Punishment For Being Unbranded

"What on earth is going on here?" The Queen took a step forward, her eyes narrowing on Hellaine's forehead.

Hellaine kept her eyes downcast, hoping and praying that the ground swallowed her whole. How on earth was she going to get out of this mess?!

"She isn't branded." The younger lady stated the obvious. "The mark on her head was nothing but ink. Who's responsible for this?"

Hellaine unconsciously turned her eyes to Cladymor, wanting to see his reaction. The Overlord stood, his ruby eyes boring hard into hers. He didn't seem in shock like others, rather, he seemed... intrigued.

The more Hellaine knew him, the more complex he became. What kind of person was he anyway? 

Suddenly, Hellaine was kicked from behind and she fell to her knees. She heard a soft 'shing' sound coming from behind her and something cold but sharp dropped at the side of her neck.

"Give me the order, Your Majesty, and I will slay her this instant." The leader of the guard gritted, his sword weighing heavily on Hellaine.

She closed her eyes and cursed the man, wondering why he had been so eager to deal with her the moment he stepped onto the grounds.

"She has a mouth. Let her speak." The Queen said and Hellaine opened her eyes to see the woman taking a few steps towards her. "Have you any defense for yourself, girl? Who marked you simply with an ink? Was this your doing?" 

Hellaine felt dread dropping to her stomach now. Everyone had their eyes on her, including the audience. They were eager to hear her confession, and possibly see her bleed to death.

But what was she going to say? Anything she uttered would be used against her and she was going to die anyway. 

Against her better judgement, Hellaine kept her lips shut. 

"Speak, I say!" The Queen landed a hot slap on her cheek and Hellaine bore the pain with gritted teeth.

Second slap she has gotten in this cursed place. Her hatred for Bermuda and its people only exacerbated. 

"I think the one you should be questioning would be the Head of the Slaves, Mother. What can a weak and powerless slave like her actually do?" Cladymor spoke this time, his voice tight.

"Get the man here immediately." The Queen ordered.

In less than five minutes, a man was dragged by the guards into the grounds. As soon as he was thrown onto the ground, he got onto his knees with his head nearly dropping from his neck.

His face was familiar and Hellaine noted that she had seen him a few times in the Slaves' Abode, alongside the woman who had given her the dirty pillowcase to put on.

"Y-Your Majesty, I-I didn't do anything. I swear on my life and my children's lives. I am innocent." His voice trembled, swearing to a rightful innocence.

"Did I ask you to speak?" The Queen hissed at him, her tone deadly and unforgiving.

What the MC, Rafal, had said was true. The Overlord might have been generous enough to cover up for her crime but this Queen? She was heartless.

"A-Apologies." The man dropped his head to the ground and Hellaine was scared he might pee on himself from the way he was shaking.

The Queen reached down and dragged Hellaine's face, her sharp nails digging into her skin. "Look at one of your slaves." She ordered and the man raised his eyes cautiously.

"What can you see?" 

The man stared at Hellaine for some seconds, his eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out the difference between her and the other slaves. When he noticed, his eyes widened like saucers.

"Y-Your Majesty, I have n-no idea h-how this happened. B-Believe, we b-brand the new slaves every single day without fail." His words were rushed and filled with fear.

Hellaine realized that her shrewdness might put this man's life in danger, and she clenched her fists, trying to blink back her tears. 

She hated this situation. She hated Bermuda Arch Triangle. And she hated the queen and her son.

"Then, what is the meaning of this?" The Queen scraped Hellaine's cheeks as she let her go. 

Hellaine felt her skin opening from the wound the woman's nails left on her.

"I-I-" The man trembled and to make it worse, another guard placed a sword on his neck.

"You better provide me an answer in five seconds or else your head would be cut off instead of hers." The Queen spoke in such a gentle tone that one wouldn't have guessed she had just threatened to kill a man.

Hellaine's eyes widened as the man begin to cry, scared for his life.

"Five." The Queen began the countdown.

"P-Please, I have children. T-They need me-" The man sobbed and Hellaine's heart wrenched at the sight.

"Four." The Queen continued, not paying heed to the man's pleas.

"Three." 

Hellaine closed her eyes and resolved that she couldn't let the poor man die because of her. It was her act of resistance and she had to take responsibility for her actions. Even if it meant it would lead to her death.

"Two." 

"P-Please, Your Majesty-"

"One."

"I did it!" Hellaine let out just as the sword neared the man's neck.

"What did you just say?" The Queen turned to her now.

"I said I did it. The man had nothing to do with this." Hellaine stared boldly at the Queen as she spoke. "Let him go." 

Something flashed in the Queen's eyes before her gaze hardened. Hellaine had no idea what that was about but the Queen looked even more angry now.

"And how on earth did you manage to pull something like that off? From what I know, the Slaves' Abode is heavy with security and no one has ever escaped the branding process." Cladymor stepped forward now, standing besides his mother.

His question seemed like he was interrogating her but Hellaine felt otherwise. His inquiry seemed like he was trying to find a way out for her.

"I-I was admitted as a slave two days ago and was dragged to the branding room by the guards. When I got there, I couldn't handle myself going through such torture so I..." Hellaine trailed off, biting her lips uncertainly.

"So you what?" Cladymor pressed on.

"I took the blacksmith's stamp and pressed it onto my forehead. The guards assumed I was an old slave so they let me go." Hellaine finished her story and waited for her punishment to be announced.

Suddenly, she heard a rumble of laughter coming from somewhere and her head snapped up at the unfamiliar sound. The melodious laughter was coming from Cladymor.

The man was laughing like he had just watched the best comedy show in history. Everyone remained mute, watching the Overlord release the tension on the grounds.

"C-Clad." The Queen called, seeming to be confused by her son's amusement in the situation.

"Oh, oh, my world." Cladymor's laughter died down and he turned his ruby eyes to Hellaine. Something was sparkling in his eyes and she couldn't wrap her finger around it.

Goosebumps filled her skin at his gaze, and it felt like she was the only one he had ever looked at like that. She felt...spectacular.

"Are you trying to tell me that you have been in the ArchTri for just two days and you succeeded in outsmarting an ancient system? Not only that but you also somehow managed to free the beast?" He chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

"Clad, I believe that is not actually-" 

"I, Cladymor Kerais, the Overlord of Bermuda ArchTri, declare you a free person from this day henceforth. You are to be promoted as a Junior maid in the royal palace, enjoying all rights and privileges accorded to the servants of the royal palace." Cladymor announced and everyone in the arena gasped with surprise.

"Draw your sword." His stern eyes moved to the guard holding the sword on Hellaine's neck and the man didn't wait a second before obeying his order.

"But Cladymor, she has gone against the laws of the land!" The Queen argued, apparently not pleased with her son's judgement.

"I am aware of that, Mother, but more than that, I am intrigued." Cladymor smiled and Hellaine dropped her gaze, her heart fluttering from the way he stared at her. "And you know I would do anything to be amused. I look forward to the further shenanigans you will pull to survive this world..."

"Hellaine." Hellaine breathed out when he trailed off.

"Hellaine." Her name rolled off his tongue effortlessly. And she hated how her body reacted to his deep voice calling her name.

"Your case is dismissed and the Freedom Day for this year is over. You can all head home." With that, he turned and walked out of the arena with his guards following behind him.

Hellaine was left confused at the person called Cladymor. Somehow, she felt by appointing her as a servant of the palace, it was impossible for her to escape Bermuda Triangle now.