Slap!
Betty's ears rang sharply the moment a brutal slap cracked across her face.
The sting burst like fire beneath her skin, spreading from her cheek to her jaw, and for one disorienting heartbeat, she wondered if she had imagined it.
But the throbbing heat told her the truth.
She had been struck. Again.
Her fingers curled so tightly around her palm that her nails bit into flesh.
'Endure… endure for now. Once I reach Celestial Rank, all of these bastards will kneel. I'll make him regret every bruise he ever gave me.'
Another wave of humiliation burned through her chest, but she forced her head lower and forced herself to swallow her rage like acid.
Across from her, her father's cold voice slid through the heavy silence of the manor.
"So you've even learned to resist now, Betty. Impressive."
She kept her head down, forcing her voice to remain steady.
"I cannot consume herbs simply because you want me to do so…"
