suspicious of her identity and said nothing.
Alarm bells went off in Adele’s mind.
To avoid exposing her identity, she had recently been cramming a lot of information related to the Sacred Cult. But the system of doctrines of the Sacred Cult was vast. The original Adele knew it all like the back of her hand, but she herself hadn’t even scratched the surface.
Adele understood that she was on the verge of being exposed.
Help…
Adele steeled herself and very carefully observed the knots and their direction, circling around like a bomb disposal expert.
Finally, skipping the safety rope, missing the wrap-around joint, she successfully chose—
The most wrong direction!
With a confident pull, Adele first heard the sound of the elastic band rubbing, then the sound of the knot tightening, and finally, Lina’s soft grunt.
“Mmph—”
The feeling of having done something wrong made every hair on Adele’s body stand on end.
In a corner Lina couldn’t see, a white tail was whipping around at high speed like a fan, three hundred and sixty degrees.
It’s over!
I’m probably exposed!
“Teacher…” Lina’s face turned slightly red as she reminded her, “It’s… it’s the side.”
Which side is the side?!
The ears on top of Adele’s head popped out and were immediately slapped back down by her.
“Right… right, I know.”
Know my foot.
One trouble followed another.
Adele had been so surprised when she entered that she had forgotten to close the door. A maid who had come to deliver fruit saw the two people in the room—
?!
Lina was the first to spot her. After a moment of panic, she didn’t alert Adele. Instead, she raised an eyebrow.
It was full of provocation.
The maid was stunned at first, then hurriedly lowered her head, and rushed away with the fruit.
Adele was behind Lina and completely missed the undercurrents that had just surged.
In her nervousness, she lost control of her strength and happened to pinch the section that was stretched to its limit. After a crisp snap, the elastic band broke.
It had honorably sacrificed itself before it could even be used.
The two of them simultaneously fell into a strange silence.
“Uh…”
“Uh…”
They both spoke at the same time, and both stopped at the same time.
“You first.” At this moment, Adele didn’t quite dare to look her in the eye.
She was really exposed.
“I… I…” Lina opened her mouth, a habitual apology on her lips. But remembering that Adele didn’t like it, she changed her words mid-sentence. “I’m fine. That just now… it didn’t hurt.”
Her words ran ahead, her brain chasing behind.
Lina closed her eyes after she spoke.
Stupid mouth, always bringing up the sore spot.
Didn’t hurt?
Then what did it feel like?
Could it be that it felt good?
Adele was taken aback, suspecting this was the little bad rabbit’s teasing.
She didn’t dwell on it. Composing herself, she said with feigned calm, “It’s fine. Out with the old, in with the new. I’ll take you to the Oakwood Market to buy a new one.”
“Okay!”
…
Late at night.
Heading north along the central square, past the White Crow Church that stood on the central axis, and then crossing a clear stream, one would arrive at the edge of the town. Here, there was a large oak forest. A faint green light flickered among the dense branches and leaves. This was the safety signal given by the traveling merchants—
Trading is possible tonight.
The path in the forest was covered with red mushrooms. Yuan You squatted down and observed them for a moment, then pulled one up and was about to pop it in her mouth.
Huaguang, with her back to her, seemed to sense something and said, “Don’t eat things you find on the ground.”
“Oh.” Yuan You paused and obediently tossed the mushroom aside, then zipped back to the princess’s side in the blink of an eye.
The mushroom she had thrown into the grass wobbled to its feet. Its original red cap and white stem had turned into a black cap and white stem out of anger. It threw a little mushroom tantrum, cursed in mushroom language, and then hopped back into its hole in the ground.
“Yuan You, do you like this?” Huaguang picked up a bite-proof muzzle for a puppy, a pink leather cover with a silver metal ring.
Once it was on, you could forget about ever biting anyone again.
Yuan You glanced at it, then immediately lowered her eyes in grievance. Her long, curled eyelashes cast a shadow. She was on the verge of shattering, yet she raised no objection.
“If Your Highness likes it, I’m fine with anything…”
Huaguang put the item down, cupped the broken little puppy’s face, and said with genuine affection, “I’m just teasing you.”
Yuan You was easily coaxed. With the corners of her eyes still red, she gave a big smile. “Mhm.”
A cold face and moist, red eyes were the perfect match.
Huaguang pinched her cheek, a wicked glint hidden in her smile. “I’m so in love with you.”
Yuan You heard her confession but didn’t catch the malicious intent behind it. In this respect, she was very innocent. Upon hearing her words, her face turned red, and she replied in a small voice, “Your Highness, I love you too.”
After speaking, she shyly turned her head away. Her ears were so red they were about to drip blood.
…
“Wow! This pumpkin glows!”
This was the first time in her life that Lina had stepped out of the manor. Everything outside was incredibly new to her.
It was as if the air itself had a different smell.
“Teacher!” Lina pointed at a wobbling toy on a stall and asked, “What’s that?”
Adele followed behind her, patiently answering every question. “That’s a roly-poly toy.”
“Then what’s this?” Lina pointed at a bottle floating in front of her. “It’s so magical, it can fly.”
“Oh! Beautiful lady, this is a magic memory bottle. It can copy a person’s voice, so you can listen to it whenever you want, forever.” The traveling merchant introduced it enthusiastically. “A real treasure, truly marvelous. You’ll only know once you’ve used it. This is the last one. Do you want it?”
Lina looked at the bottle floating into her hand. She liked it a lot, but she had no money.
Should she ask Adele for it?
She didn’t dare, and she felt embarrassed.
Lina bit her lip and handed the bottle back to the merchant. “Never mind, I don’t…”
Adele beat her to it and handed a gold coin to the merchant. “If you like it, buy it. I have money.”
“Whatever you like, I’ll buy it for you.”
