The moment Ira lifted her head to see who it was, a voice shouted:
"You filthy bitch! Who do you think you're scamming?"
*Smack!*
A man she'd never seen before kicked Ira in the stomach.
"Ugh...!"
Ira gagged and curled up in pain. Another young man appeared and kicked her in the leg.
"How dare you disrespect our lord!"
"Gah... ugh..."
Before Ira could react, the two men began mercilessly beating her. Each time they accused her of insulting the lord, a chorus of voices behind them agreed.
"P-please... stop..."
Ira reached out to the lord's soldiers, but no one helped her. Even Lucius watched with a cold, indifferent gaze.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
The sickening sound of blows echoed as bruises began to form on Ira's stomach, legs, waist, and all over her body. Once fiercely resistant, she now curled up, overwhelmed by fear and helplessness.
The crowd slowly backed away, fearing she might die.
The two men, exhausted from beating her, stepped back, gasping for breath. At that moment, Lucius spoke:
"Stop."
Ira sighed in relief. *Finally, it's over. After this brutal beating, it has to end.* She had never endured such vicious violence before. Shaking, she struggled to stand, her body covered in wounds.
Deep down, Ira felt reassured. *It's over. If Lucius asks if I've repented, I'll cry and say yes. Then he'll let me go, and I'll ruin his reputation in the next town.*
"For *today*, this is enough."
".....What?"
But Lucius's words froze Ira's thoughts. The soldiers looked at him, as if they'd misheard. Lucius declared:
"She hasn't truly repented yet. This will continue until she completes this march and becomes a new person."
"Y-you're insane..."
"Take her back to her room. We'll resume at the same time tomorrow."
"You son of a—"
A soldier clamped a hand over Ira's mouth before she could curse the lord. It was his way of showing mercy.
Ira was dragged back to the room. Only then did she notice something odd about it: no sharp objects, no sharp corners, and no heavy items. *Why?*
The door opened.
Lucius entered, smiling.
"S-stay away! Don't come near me!"
Terrified, Ira tried to scramble off the bed.
"Don't... don't come closer!"
Lucius approached with arms outstretched. Ira trembled, curling into a ball.
"You've had a hard day."
Then, Lucius pulled Ira into a tight embrace. Confused, she felt an unexpected warmth spread through her body.
"Get off me!"
Ira pushed Lucius away violently. Hoping he'd fall and crack his head, she was surprised by his weight despite his small frame. It was like pushing a log—she bounced off and tumbled onto the bed.
"Calm down, Ira. No one's going to hurt you."
"You sick bastard! You're here to assault me again, aren't you? Huh? You piece of shit!"
"Ira, calm down. No matter how angry you are at me, nothing changes. Understand? I'm not here to hurt you, and I won't assault you. Look."
Lucius stepped back and raised his hands. Ira remained suspicious. She said:
"Let me go."
"No."
"Let me go, damn it! I've repented! I'll never set foot in this domain again, so let me go!"
"No."
Ira grew frustrated with the argument.
"Why? Why not?"
"Because you haven't truly repented."
"You son of a—!"
Ira threw a pillow at him. Lucius didn't flinch, even when it hit him. He picked it up, placed it back on the bed, and said:
"Rest well tonight. I'll treat your wounds later."
"Eat this."
Ira flipped him off, sneering. Lucius didn't react. He placed a hand on her head and said:
"Rest assured. No one will hurt you here."
"What are you saying? Let me go!"
Lucius said nothing more. He silently opened the door and left. Alone in the large room, fear finally gripped Ira: the anxiety of being alone, and the despair of facing the same ordeal again tomorrow morning.
"Aaaahhhh!"
A scream echoed from Ira's room.
The next morning, Ira was dragged in like a dog by Robin, who still seemed uncomfortable with this grotesque punishment. Lucius stood on the platform as usual.
The villagers, unsure if the same thing would happen again, whispered among themselves when they saw Ira being brought out.
"Be quiet. Who disturbs a sinner's repentance with noise?"
Of course, Lucius's stern warning silenced the chatter. Confirming the crowd, he spoke:
"Then, like yesterday, we'll begin Ira's march of atonement. Ira, if you fall or collapse, we'll start over from the beginning."
Ira clenched her teeth, scanning the crowd. The two men who had beaten her yesterday were nowhere to be seen. Though still unaccustomed to being naked, she slowly took one step, then another.
With each step, the men's eyes fixed on her. Thanks to the sign around her neck, at least her chest was covered. Ira cautiously moved forward, one step at a time.
*Thud!*
Someone threw a rotten fruit at her head. As she stumbled, someone tripped her.
"You filthy bitch!"
"You piece of shit!"
Ira recognized the voices: the men who had beaten her yesterday. As soon as she fell, the two men led a group of villagers in stomping on her.
"Ah! Stop! Lord! Is this allowed?!"
Ira, not in a panic like yesterday, confronted Lucius. He silently watched the brutal beating.
"Ahh! Help! I'm dying!"
"Stop!"
Lucius shouted. Like trained soldiers, the villagers halted and stepped back. Lucius ordered the soldiers:
"Bring Ira back."
Ira felt her split lip. Her unhealed body screamed in pain. A fresh bruise marked her side, and her leg felt fractured. Limping, she was dragged back to the platform. Lucius said:
"Then, we'll resume the march of atonement."
Ira's eyes widened in fear. *Are they going to kill me here today?* She looked down the path. The two men who had beaten her stood at the front, ready to strike again. Ira raised a finger and asked: