A deep silence spread across the place, as though the entire world had come to a halt, waiting for some inevitable judgment.
The silence did not last long.
It was broken by the voice of the noble Valis, delivered in his usual cold composure.
"Your punishment," he said flatly, "will be one hundred consecutive push-ups… without any rest."
Cairo and I exchanged glances, unable to believe what we had just heard.
Was that really it…?
Just push-ups?!
The word slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it, as if I had suddenly found myself trapped inside a dream.
"What?!"
Was it truly possible that this was the punishment that had terrified us moments ago? No whipping, no imprisonment, no expulsion—just exercises?
Still uncertain, I asked hesitantly:
"But… you're really not going to punish us for letting the doll escape?"
The nobleman replied calmly:
"As I told you, her escape was not your fault."
Yet curiosity—or perhaps guilt—refused to let me stay silent.
"But it was extremely expensive, wasn't it?"
He gave a small shrug, as though the matter hardly deserved attention.
"It isn't that expensive."
I nearly choked on my disbelief.
Not expensive?! It costs half a million dollars! And you say… it isn't expensive?!
My thoughts raced wildly, and before I could weigh my words, they spilled out of my mouth.
"Then… if you're that rich, why is our reward only one thousand dollars for guarding you?"
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Valis's lips.
"Oh, that's because the employer was the one who decided the amount."
Whaaaat?!
I nearly shouted.
Valis continued calmly, as if nothing he had said was shocking at all.
"When I went to Andrew and asked him to assign me some guards, I offered him fifty thousand dollars for each of you as payment for the job. But he refused."
He paused for a moment before adding:
"He said the amount was far too large."
F… fifty… thousand dollars?!
My head spun violently, reality shattering around me like broken glass.
Even Cairo's mouth fell open in pure astonishment, his eyes bulging as if they refused to believe what they had heard.
Valis continued:
"When he insisted, I asked him to name what he thought was an appropriate reward. He simply said: one thousand dollars would be enough."
Slowly, I turned my head toward Andrew.
I stared at him with a look filled with anger, disappointment, and despair.
(Why…? Why…?)
But he avoided my gaze, refusing to meet my eyes—as if he knew exactly what he had done.
Impossible… this was impossible.
I spoke in a trembling voice.
"W-Why… why would the employer refuse such a huge amount?"
Valis answered as though he were recounting a distant story.
"He said every reward must match the effort made… and that fifty thousand dollars does not suit a simple job like guarding."
A strange laugh escaped my lips, mixed with shock, bitterness, and disbelief.
"Hahaha… our employer is truly humble..."
Valis chuckled lightly.
"Hahaha… isn't he? Andrew is quite an eccentric man."
I glanced at the employer again and muttered inwardly, He's not just eccentric… he's stranger than imagination itself.
Valis's voice suddenly cut through my thoughts, returning to seriousness.
"Anyway, you must now carry out your punishment. One hundred push-ups. Consecutively."
Then he looked at the employer.
"And of course, you will do them in front of him—so you won't think about sneaking away."
I took a deep breath.
It's fine.
Not that difficult.
I can endure this.
But Cairo still seemed lost in shock, as if he had not yet processed that fifty thousand dollars had slipped through his fingers because of one man's decision.
He muttered quietly:
"The punishment seems easy…"
My eyes widened in horror.
You idiot!!
Why would you say that out loud?!
I shot him a sharp warning look that clearly meant: You've doomed us! Don't you realize those words might increase the number of exercises?!
He looked back apologetically.
It just slipped out… I was shocked…
And sure enough, we heard Valis say:
"Oh? Should I increase the number then?"
I waved my hands quickly.
"No, no! Of course not! My friend was only joking!"
Valis replied coldly:
"And what gives him the courage to joke with me after what you two did?"
Trying to soften the atmosphere, I said:
"Believe me… he seems to have lost his mind from the shock. Please, just let it pass."
Valis exhaled slowly.
"Very well. Do the hundred push-ups. I'll be leaving now."
He paused, then turned his head slightly.
"Oh, right… I almost forgot. I don't punish those who deceive me twice in the same way. Next time, the punishment will be far worse."
His gaze was like a blade—cold, sharp, piercing straight through the skin.
Then he turned and walked away with steady steps.
My shoulders relaxed as I let out a long breath.
"Phew… we survived."
But Cairo suddenly exploded in anger.
"I lost my mind?! You said I lost my mind?! What about the fifty thousand dollars?!"
I raised my eyebrows and tried to calm him.
"Hey, Cairo, relax. I only said that so he wouldn't punish us worse. Besides, the employer decided the reward, not us."
Suddenly, a third voice cut through ours—cold and serious.
"Have you two forgotten that I am still here?"
We turned instantly.
The employer stood there, staring at us with his usual emotionless expression.
I smiled nervously.
"Of course not… how could we forget…"
He said calmly:
"Then begin your push-ups."
I looked at the ground.
Then at Cairo.
Then back at the ground.
"What? Now?!"
And thus, the punishment began.
Not just the physical punishment…
But the greater psychological one.
Knowing that fifty thousand dollars had been within reach…
Only to be replaced by one thousand dollars and a hundred push-ups.
…
We began the exercises under the employer's watchful eyes, his gaze following us like a hawk—unblinking, relentless, merciless.
Cairo and I lowered ourselves together, performing the first push-up with the burst of initial enthusiasm.
At first, it felt easy.
Five… ten… fifteen… twenty…
The numbers passed quickly.
My muscles still responded, my breathing steady and controlled.
But after the twentieth push-up…
Everything started to change.
My body slowly began to collapse.
A heavy weight settled upon my back like a mountain.
Sweat poured from my forehead as though someone had opened a faucet in my skull.
The air around me grew hotter—like a sealed room with no windows and no breeze.
The humidity wrapped around my skin like a suffocating serpent.
I glanced at Cairo.
He looked exactly like me—struggling, sweating, suffering.
His eyes were half closed, his face pale like someone standing at the edge of unconsciousness.
I wanted to rest.
Just a few seconds.
Just one moment to regain my strength.
But I knew…
If we stopped, we would have to start all over again.
Back to zero.
Back to the pain.
No.
Impossible.
I would never repeat this torture from the beginning.
Forty…
Reaching forty felt like crossing half a desert filled with thorns and burning embers.
My arms trembled.
My chest muscles tightened in rebellion.
My back ached.
My shoulders screamed.
Every inch of my body begged for mercy.
And the employer…
Still stood there.
Motionless.
Silent.
Just watching us with a deadly calm that made the exercise feel heavier than any weight.
Sixty…
Sixty-five…
The air felt like torment.
Thick and suffocating.
As though I were breathing sand instead of oxygen.
A thought crossed my mind.
Was it really worth it?
Couldn't I just rest and start again later?
What harm would it cause?
I wouldn't die if I started over…
Right?
And I almost—yes, almost—gave up.
My movements slowed.
My knees trembled.
But then…
His voice came.
The employer's voice.
"So… you're really going to give up? How weak."
His words struck me like a slap across the face.
No…
Like a sword that tore through the last shred of pride inside me.
Weak?!
Me?!
No!
I refused to let him say that again.
Gathering the last fragments of my strength, I dragged air deep into my lungs like a diver plunging into the sea.
Then I pushed again.
One push-up after another.
Each one felt like lifting a boulder from a mountain with bare hands.
Seventy…
Eighty…
Ninety…
Every muscle in my body screamed in agony.
But I refused to surrender.
I looked at Cairo.
He was on the verge of collapse.
His face had turned yellow, and his arms trembled violently.
I muttered hoarsely:
"C-Come on… Cairo… w-we're almost done… don't give up now…"
He didn't answer.
Silent like stone.
Yet he continued.
Silently.
Painfully.
Ninety-five…
Like reaching the peak of a mountain.
Every push-up after that felt like a miracle.
Ninety-six…
My breathing shattered like someone finishing a marathon.
Ninety-seven…
Ninety-eight…
My head spun.
My heart pounded violently.
I didn't know whether I would vomit or cry.
Ninety-nine…
Just one more.
Just one more, please… body… just one more!
One hundred!
I shouted it inside my mind.
Then I collapsed.
My body fell to the floor like a soldier who had just finished the battle of his life.
I lay sprawled across the cold ground like a ragged puppet, my face pressed against the dusty floor.
The breath that escaped my mouth felt like the first breath I had taken in centuries.
I murmured weakly, my voice filled with joy, bitterness, and exhaustion.
"Finally… it's over… hahaha… we survived…"
A few seconds later, I heard another thud.
Turning my head with difficulty, I saw Cairo had thrown himself to the ground as well, his eyes half closed and his breathing just as ragged as mine.
After a brief silence, the employer spoke.
His voice was cold—but carried a faint trace of pride.
"Congratulations… your punishment is finished."
Despite the simplicity of his words, they felt like the most beautiful sentence I had ever heard.
It was finally over.
At last…
We were done.