Midnight. Witt, sitting on the bed’s edge, dozed off and tumbled face-first onto the mattress. He’d fought all day and was utterly exhausted.

His grip on Kaelxi’s hand loosened as she turned over in her sleep.

Kaelxi was having another nightmare.

......

Crack!

Wah!

Kaelxi lay facedown, her face buried in the pillow. Witt’s wooden paddle slammed hard into her buttocks.

“Count!” Witt’s voice slithered beside her like a nightmare. Fear of pain and death had seared deep into Kaelxi’s soul.

“Eighty... eighty-four...” Kaelxi was deathly pale, lips bloodless. Her buttocks had taken eighty-four full-force strikes.

All eighty-four. Witt showed no mercy—every hit delivered with brutal strength.

After his relentless barrage on her abdomen, Kaelxi was too weak to resist. Dragged back onto the bed, she faced a second round of inhuman torture.

Witt had told her he’d spank her fifty times to vent his anger.

At the first strike, Kaelxi let out a heart-wrenching scream. Witt didn’t flinch. “One more cry,” he warned, “one more strike.”

She’d passed out several times, jolted awake each time by the next blow.

“Please... wah... stop...” Kaelxi sobbed feebly, begging for mercy.

“Sixteen more to go. Can’t take it?” Witt’s face twisted into a bloodthirsty, deranged smile—a demon from hell speaking with false concern.

“Mm... I... know I was wrong,” Kaelxi murmured weakly, unable to lift her head. She couldn’t see his expression, hoping her pitiful state sparked a shred of sympathy.

Her buttocks felt like pulped meat. Her leg bones and pelvis might be broken. One more hit, and she’d die.

“Then I’ll help you end it quickly. All sixteen at once!” Witt sneered, raising the paddle. It blurred into afterimages as it fell.

Bruised, crimson flesh rippled with each strike.

“No! No! I’ll die!”

Crack!

“Please, I beg you...”

Crack!

“Witt!” Kaelxi cried out, head lifting in agony. Fat tears streamed onto the sheets. The bedsheet she clutched tore under her grip.

Witt didn’t stop. Each strike hit harder.

“Waaaaah!” Kaelxi finally screamed.

Witt halted his revenge.

“It’s... a hundred times now, Witt...”

“Not quite, my dear Kaelxi.” Witt brushed aside her sweat-dampened golden hair, tucking it behind her ear.

“You cried out just now! Again! Extra punishment! Extra punishment!” Witt laughed loudly, the torment continuing.

“No!” Kaelxi’s voice dripped with despair.

......

Above the thick clouds, Sunblast slowly rose.

Kaelxi jolted awake, gasping for breath.

She touched her stomach and buttocks—no injuries. Drowsy relief washed over her.

“Thank goodness it was a dream!”

She rolled over comfortably, planning to snooze. Baking bread could wait today.

As she turned, she came face-to-face with Witt, who’d just woken too.

Kaelxi’s single bed was cramped with both of them. Their noses almost touched.

Witt calmly gazed at the cute girl blinking her big eyes. Kaelxi’s confusion slowly turned to fear.

She remembered: last night’s “discipline” wasn’t entirely a dream.

Fully awake now, she pushed at Witt’s chest—but he wouldn’t budge.

The bed was against the wall. Kaelxi scooted back, pressing against it, creating a little distance.

She felt like a poor girl cornered by a villain.

Witt still stared calmly.

Kaelxi didn’t know what to do. She clutched her blanket tightly.

Witt suddenly spoke: “I’m sorry about last night. I just wanted the truth.”

“You had nightmares after falling asleep. I stayed with you until now.”

“Now you’re awake. I must do what I should have done.”

He sat up, undoing the black robe Kaelxi had lent him. Time to leave. Alone, as always.

No family. No friends. No... love.

Seeing Witt undress, Kaelxi thought: *What does “what I should have done” mean?*

*It’s morning. Could he be...?*

At this terrifying thought, she clutched the blanket tighter.

“No no no, Witt, not now. I’m not ready.”

“...Could you... take care of it yourself first?” she asked cautiously.

“......?” Witt didn’t understand. He set the robe aside and stretched his limbs. Soon, he’d face goblins—quickly.

His silence and physical readiness confirmed Kaelxi’s suspicion.

“Really not today. I’m on my period.”

A lie. Elves never menstruate—a consequence of their low birthrate and the Elven Realm’s dwindling population.

“Spare me. I’ll be a good girlfriend.”

Witt understood but was speechless. He hadn’t expected her to think so poorly of him.

“I’ll wash your clothes...”

“I’ll bake bread for you every day...”

“I’ll stay with you forever, as long as you don’t hit me...”

“Preferably not that either...”

Kaelxi rambled on. Witt watched the Elf girl cling to the blanket like an octopus. He took a deep breath.

“Don’t you understand, Kaelxi?”

“We’ve broken up.”

“.....Huh? What do you mean?” Kaelxi couldn’t follow his thoughts.

“The one I loved—the one I cherished—was kind, thoughtful, gentle, and sincere.”

“She blushed accepting my confession. She listened gently to my past.”

“She was beautiful, full of kindness to the world.”

“Sadly...”

“That was just your disguise.”

“I never loved you.”

Witt finished, grabbing his waist pouch from the nightstand and straightening his clothes.

Kaelxi froze like a statue, her grip on the blanket loosening.

She’d expected beatings or worse—not these heartless words from the seemingly simple Witt.

Witt ignored her. He opened the bedroom door and stepped halfway out.

Kaelxi felt an inexplicable ache. She reached toward his back.

“Wait, Witt, I...”

The door slammed shut, cutting off his figure and shattering her voice.