* * *

With trembling hands, Sylvian fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, tears welling up in his eyes.

His quiet sniffles filled the room.

“You may cry,” Zeroth said with a sigh, suppressing a faint smile that threatened to surface.

“But you’re still going to be punished today.”

“Yes…” came Sylvian’s shaky reply.

As Sylvian obediently continued, Zeroth hid his amusement behind a hand, feigning exasperation.

The way Sylvian, clueless as to the reason for his anger, looked so forlorn and helpless was endearing.

Beneath the curtain of hair, Sylvian’s reddened nose peeked out, further emphasizing his pitiful appearance.

“To think that you, my wife, were alone with another Alpha while I was away…” Zeroth shook his head, his tone heavy with feigned disbelief.

“But—”

“I distinctly told you to call Whisen.”

Of course, Zeroth had been the one to summon Whisen.

He’d intentionally lingered nearby, knowing the Crown Prince had entered the estate.

He’d been curious about how Sylvian would react when faced with another noble.

Predictably, Sylvian had no knack for political maneuvering or social tact—not that it mattered.

Zeroth didn’t require such skills from him.

For now, all Sylvian needed to do was quietly accept the overflowing affection directed at him.

Zeroth’ gaze fell to the pale skin peeking out from beneath Sylvian’s unbuttoned shirt, his expression darkening.

‘What do I do?’ Sylvian thought, panicking as he glanced up.

Despite having finished unbuttoning his shirt, Zeroth hadn’t said a word.

Swallowing hard, Sylvian slowly lifted his head.

“Didn’t I already teach you what to do in situations like this?” Zeroth asked, his deep voice tinged with warning.

Sylvian’s breath hitched.

“Was my lesson inadequate?” Zeroth continued, raising his hand toward Sylvian’s trembling figure.

Instinctively, Sylvian squeezed his eyes shut as Zeroth’ large hand rested firmly on his shoulder, pushing the shirt off with a flick.

The fabric slid down, revealing Sylvian’s slender frame.

“When your husband commands you to undress, what must you do?” Zeroth asked.

“…Remove everything,” Sylvian murmured, his voice barely audible.

The memory of the first lesson burned vividly in his mind.

Back then, he’d cried uncontrollably as he removed his clothes piece by piece, following Zeroth’ orders.

“How much must you remove?”

“Everything… even my undergarments.”

“Good. You remember. Now, do it.”

Tears welled up in Sylvian’s eyes as he complied.

Zeroth showed no mercy; he merely watched as Sylvian’s trembling fingers worked hastily, though not fast enough for his liking.

“Too slow. Are you planning to keep this up all night?” Zeroth’ voice cut through like a blade, spurring Sylvian into frantic action.

Stripping off his shirt entirely, he moved to unfasten his trousers, his hands shaking so badly that he fumbled repeatedly.

After several attempts, he managed to slide down the zipper, removing both his pants and undergarments in one motion.

“I—I’m finished, master,” Sylvian stuttered, his voice quivering.

During punishment or training, he was required to address Zeroth as “master,” though doing so hurt his pride deeply.

“What did you do wrong today?” Zeroth asked coldly, his piercing gaze making Sylvian’s chest ache with frustration and indignation.

When had this lunatic been so gentle, only to turn around and become so terrifying again?

It wasn’t fair.

‘This isn’t my fault! The Crown Prince started it!’ Sylvian wanted to yell.

But he knew better—Zeroth would follow through on any threat he made.

Lowering his gaze, Sylvian clenched his fists, resigned to his fate.

“The Crown Prince commented that you must be happy to have such a beautiful Omega,” Sylvian mused aloud, almost keeping it to himself.

“But how could you not even know this simple rule…”

“I—I was alone with an Alpha,” Sylvian finally admitted, drawing a hint of approval from Zeroth.

In this world, it was considered improper for an Omega to meet an Alpha without a chaperone or a partially open door.

Though the custom was archaic and long abandoned, Zeroth insisted on enforcing it.

Zeroth let out a low sigh.

“Did you want another Alpha’s attention that badly?”

“No!” Sylvian yelped, his pale body jerking at the accusation.

Zeroth had deliberately positioned him in front of a sunlit mirror, and his flushed reflection betrayed his discomfort.

“Bend over,” Zeroth commanded, his tone brooking no argument.

“Zeroth!”

Slap.

“Hic!”

Sylvian wasn’t sure when it had happened, but Zeroth’s hands lightly struck his butt.

“You need to be punished, so you must behave, my dear wife.”

“Yes, yes.”

It didn’t hurt too much, but the shock of being struck made Sylvian flinch and instinctively straighten his posture as Zeroth instructed.

“Good.”

As Sylvian bent over, his h*le was naturally revealed, making him flush with embarrassment.

“Use your hands to spread your butt.”

“H-How do I―?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten something you’ve already learned?”

Zeroth’s mocking tone made Sylvian bite his lip.

His mind went blank, unable to think clearly.

“I’m sorry―”

“You need to hold your butt with your hands and pull it apart.”

Zeroth cut off Sylvian’s words and trailed the stick he took slowly down his back.

The smooth stick slid down along Sylvian’s spine, eventually reaching his butt.

“Now, spread it properly.”

Under Zeroth’s command, Sylvian’s trembling hands moved hesitantly.

His slender fingers managed to pull apart the soft flesh of his butt.

The exposed h*le became even more apparent.

Zeroth’s eyes gleamed as he gazed at the small, h*le.

He hadn’t touched it for some time, respecting the advice of Paul, and now it looked as tightly shut as a clamshell.

“I trusted you and didn’t perform a purity check for a while, but it seems I’ll need to resume discipline.”

Zeroth’s voice carried a note of regret, and Sylvian’s head dipped slightly in acknowledgment.

“Hic!”

The stick slid between his butt and brushed against the sensitive h*le.

The firm texture of the wooden stick against his h*le made Sylvian gasp and clench instinctively.

Slap.

“You need to stay still. This is punishment, and yet your h*le seems eager to take the stick.”

With a sharp rebuke, Zeroth struck his butt with the stick, making Sylvian let out a faint cry.

Sylvian, who had been bracing himself for something more, was startled, his hands trembling with tension.

“If you don’t hold it properly, the punishment will increase.”

As Sylvian’s arms began to shake from exertion, Zeroth issued a stern warning.

“Y-Yes, yes.”

“Let’s continue the inspection. Hold steady.”

“Thank you, master.”

It was customary to thank Zeroth whenever he took action.

The light tap on his head that followed felt like a sign of approval, brief but enough to reassure Sylvian.

‘I’m safe…’

“Hic! Ngh!”

“Focus on maintaining the proper position.”

Just as Sylvian let out a sigh of relief, the stick pressed into his h*le again.

The hard tip of the wooden stick brushed over the sensitive h*le repeatedly, making Sylvian whimper involuntarily.

His body swayed, but Zeroth’s steady hand kept him balanced while Sylvian was holding his own c*ck.

“Put strength in your legs and hold your position.”

Zeroth continued pressing the stick against the sensitive h*le while issuing commands.

Under the bright light, Sylvian’s pink c*ck reflected clearly in the mirror, a sight that Zeroth seemed to relish.

Each time the c*ck quivered, Sylvian’s hand tightened its grip on it.

* * *