Clink.
“Lilith, hurry up.”
“W-wait a moment! I’m not ready yet...!”
“Enough stalling. Just come out—it’s something you’ve done countless times.”
“Couldn’t I at least put on some underwear? Or even just... just my panties?”
“Well, maybe if you’d just complied earlier, you could’ve avoided this. I overlooked the fact that you tried to kill me, so you should at least meet me halfway.”
With that, Ethan turned, exposing his neck, where a faint red line marked where my blade had grazed him. Though the bleeding had stopped, I shivered at the reminder of how close I’d come to actually hurting him.
“Fine...”
I couldn’t help but follow his orders. After all, I’d lost to him—this was my fate to accept.
While it was humiliating enough to be stripped bare, at least he hadn’t taken everything. Somehow, I felt relief in still having my headpiece.
“You’d look better without the headpiece too.”
“...I’d rather keep it on.”
“Is that more important than underwear? I didn’t expect you’d choose that over panties.”
“...”
...I just couldn’t bring myself to remove it. For some reason, it felt more significant to me than any undergarment.
In the end, I was left completely bare save for the headpiece on my head, and I had no choice but to follow Ethan’s lead out of the room.
Click!
“Ah...!”
The familiar corridors of Blackwood’s estate greeted me, yet everything looked off from this lower perspective. With my eyes level to the floor, the hallway felt strangely different.
“If you behave for our walk, we’ll just make one round on the fourth floor and come back here.”
“...Understood.”
“But if you act out, you’ll be ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) punished. And I think you know what that means by now. You can defy me if you want to test it.”
“...That won’t be necessary, I assure you.”
“No need to be so tense. I don’t enjoy punishments that you truly despise.”
If it’s not something I despise, is it really even a punishment?
Slightly puzzled by his words, I started to crawl forward, my body moving awkwardly as I felt the thrilling shame of traversing the mansion’s top floor on all fours.
“Hah... ah...”
“Already excited, Lilith?”
“...I’m not.”
“If you can hold on a bit longer, I’ll take you to the ‘bathroom’ afterward.”
“Um...are you sure Master Harold—?”
“I told you, he’s at the academy. Only Isabel and Katarina are allowed on the fourth floor, so you don’t need to worry. I’d rather not show my father this side of things, either.”
“...I’d prefer that Isabel and Katarina don’t see me like this either.”
So he at least has some awareness of his own behavior.
With the chain kept at a measured length, Ethan walked steadily, matching his pace to mine. He warned that any slack in the chain would result in a “punishment,” so I focused carefully on staying close behind him without pulling the chain.
-Step, step.
“...”
-Step, step.
Each movement sent a bizarre thrill up my spine—a blend of fear, dread, excitement, embarrassment, humiliation, confusion, and...a hint of arousal.
It was embarrassing to admit, but humans are wired to feel a heightened drive in survival situations. This was merely a physiological reaction to being in a vulnerable position, I told myself.
Yeah...this is just survival instinct. It has nothing to do with this humiliating leash walk.
Drip.
Oh, damn it...
A warm trickle ran down my thigh. I hoped it was just sweat, but of course, it wasn’t. Fortunately, I was crawling just behind Ethan, which meant he didn’t notice. Had I been in front, he would have seen it for sure.
“Lilith.”
“...Yes, Master Ethan?”
“Are you going to keep answering like that? I know that isn’t how you really feel. You can be honest. You could even curse at me like before.”
“Thank you for the consideration, but I’m fine as I am.”
“If that’s true, then why did you slip into informal speech earlier?”
“...It was just a natural response to the situation, Master Ethan.”
“...So you’re still unwilling, I see.”
His voice lowered in a tone that made my skin crawl, as if he wasn’t pleased with my answer. Trying to hide my nervousness, I continued walking, only to feel the chain rattle lightly.
Clink!
“...!”
“There was a sound, Lilith.”
“...Pardon?”
“I told you not to make any noise with the chain, didn’t I? Looks like you’ll need a punishment.”
“W-what?!”
What on earth was he talking about?
It was he who had rattled the chain, yet he claimed I deserved punishment. I could hardly believe my ears.
“How is that fair?!”
“Fair?”
“I-it wasn’t even my fault! It’s unfair to punish me for something like this, Master Ethan!”
“Your response displeased me, so it’s your fault I feel this way.”
“W-what are you even talking about...?”
“Since when are you surprised by this? You’re just as stubborn and reckless as I am.”
“...”
Damn it. It wasn’t even my fault.
Well, maybe it was. From what he said, it sounded like it could’ve been me, but I honestly had no memory of it.
Still, the idea of causing a scene and getting caught like this was mortifying. I could only hope that if anyone did see me, it would be Isabel or Katarina, not another servant—especially not a male one.
“It’s time for your punishment.”
“...”
Visit frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓ for the b𝘦st novel reading experience.
Thump, thump.
The way he was building this up, it was definitely not going to be an easy punishment.
But he’d said he wouldn’t impose anything I genuinely hated, so...he wouldn’t try anything too strange, would he?
Or perhaps...would he finally try to ask for...that? His frequent attempts to touch my backside had always made me wonder if he was working up to it.
If he really does ask, how am I supposed to respond...?
As I braced myself, expecting the worst, I felt the headpiece on my head being lifted, replaced by something else.
“Here, Lilith. This is your punishment.”
“...Master Ethan?”
“It suits you well—a cat-eared maid headband.”
“...”
“I wouldn’t be so unreasonable as to punish you in some harsh way. I was just bored of the old headpiece. This is acceptable, right?”
“...Yes, it is.”
As I touched the new headpiece, I realized it did indeed have two cat ears attached.
Of course, it was ridiculous to punish me for a sound he’d made himself. I knew he wasn’t really the type to take such things so far.
Well, at least it wasn’t anything strange...
...But the relief was mixed with an uncomfortable feeling that I couldn’t quite shake.
⁎ ⁎ ⁎
About 25 minutes passed since we began this “naked leash walk.”
The Blackwood mansion’s fourth floor was a square corridor. Doors to various rooms, including mine and Ethan’s, lined the outer walls, while the inner doors led to the rooftop in the center.
Each side of the square took around ten minutes to traverse, thanks to Ethan’s leisurely pace, so I had no choice but to match his steps.
We’re just over halfway... sigh...
I dreaded the possibility of someone from downstairs coming up, but so far, no one had appeared. Apart from the moment he changed my headpiece, Ethan hadn’t done anything strange.
Though we exchanged small talk, like we used to at the academy, maintaining a normal conversation in this situation was impossible. And honestly, I was struggling to focus on anything other than the growing need in my lower half.
I need to go to the bathroom...
Maybe it was all the water I drank, or perhaps the stress of this walk. The urge was becoming unbearable, threatening to become a serious problem if we didn’t finish soon.
Hurry up, you idiot, Ethan...
Trying my best to hold back, I kept moving, until we were about a quarter of the way from finishing. At that point, Ethan suddenly stopped and looked back at me.
“Lilith.”
“...Yes... M-master Ethan...”
“You look like you’re struggling. Do you need to go to the bathroom?”
“...”
“We’re not moving until you admit it.”
Damn it.
Of course he knew. Unlike me, Ethan remembered every time he’d done these “walks” with me.
Resisting seemed pointless, so I lowered my head and quietly nodded.
“Yes, Master Ethan.”
“Right on time. Let’s stop by the bathroom then, Lilith.”
“P-please, Master Ethan.”
Though the entire situation was humiliating, anything was better than the embarrassment of wetting myself in the hallway.
The fourth-floor restroom was nearby, so I thought I’d finally get some relief...until Ethan’s next move left me speechless.
“W-wait, Master Ethan...?”
“Then let’s go to the ‘bathroom’ before we finish the walk.”
“T-this isn’t the bathroom... ugh, ahh?!”
Because instead of the restroom, Ethan led me toward the door that opened to the central rooftop of Blackwood mansion.