Time for your punishment

Nickison gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down in his throat at his master's question. What was he going to reply?

"Answer quickly, Nickison. Don't keep me waiting here," Dallion spoke to him intimidatingly. His voice still in an even tone, never raised until now. The few years he had worked for this man in this very mansion as the butler, Nickison had not once heard him raise his voice. But maybe if he had, it would be less dangerous than the smiling expression now directed at him, sending chills through his bones.

Nickison bowed deeply, hoping his master wouldn’t cut his neck off for this simple mistake. "Master Dallion, Lady Grace had the girl out of the room when I was asked to supervise the kitchen," he explained. As simple as the matter was, a lot of powerful people like Dallion didn’t leave room for mistakes.

He held his breath, waiting to hear the young master of the Cross empire mansion say something.

"What?" It wasn’t that Dallion hadn’t heard. He had heard Nickison speak quite clearly. The poor butler took further air into his lungs before letting it go, "How difficult is it for you to carry out one single task that I give? Let me go see the girl," he said, walking away. Nickison couldn’t tell how relieved he was when Dallion walked up the large stairs, his long legs quickly covering the distance before he stood in front of the door.

All he did was play with the doorknob before opening it. He hadn’t placed a lock on purpose, wanting to see if his mouse would try to run away. Though she didn’t run, he didn’t miss the fact that she had blatantly disobeyed his words. Sherryl sure had nerve, testing his patience over and over again.

He had left the door unlocked as a test, and now it would add to her punishment, which hadn’t been handed down yet. Opening the door, he stepped inside to find Sherryl staring out the window, lost in thought, in the ridiculous dress he had forced her into. It was good that she looked terrible right now. The worse, the better.

She was yet to notice his presence. Dallion walked to stand right behind her, watching her reflection in the window as the darkened sky loomed outside.

Sherryl had been thinking about what Grace had said about the corruption of hearts when her eyes finally fell on his reflection. She gasped loudly in surprise, spinning on her heel to face him. Staring directly into Dallion Cross's intense red eyes, which stood out the most in his face, she could see the curiosity flickering in his gaze, as though he were searching for something.

"How was your day, Sherryl?" His voice was low, calculated. Her eyes darted between his lips and his eyes before settling on his gaze, realizing too late that he had been watching her just as closely.

"It was okay," she whispered, his overbearing presence leaving her feeling small and suffocated as he stood too close.

He hummed in response, "Look at this," he said, lifting his hand to touch her hair. She flinched momentarily. "Don’t be scared, little mouse. I won’t eat you. Not right now, at least," he said, brushing off a small web tangled in her hair. "Do you remember the instructions I gave you before I left?"

Sherryl had hoped he wouldn’t find out about her brief escape, but it seemed someone had snitched. She wondered if Nickison had told his master, as he was the only one who had caught her and Lady Grace stepping out.

"I didn’t go willingly. I couldn’t refuse Lady Grace when she asked me to help her," Sherryl explained quickly before he could drag out the story torturously.

"What did I ask you, and what are you speaking of?" Dallion’s voice was eerily calm. He patted her head as one would with a pet, "But now that you’ve spoken about it, I’ll let you off this one."

She frowned internally, staring up at him. She did nothing wrong, and it was true she couldn’t refuse his sister. She had been thankful to leave the room for a while, but then the realization hit her. Did he just say ‘this one’? The devilish smile tugged at his lips as the meaning of his words sank in.

"I cannot look away from what you did to the dress," he said, voice casual but dangerous, "I have a very good memory, which is both a blessing and a curse. Come, little mouse. It’s time to punish you. Follow me," he commanded, turning his back on her. Glancing over his shoulder, he added, "Come. The faster, the better."

Sherryl didn’t want to follow, but what choice did she have? The phrase 'You reap what you sow' echoed in her mind as she forced herself to comply, telling herself not to act out impulsively. But it was hard not to retaliate against his actions.

Without protest, she trailed behind him through the mansion corridors, where lamps burned brightly against the evening shadows. The flickering flames cast unsettling shapes on the walls, adding to her unease.

"...right?"

What? Sherryl snapped back to reality, realizing Dallion had spoken to her.

"What is with peasants not answering quickly? Has your brain frozen like the winter?" Dallion’s tone cut into her like ice.

Sherryl panicked, unsure of what he had asked, and nodded, "Yes, Master Dallion."

"Wonderful spirit you have," Dallion remarked sarcastically, his eyes flicking to her before humming something under his breath.

They descended the grand staircase, its red carpet soft beneath her bare feet. Sherryl noticed the maids’ pitying looks as they passed by, their gazes reminding her of a sheep walking to its slaughter. Her anxiety mounted as it became clear the punishment wouldn’t take place inside but outside. They were heading toward the mansion’s double doors.

The plush carpet gave way to the cold marble floor, and the chill seeped through her body, making her shiver. Was he going to make her clean something? She could handle that. But as they stepped outside into the cold night air, the rain started to fall harder.

"Now, go pluck the weeds around the bushes and plants. I want them all pulled out and cleaned," Dallion instructed, "You have all night. But if I catch you slacking, I’ll make sure to worsen the punishment. The more rules you break, the harsher it’ll get. Think twice before doing something I dislike."

His warning was clear, and Sherryl knew this was also punishment for stepping out of the room. Though he had claimed otherwise, his actions said differently.

The rain had started to pour, and it was dark. How was she supposed to pull weeds in these conditions?

"With your excellent eyesight, it shouldn’t be a problem at all. Go on now," Dallion’s voice was cold as he stood back, waiting for her to step down the stairs.

"It’s raining," she pointed out, her voice trembling.

"I’m not blind, Sherryl. I can see it. Don’t worry, the rain will stop in an hour," he responded with indifference.

Her body still weak from a recent fever, she couldn’t believe how cruel and heartless this man was. Gritting her teeth, she descended the stairs one step at a time, her bare feet sinking into the cold, wet concrete as the rain drenched her.

From inside the mansion, Nickison spotted the open door. Curious, he approached, only to see his master standing there, looking out at something in the garden. His eyes widened when he realized it was Sherryl out there, standing in the rain. What was she doing?

He hesitated, knowing better than to question Dallion, and turned to leave.

"Where are you going, Nickison?" Dallion’s voice halted him.

Nickison froze. "I was passing by, Master Dallion. Apologies," he bowed deeply.

"Go and have Lady Grace come here. Tell her her sweet brother summons her right now," Dallion ordered. Bowing once again, Nickison scurried away to fetch Lady Grace, knowing only she could speak reason to him, if at all.