Chapter 44: The Former Lady Disciplined Her Dog

Upon discovering someone had entered, Bellica's first reaction was to loosen the leash around her neck. However, due to prolonged oxygen deprivation, her head spun, and everything went black. Before she could even stand up, she collapsed heavily back to the ground.

"Ugh!"

"Cough cough!"

Bellica lay on the ground, convulsing a few times, coughing violently.

Who is it? Who pushed the door open?

Bellica's muddled mind struggled to think.

It was already evening, and to push the door open without knocking—based on past habits, it seemed only Mrs. Meredith would do that.

"Bellica..."

Ah...

That familiar voice—it was indeed Mrs. Meredith.

Bellica felt a surge of anxiety. This was the third year since Lady Meredith had taken her in. If the lady found out about her perverse acts in secret, she would surely be expelled from the Duke's mansion.

Thinking this, Bellica's eyes began to sting, and tears welled up.

"Bellica, what are you doing?"

Meredith knelt on the floor.

The room was dark. Bellica looked up at her mistress, unable to see her expression. Her heart pounded with unease, unsure of what would happen next.

"Bellica, were you just... taking a rope and trying to strangle yourself?"

Seeing Bellica remain silent, Meredith continued, pressing her for an answer.

Bellica panicked. She finally broke down in tears, prostrating herself on the ground and clinging to Lady Meredith's legs, pleading, "Madam, please, I'll never do it again. I know it's disgusting what I did. I'm sorry, so sorry. I won't do it again. Please, please don't throw me out of the Duke's mansion, okay? Please..."

Meredith remained silent for a long time. Bellica's heart sank. Slowly, she tried to release her grip on Meredith's legs; she knew she was definitely going to be expelled from the Duke's mansion.

Just then, Meredith grabbed her slender wrist, her voice strange, tinged with an inscrutable emotion, "Bellica, does tightening your own neck feel good, pleasurable?"

Bellica probably hadn't expected such a question. She stammered, "Madam... I, I, it's uncomfortable, uncomfortable, not pleasurable at all. I will never, ever do it again..."

"Stop."

Meredith interrupted her, displeased. She grabbed Berika's chin. "Bellica, tell me the truth. If you don't, I will definitely kick you out of the Duke's mansion. If you tell the truth, I will let you stay and continue to be my personal maid."

Bellica wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but she felt that Meredith's tone was particularly harsh when she said "personal."

"I'll tell the truth, Madam, please ask, I will tell you everything." Bellica's sobs grew louder.

Meredith's grip on Bellica's chin tightened.

"Answer my question," Meredith repeated, "when you strangle yourself, it feels good, it feels great, doesn't it?"

Bellica hesitated, then nodded fearfully.

"Yes... madam, I'm sorry, I know this is very abnormal, I will never do it again." Bellica sobbed, her hands climbing onto Meredith's wrist, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Just then...

"Pfft~"

Meredith suddenly laughed, her whole body shaking with laughter. Bellica froze, bewildered, not knowing what had happened, yet still filled with fear.

"M-Madam."

"Bellica, do you know? The way you were just now, you looked like a little dog." Meredith said slowly, her hand releasing Bellica's chin.

Just as Bellica was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Meredith suddenly grabbed her neck again.  

"Ugh!"

Terrification returned to Bellica's eyes. She forced out a few words from her throat, "Madam, I, I..."

Was she trying to strangle me?

If it was Madam, strangling her wasn't out of the question...

After all, her worthless life had been spared by Madam Meredith. Without Madam Meredith, she might have already died on that rainy night three years ago.

Bellica closed her eyes in despair. She felt she was going to die today, lost forever.

"Bellica," Meredith's voice was very teasing as she gently stroked Bellica's cheek, "Bellica~ Isn't it inconvenient to strangle yourself? Have you ever experienced what it feels like to be strangled by someone else? If strangling yourself feels so good, then being strangled by someone else must be even more pleasurable, right?"

Bellica hadn't even reacted when Meredith suddenly tightened her grip, gripping Bellica's neck tightly.

In that instant, Bellica felt a sudden difficulty breathing. Her mouth gaped open, she gasped for air, her hands instinctively reaching for the other person's wrist, struggling violently.

But Meredith leaned closer, blowing a breath on her face. "Bellica, be good, aren't you a good little dog? Isn't this what you wanted? Being choked like that..."

Yes, yes!!

Bellica's expression flickered.

Madam Meredith was so beautiful, so alluring. 

Her vision blurred, and Meredith before her seemed even more beautiful, like a queen from a fairy tale. That breath on her cheek felt ticklish, warm, and whether from shyness or from being choked, Bellica's face was flushed, very red.

"Bellica, you look really beautiful now." Meredith opened her mouth, extended her tongue, and gently licked away the tears on Bellica's face.

“Bellica, I’ve always been your mistress, haven’t I? You can call me Madam, because you are my maid, my slave.” Meredith’s voice was soft yet alluring. 

“Perhaps, when I release you in a moment, you can kneel down, kiss my shoes, and then call me Master. You’ve always called me Madam; now, I want to hear you call me Master.”

Bellica’s mind was blank, but she could still hear what the other person was saying. A strange feeling surged through her body; she was actually excited. The emotions that had been hidden deep within her now burst forth.

Yes, Madam Meredith.

How much she loved Madam Meredith—such an elegant, beautiful, and intellectual woman, yet like a canary, trapped within the Longman family mansion.

Bellica constantly felt sorry for her mistress, but she was just a maid; she was helpless. Ever since she was rescued by the lady, she has been deeply in love with Lady Meredith.

Now, she can no longer hide it.

"Ugh!"

"Cough cough cough cough!"

Meredith abruptly released her, and Bellica finally breathed in the long-awaited air, gasping for breath, drool even trickling from the corner of her mouth. She couldn't imagine whether she would faint if she had been held any longer.

She gasped for air, while Meredith remained squatting beside her, silent, until her breathing stabilized. Then, Meredith finally spoke.

"Bellica, have you forgotten something?"

Bellica looked up in confusion. Her brain had been deprived of oxygen, and she only remembered half of what Meredith said. The rest, though vaguely audible, had all vanished after being released.

"M-Madam, may I ask...?"

Slap!

A slap landed on Bellica's face. Meredith's expression was cold, and her voice was equally icy.

"Bellica, you're nothing but a dog. What did I teach you? What should you call me? Is 'Madam' something you should call me? What should you properly call me?"

A burning pain shot through her cheek, but for Bellica, it was a strangely pleasurable sensation. Bellica trembled again, the strange feeling in her body growing stronger. She finally remembered what Meredith had ordered her to do.

Bellica suppressed her pleasure, her voice trembling, "M-Master..."

"Why are you stuttering? Do you want me to hit you again? You're not addicted to being hit, are you?" Meredith said coldly.

Ah...

That's the sound, that's the feeling, that's the pleasure of being scolded!  

Bellica's lips curled into a smile of excitement. Her initial fear and panic were gone, replaced by pure joy.

"Master."

"Louder!"

"MASTER!"

After shouting this, Bellica blushed again and gasped for breath.

"Ah..."

Madam Meredith had become even more charming than before!

Bellica looked up at the woman high above her with adoration.

"That's right, that's what a good little puppy does~" Meredith smiled, as if caring for a pet, reaching out to stroke Bellica's head, her voice saccharine. "That way you won't get beaten in the future~ From now on, when it's just the two of us, you must call me Master~"

"Yes, yes! Master... Master!"

Bellica longed to stick out her tongue and pant like a puppy. How she wished she could grow a tail right now, so she could wag it wildly at Meredith.  

“And then? Besides this, I gave you other orders, didn’t I? You haven’t forgotten them all, have you?”

Meredith withdrew her hand, her tone threatening.

“If you’ve forgotten, you’re not a good little dog, and you’ll be punished.”

Bellica longed for punishment, yet she also feared it. She didn’t know what punishment was, so she racked her brains trying to remember what Meredith had just said to her. But after thinking for a long time, she couldn’t recall anything.

“I’m sorry, Master, I forgot. Could you please repeat it?” Bellica said cautiously, her heart pounding. She didn’t dare look directly at Meredith, only glancing at her out of the corner of her eye.

The next second, Meredith’s face darkened. She raised the hand that had just struck Bellica high. Bellica knew what was about to happen. She immediately closed her eyes, but dared not dodge, kneeling stiffly on the ground.

Slap!

Slap!

Two slaps landed on her face in mid-air, instantly turning her delicate cheeks bright red, even causing her head to tilt to the side.

"What should you say, Bellica?"

"Thank you, thank you for the punishment, Master. I... I know I was wrong."

Bellica said, her heart filled with excitement.

Good heavens, wasn't this exactly what she wanted? Wasn't this the scene that appeared in her dreams?

Now, it was actually happening right in front of her, and she could even feel it. If it weren't for the pain on her face and body telling her that this wasn't a dream, she would have thought she had died in her beautiful dream.

"Oh dear~" Meredith chuckled, her voice delighted.

"Tsk tsk~ You little puppy, you're quite perceptive, managing to say things I like to hear. Very well, then I'll reluctantly tell you what you should do next. This is the last time, and if you don't do it, then I'll..."

Meredith shook her hand, her eyes threatening. "You understand without me saying it, right?"

Bellica nodded vigorously. "I know, I know everything, Master."

"I just said, you need to kneel down and kiss the top of my shoes, do you understand?" Meredith said.

Ah~

What a heavenly blessing! I can actually kiss the top of my beloved mistress's shoes! 

This scene had appeared in her dreams countless times, and now, it could actually happen.

Bellica's head was spinning with happiness. She immediately knelt down and, without hesitation, kissed Meredith's shoes, devoutly, like a mad believer kneeling before a statue.

Meredith was pleased, but she still grabbed Bellica's hair and pulled it upwards forcefully, forcing her to look at her.

"Bellica, you're such a good, obedient dog, so obedient to your master. Your master loves you very much."

Bellica felt a sharp pain on her scalp. She struggled twice, then immediately stopped. She was afraid that her struggle would displease Meredith, and then the lady would stop hitting her.

What would I do then? This happiness I had finally found!

"Thank you, thank you for the praise, Master. It's what I should do. If doing these things makes you happy, if it makes you joyful, then I'm happy, then I'm joyful. As long as it makes you feel happy, then I'll do anything!" Bellica shouted excitedly.

Meredith's expression softened.

She had always known that she liked girls. Now, facing this girl who was willing to give everything for her, how could she not be moved?

Bellica's purple eyes seemed veiled in mist, so beautiful.

Meredith's fingertips brushed against her bright red lips.

"Bellica, have you ever kissed anyone?"

Bellica froze, unable to hide her excitement, secretly guessing that Meredith wanted to kiss her. But then she thought, how could the Duchess possibly kiss a lowly maid like her? Instantly, her mood plummeted.

Perhaps, the Duchess was just asking out of curiosity, and had no real interest in me.

"No, no..." Bellica answered.

"Then..."

Meredith pinched her chin again.

"Mmm!"

Bellica's eyes widened.

At that moment, she felt her life was complete; she had received a kiss from her most beloved, most beloved, most beloved lady.

Bellica savored it, closing her eyes and feeling the warm happiness of the moment.

After a long while.

Meredith released Bellica.

She once again became the gentle lady she always was, softly stroking the girl's hair in her arms. The two were now sitting completely on the ground, Bellica nestled in Meredith's arms.

The two women were about the same height, but Bellica, nestled in Meredith's embrace, appeared so petite and delicate.

"Bellica, would you like to be my dog?"

Meredith suddenly asked, gently brushing a stray strand of hair from her forehead.

"If you don't, I won't force you. I'll pretend tonight's events never happened. You can continue working in the Duke's manor. I believe you won't tell anyone. After all, you're the little girl I picked up myself, and you've been my personal maid for three years."

Is there even a need for question?

Bellica didn't hesitate for a moment. She hugged her mistress tightly around the waist.

"Master! I'm willing to be your dog, I'm willing to be your dog! Please don't send me away, don't ask me these questions, I definitely want to!"

"What a good dog..."

Meredith couldn't help but smile as she continued to stroke Bellica's head.

"As a reward, tonight I can sleep in the same bed with you~"

With that, Meredith opened her arms. "Want me to carry you to bed?"

Happiness came too suddenly; Bellica was already dizzy. She hooked her arms around Meredith's neck. "Master, I love you so much, so much..."

This heartfelt confession brought Meredith a long-lost warmth. She picked Bellica up and carried her to the bedside.

Just as Bellica was reminiscing, the door suddenly opened, interrupting her reverie.

At that moment, she was in a particularly strange posture, her arms tightly wrapped around herself, as if she were hugging herself.

"Huh?"

"Bellica? What are you doing?"

A gasp came from outside the door. Bellica was startled and turned her head to see who it was.