They left the ancestral hall shortly and returned to N&L Fairy Land.
Lucinda ignored Nathan throughout the way.
When she still said nothing after they entered the foyer, Nathan tugged at her dress and asked, âAre you mad at me?â
She didnât even look at him, and just made her way up the stairs.
âNo.
How can I get mad when you almost got hurt because of me?â she said in a steady voice.
âBut youâ¦â Nathan stared at her back and bit his lower lip.
âWhy are you being so cold to me?â
Lucinda hadnât acted so distant toward Nathan in a long time.
She remained silent the whole time.
Deep down, she was still trembling with a lingering fear over what could have happened.
If Luisa had told her a second too late, or if she hadnât begged the driver to run countless headlights just to get to the Payne family manor in timeâ¦
If Nathan had really taken eighty lashings⦠Lucinda couldnât even bring herself to imagine how badly he would have been injured.
The memory of Ronanâs misery when he had been punished was still fresh in her memory.
If she had come a moment too late to save Nathan, Lucinda knew her heart would break into a million pieces.
Damn the man, why hadnât he stood up for himself?
Had he forgotten his promise to her so soon?
If she didnât teach him a lesson now, Nathan would probably just repeat the same mistake in the future.
With a serious look in her face, Lucinda whirled around, took Nathanâs hand, and pulled him to their bedroom.
Her anger was palpable in the air, and Nathan was smart enough to keep his silence.
âStand there,â she ordered, pointing at the spot in the carpet just beyond the foot of the bed.
He had no idea what she was planning, but he obediently went over and stood in place.
Lucinda walked over to the nightstand and opened the first drawer.
Seeing this, Nathan presumed that she was taking out some tool to punish with him.
He took a deep breath and lowered his head, silently waiting for the first blow.
Lucinda took the ferule out, but to his surprise, she didnât approach him at all.
Instead, she stood a few paces from him and rolled up her sleeve, revealing her slender wrist and forearm.