Mated to the Mad Lord-Chapter 38: Torture?

"You know what I’m going there to do?" Cain asked, his tone deceptively casual as he cast a glance over his shoulder at Violet.

His eyes seemed warmer, almost inviting, but the fleeting smile that curved his lips was crueler than anything she had seen before. It wasn’t a question; it was a test. And Violet felt the weight of it settle heavily on her chest.

"Yes," she replied, forcing herself to meet his gaze despite the icy fear crawling down her spine. "I just want to see him pay for what he’s done."

Cain’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, and a mocking glint flickered in his eyes. It was as if he could see right through her—a predator indulging in the helplessness of his prey. Yet, for reasons unknown to her, he allowed the lie to stand.

"We should hurry then," he said, opening the door and gesturing for her to step out first. His movements were gentlemanly, though the man himself was anything but. "This might take a while."

Violet hesitated but stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest. The moment she passed through the doorway, she slowed her steps, waiting for Cain to take the lead. When he did, she fell into place behind him, her head slightly bowed, mimicking the submissive stance of a dutiful servant.

Her eyes followed his broad, commanding frame as he walked with effortless grace. There was a cruel elegance to the way he moved—a beauty that only masked the monster lurking beneath. The realization unsettled her, and she forced her gaze down to the polished floor.

The walk was shorter than she had anticipated, ending at a door she had never noticed before at the back of the mansion. Two guards stood on either side of it, their expressions stoic as they saluted Cain.

The door opened to reveal a pristine corridor, its walls and floor so spotless that it seemed almost out of place in a dungeon. But the illusion was shattered as they neared the cells.

Violet’s stomach churned at the stark contrast. The cells were filthy, deliberately so, with a stench that assaulted her senses. As they passed the first few cells, she caught sight of the prisoners within—bodies broken, chained to the floor, and writhing in silent agony.

One man’s body was rotting from infected wounds, his skin discolored and peeling. The sight made her recoil, and she quickly averted her gaze, focusing instead on the back of Cain’s head. But even that wasn’t enough to block out the groans of pain that echoed through the corridor.

"They’re mostly people sent to kill me," Cain said, his voice cold and detached. He gestured lazily at the cells as though he were showing her some rare collection. "Others snuck into my room uninvited."

Violet sneaking another look, surprised by both their numbers and how there seemed to be more women in the cells than men, something that only renewed the already blinding fear she felt.

"There are more women!" she commented, only to see Cain respond with a crueler tone in his voice than before as he hastened their steps.

"Women aren’t allowed into my mansion! It’s a rule I don’t expect anyone to break. They broke it and did something much worse!" he told her, leaving out the part where they pretended to be his mate, which had been the part he had been the most furious about.

"They deserve nothing but the most painful torture. I always make sure to remove their eyes and make them eat it before I carve them open and feed them to the birds!" he added, and at that point, Violet’s legs felt like lead as she struggled to keep on standing, her breathing coming in gasps as she furiously blinked her eyes, doing her best to steady it.

Cain didn’t speak again, and Violet wasn’t in the right mind to, which meant that they walked in silence for the rest of the way, her following behind him until Cain finally stopped in front of a cell that looked much bigger than the others.

Gesturing for the guard who stood in front of it to unlock it before he stepped in, Violet had no choice but to follow behind him, using most of his body as a shield as Rane’s gaze immediately zoned in on her the second his head jerked up at the sudden noises that filled the cell.

"Arrgh!!! Aah!!" he groaned, trying his best to make out words but unable to, dried tear stains on his cheeks, eyes red as he glared at her, pulling at his chains so hard he left huge bruises on his wrists.

"He seems to really hate you, Viole!" Cain said as he began to roll up his sleeves. Violet’s eyes scrunched together, confused about why he would suddenly decide to do such a thing until she saw him pull out a box from under the only table there beside the bed and prop it open.

The glint from the many knives she saw had her heart thumping afresh with renewed vigor in her chest. "Ears or eyes?" Cain suddenly said, and Violet’s skin only got paler as she realized what he was asking about.

His eyes focused on her own almost like he was waiting for an answer, one Violet couldn’t give him, as she slowly shook her head as she tried to explain that she absolutely had no clue.

Cain slowly nodded in response as he dusted his hands, leaving the box open as he pulled open a drawer and brought out a sheet of paper along with a pen. Moving closer to Rane with the two items in his hand.

Violet’s eyes widened, unable to figure out what he was doing until she saw him pull out a key from his pocket and undo the lock, watching Rane fall to the ground with a heavy thump that seemed to suck all the air out of him as he vigorously coughed, which seemed to send waves of pain through his throat.

Rane was still coughing when Cain placed the paper and pen in front of him, turning his eyes to look at Viole when he spoke next. "Eyes or ears?" he asked again.

He already knew that Viole was a spy, just like every single servant in the mansion. The only ones he held some manner of trust toward were his parents’ old guards, which he used.

But for him, as long as she didn’t belong to his uncle, it was something he could live with. ’Moreover, there is no way my uncle would have sent her to me if he knew he was my mate!’ Cain thought to himself, his gaze on Viole, who seemed on the verge of tears, eyes blurred as she slowly stammered out, raising her hand to touch the band around her neck as she spoke.

Rane had just picked up the pen Cain had dropped and began writing on the sheet in front of him when Violet’s mouth moved and she spoke.

"Ea-ears!" Unable to look away as she watched Cain immediately move closer to where Rane was bent over, A long dagger in his hands as he grabbed Rane’s head and sliced off his left ear. Blood splattering across his shirt as he held the sliced up ear in his hand.