NOVPUB"I, I came as you asked."
Carlen said to Talia in a quiet, fearful voice, her tone filled with urgency and pleading.
Fearing that those around might hear their conversation.
"First, go to the card making room, I’ll give you the swimsuit and the sign."
Talia patted Carlen’s back, urging her to stand tall so as not to appear as if she were being bullied,
"Stick out your chest and hold your head up high, or else your hunched posture later might make you recognizable."
Talia muttered to herself beside Carlen.
Carlen knew this was Tata’s code.
She was here to humiliate herself.
The more it was like this, the more she couldn’t give in; she just had to get through today.
Talia, along with Lanci, the three of them walked through the corridor.
They entered a secluded private passage that led straight to the sixth floor’s senior cardmaker area.
Unlike the exhibition area below, this place was more understatedly luxurious, only accessible to managers like Rosalinda.
In a few minutes, Talia had reached the door of a lavishly decorated high-end card making room.
Talia gently pushed open the door, signaling Carlen to enter.
In the classically decorated cardmaking workshop, time-worn Moonlight Wood carved a staggered countertop, and the engraved barrier symbols on its surface shimmered faintly.
Talia motioned for Carlen to sit down in a chair in front of the desk while she led Lanci to a storage cabinet and took out a metal box, placing it on the table.
"The swimsuit, mask, and apology sign I prepared for you are all in the card making room; you can change and come out when you’re ready," Talia instructed.
"..."
Carlen pursed her lips and nodded, then opened the box lid.
Inside, she found a small pair of swim shorts, a disguise mask, and a hard cardboard that read "I am sorry, Lord Tata."
Carlen took out the contents of the box and searched back and forth, not finding the additional piece of waterproof material she had imagined.
"This, this is the swimsuit?"
Carlen picked up the swim shorts, slowly realizing something as she looked up at Talia, her pupils trembling.
"Yes, I never said whether it was men’s or women’s swimwear; seeing how much you like men, I prepared men’s for you," Talia explained nonchalantly, spreading her left hand.
"No, absolutely not! You’re playing word games!"
Carlen rushed over, grabbing Talia’s forearm and shouting excitedly.
"Get off, don’t touch me."
Talia shrugged her off, letting her fall to the ground, and looked down at her with a cold, trash-like gaze,
"Keep bargaining, and I’ll take away your mask too. Plus, if I really wanted to trouble you, I could make that cardboard sign much smaller, so it barely covers what you’d want it to cover."
A strange feeling wrapped around Carlen’s heart as a chill surged up her spine and spread through her body.
Those divine-like golden pupils stared at her, rendering her completely immobile.
Even breathing became difficult.
It was a terrifying magic power and gaze that made her shiver all over.
"Don’t, I was wrong!"
Carlen had already burst into tears; that day she had been similarly threatened by Tata, with fear overpowering her humiliation,
"Please, let me go! I won’t provoke you again, I’ll disappear from your life!"
Carlen, pressing against the floor to support herself, tried to come forward to hug Talia’s legs, but dared not touch Talia again, only able to cry tearfully and beg for mercy.
"..."
Talia, as if she hadn’t heard her, picked up the mask and broke off a small piece, tossing it to the ground—
As punishment for her backtalk.
It was also a way to tell Carlen that her pleas would not change the severity of the punishment.
"Do you want it?"
Talia teasingly extended the partially broken mask towards Carlen like a bone.
"..."
Carlen clenched her lips tightly, tears constantly sliding down her cheeks.
She couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to stand in public wearing just those swim shorts and holding a sign.
Her reputation, so hard-won, and her queenly status wouldn’t allow her to do such a thing.
But the fear, worse than death, instinctively prevented her from delaying any longer, as the silhouette and voice of that silver-haired golden-eyed figure seemed to fill her mind since that day!
"Carlen, I have been quite gentle with you; this mask even has a wig attached. As long as you wear it, I guarantee no one will recognize you. This matter will only be known by heaven, by earth, and by us."
Noticing Carlen’s hesitation, Talia started to play with the broken part of the mask, and the crisp sound of it cracking grew louder,
"But if I break a few more pieces, there’s no guarantee that someone won’t recognize you..."
Carlen felt a suffocating despair.
"I want it!"
Carlen finally resolved herself, as if coming to terms with reality, afraid of further complications. She desperately tried to conceal her emotional breakdown and reached out to snatch the mask.
Every time it broke a piece, she felt as if a piece of her dignity was being stripped away!
But Talia quickly moved the mask away, letting Carlen’s attempt fail.
"..."
Talia held her hand by her ear, silent.
As if waiting to hear Carlen speak.
"Thank you, Lord Tata..."
Carlen bit her lips, sobbing.
"Right, dear Carlen, wouldn’t it have been better to act like this earlier?"
Talia’s lips curled up in a pleased smile, asking her.
"Tata, uh..."
Lanci was a bit worried Talia had gone too far.
