Similarly, with eyes almost swollen to peaches and having held herself until the end, Melinoe naturally did not show a pleasant expression. She sniffled sharply and forced a cold huff.
"The time... time is up, hurry… let me down!"
"Who said the time is up? There are still a full two hours left."
Luo En blinked, shook his head slightly, then tenderly stroked the heads of the two fluffy goats, slowly pulling out a jar of amber liquid from his embrace, smiling affectionately at Melinoe who was bound to the chair.
"I'm worried there's too little honey, they haven't eaten their fill, so I'll add a bit more."
Melinoe's feigned toughness faded instantly, her face paled, her body shook like a sieve, and her eyes, gradually filling with tears, looked at the initiator in front of her with despair and anger, with one clear word reflected in her mind.
Seeing that the punishment was about to continue, Melinoe, who had had a sufficient taste of suffering, no longer put on airs and immediately let out a humiliated wail.
"Let me go! I know I was wrong, I will always listen to you from now on."
"You don't realize your mistake, you just know fear."
Luo En shook his head meaningfully, patiently smeared honey on her delicate feet, and then waved goodbye encouragingly.
"There are two more hours, you must hold on."
As the door was slowly closed, Melinoe, who was still somewhat defiant, heard that "baa baa" demonic sound, her face turned ashen, her gaze vacant.
Following that, cries that were a mix of laughing and crying again emanated from the dark room, gradually turning feeble.
The cries changed over time, time after time.
Fifteen minutes later
"Bastard… haha... beast... sob sob...I will never forgive you..."
"Haha… stop licking, it's so ticklish, so ticklish... sob sob… Persephone... I can't bear it anymore… save me, I dare not do it again, I will listen to everything you say..."
"Hahaha... no… let me out... sob haha... I know I was wrong... I was wrong... mother, save me!"
After being tortured for more than an hour, Melinoe's will collapsed, her psychological defenses completely crumbled, and she cried out for mercy.
Finally, the sound of the door, like a heavenly melody, reached the ears of the tortured Netherworld princess, bringing a glimmer of light to her hollow eyes.
Melinoe, lying there as if revived by a shot of adrenaline, her eyes blazed with a fierce will to live.
"Alright, your mother really can't stand to see you suffer, let's end today's little game early..."
In a tone laced with lingering thoughts, the restraints on Melinoe's limbs were subsequently unfastened.
Like a startled quail, the Netherworld princess immediately threw herself into the arms of Persephone, Queen of the Underworld.
With her divine power sealed, she could only feel a semblance of safety near her mother.
However, due to the inhumane torture that had drained Melinoe of all her energy, she barely managed to stand up, her limbs weakened, causing her to collapse immediately.
Fortunately, the Queen of the Underworld timely reached out to catch her daughter, preventing her from hitting the floor.
As she fell into that warm embrace, Melinoe clung tightly to her mother's slim waist, overwhelmed with grief, she couldn't help but burst into tears, snot and tears mixing together.
Why did it take you so long, dear mom!
"Ah, if you were this obedient earlier, why would you need to suffer ..."
In a voice filled with reluctance and heartache, a warm hand covered the rebellious girl's head, gently stroking.
Melinoe paused for a moment, intending to retort but seeing a certain demon sneering beside her, she quickly nodded in resignation, then closed her eyes and snuggled into her mother's embrace, no longer able to resist sleepiness and drifted off to sleep.
Mother's embrace felt warmer than ever before.
And that sense of safety, after the dramatic ups and downs, brewed a strong dependency within her, making her wish to prolong this moment forever.
Is this the suspension bridge effect? Contrast effect? Or perhaps Stockholm syndrome?
At the door, Luo En, who had played the villain, muttered to himself while smiling affectionately at the harmonious scene between mother and daughter, and stealthily led away the two well-fed goats from the room.
In the low calling sound, Melinoe, who was shrinking in the arms of the Queen of the Underworld and dozing off, couldn't help but shudder, her fear of this creature evidently embedded deep in her bones.
And legend has it, from then on, goats became a symbol of demons in Hell, and the Goddess of Conspiracy's favorite method of torturing sinners' spirits involved this sweet punishment.