Finally, Qin Yu, worried that Valya would not accept her apology, hastily added, “I am willing to submit to you…”
Valya heard this and dropped the wooden stick in her hand, “You said it yourself!”
Qin Yu was stunned.
She never thought the words she added just to beg Valya not to hit her would be taken seriously.
However, she couldn’t blame Valya; after all, those words had come out of Qin Yu’s own mouth.
Valya released her grip, signifying her acceptance of Qin Yu’s plea for mercy.
“You better remember what you said.”
Qin Yu rubbed her bottom, a few tears trickling from the corners of her eyes.
She could no longer tell if these tears were shed because of the pain in her rear or because of her own humiliation.
Qin Yu stole a glance at where Lilith had been sitting, but Lilith was already gone.
Qin Yu sat on the edge of the bed, her head lowered, staring at the tips of her toes.
She was wearing the white over-the-knee socks Valya had given her.
The material was thin and elastic.
When Qin Yu tilted her foot, the red flush of her skin showed through the socks, looking quite tender.
“From now on, you are no longer Qin Yu. You are just my maid, my personal maid.” Valya tilted Qin Yu’s chin up, announcing this to her with a condescending look.
“Yes…”
“You’re my maid. What should you call me?” Valya reminded her.
“Master…” Qin Yu whispered the word that brought her so much shame.
“Say the whole thing!”
The pain in her bottom had not fully subsided yet, so Qin Yu did not dare to disobey Valya’s command.
She lowered her voice and said, “Yes… Master…”
“Can a maid sit on her master’s bed?” Valya asked arrogantly.
“No, I cannot…”
Hearing this, Qin Yu hurriedly stood up and retreated to the side.
“Hmm, you’ve become more obedient.” Valya sat on the edge of the bed.
“A maid should do what a maid is supposed to do, right?”
“Yes…” Qin Yu originally intended to stop there, but Valya’s gaze forced her to continue, “Master…”
“Very good. Since you have that realization, help me change my clothes,” Valya said, “Let’s start by taking off my socks.”
Valya crossed her legs, her right foot on top, shaking it gently.
‘To think the dignified Crown Prince would fall to such a state!’ Qin Yu suppressed the humiliation in her heart as she moved in front of Valya and bowed.
Valya was wearing black over-the-knee socks.
Qin Yu pinched the edge of the socks with both hands and slowly pulled them down.
“Qin Yu, are you going to serve me while standing?” Valya extended her right foot and kicked straight at Qin Yu’s abdomen.
“I wouldn’t dare…”
Qin Yu immediately knelt on one knee on the floor, her head lowered, not daring to look directly at Valya.
Once the sock on the right foot was removed, Qin Yu began looking for a place to put it.
Seeing Qin Yu looking around, a wicked idea suddenly occurred to Valya.
She lightly lifted her right foot and kicked Qin Yu right in the face.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Valya apologized to Qin Yu with a fake, hypocritical tone.
“It is fine.” Qin Yu kept her head down and wiped away the residual sweat from Valya’s foot that remained on her face.
Thinking about how Valya had been wearing combat boots over silk socks, Qin Yu couldn’t help but worry that this contact might leave her with athlete’s foot on her face.
However, there was no time for Qin Yu to worry.
Valya had already crossed her left leg.
Qin Yu followed the same procedure, sliding the sock off the left foot.
Because Qin Yu was naturally short and was currently crouching, Valya’s toes were less than 0.5 meters from her face.
An indescribable scent wafted into Qin Yu’s nostrils, a scent far more potent than her own.
Valya watched as Qin Yu slightly turned her head away.
“What are you looking at? Focus on serving me!”
“I’m sorry!” Qin Yu suppressed her nausea and turned her face back toward Valya.
By doing so, she was forced to endure the smell of Valya’s feet.
“Are you that disgusted by me? You won’t even face me directly?”
“I wouldn’t dare.” Qin Yu shook her head gently, her snow-white hair swaying slightly.
“Do you think my feet stink? This is a reward, understand?!”
“I understand.” Although Qin Yu didn’t want to agree with Valya’s twisted logic, she lied because she was afraid her bottom would get hit again.
“Dinner is ready.” Just as Qin Yu finished removing the left sock, Lilith pushed the door open and entered.
“Coming,” Valya replied.
Once Lilith had left the room, Valya shook her bare, snowy feet and said, “Put my shoes on!”
These shoes were certainly not Valya’s combat boots.
Qin Yu picked up a plush slipper from the floor and helped Valya put it on.
Valya put on her shoes, stood up, and walked toward the door.
“Can I come to eat too?” Qin Yu asked in a low voice.
Before Valya could answer, Lilith’s voice drifted in from outside, “Come and eat together! I made a portion for you.”
“Are there shoes for me?” Qin Yu took two steps and asked hesitantly.
“No, just go barefoot!”
Qin Yu looked down at the white over-the-knee socks on her feet.
Through the translucent material, her snowy-white skin was visible.
Stepping on the ground in such socks was almost no different from being barefoot.
Qin Yu’s feet felt the cold, hard floor with almost no protection.
No, actually, there was a difference.
The silk socks made Qin Yu slip with every step she took.
Coupled with the fine sweat that had broken out on her feet from her recent humiliation, the socks were slightly damp.
With every step Qin Yu took, she left a faint footprint on the floor.
“Yes…”
Qin Yu walked slowly toward the dining room.
With every step, the chill from the floor seeped into her bones, and the taste of humiliation filled her heart.
‘Why didn’t I listen to Luo Shangyu and stay away from her? Now I’m suffering!’
Lilith had already brought dinner to the table.
The table wasn’t large, just enough for four people to use together.
Valya pulled out a chair and sat down, while Qin Yu stood to the side, at a loss.
“What are you standing there for? Take your bowl and go. Is a maid worthy of sitting at the table with her master?”
“Valya!” Lilith emerged from the kitchen holding utensils, “Don’t go too far!”
Lilith’s voice was somewhat stern, which was a first for Qin Yu to witness.
“Just kidding.” Valya raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, looking quite afraid of Lilith.
“Sit,” Lilith said gently to Qin Yu.
“Thank you…”
Qin Yu sat in the chair Lilith had personally pulled out for her, her eyes filled with gratitude.
Dinner consisted of classic Boermai-style dishes.
In front of each person was a plate with a glistening sausage, a steak, and a piece of bread.
Qin Yu cut off a section of the sausage.
The casing snapped, and the juices immediately burst out, soaking the knife.
‘I didn’t expect it to taste this good,’ Qin Yu thought as she chewed the sausage carefully.
After a day of traveling, and since she and Luo Shangyu had eaten in a great hurry at noon to save time, Qin Yu was already faint with hunger.
‘Luo Shangyu…’ At the thought of Luo Shangyu, Qin Yu reflected on her experiences today, and she couldn’t help but sigh.
This morning, she was the Crown Prince of the Chengji Empire, the center of everyone’s attention, and now she was Valya’s maid.
‘Where exactly is Luo Shangyu?’ Qin Yu’s heart grew anxious.
She had been hoping that Luo Shangyu would come to save her.
But what was Luo Shangyu doing right now?
Why hadn’t she come to the rescue yet?