“It won't hurt, milady.”

Despite her words, the woman's palm was shaking. EunSeo looked down at the small pills in her hand.

Deep sorrow filled EunSeo's eyes as she gazed at the pills that would bring her death.

“It will only take a moment. I heard that it will be painless, like falling asleep. There's no more time, milady. You must take it now.”

“When did you find the time to prepare something like this?”

EunSeo slowly took the pills from the handmaiden's trembling hand.

“It seems that I've caused you a lot of worry.”

The handmaiden knelt down, her forehead touching the floor.

“After you leave, I will follow, milady.”

“Why would you do that?”

“How can I send you off to walk that scary path alone? I can't do that.”

As EunSeo sadly looked down at the handmaiden bowed down on the floor, she lowered her hand.

Then she put the pills inside her pouch before hanging the pouch back onto her waist.

“I'll use this later. Now isn't the right time.”

“Milady!”

The handmaiden looked up at EunSeo with a terrified expression.

“Milady, outside there are…”

“I'll use it later.”

“Milady, how will you bear such humiliation?!”

“I cannot die right now. It wouldn't be right for me to die here.”

EunSeo tightly bit her lip.

“I can't die like this. There's too much anger and resentment.”

“Milady…”

Tears flowed down the handmaiden's cheeks.

She was the devoted handmaiden that had not left EunSeo's side, even when she had fallen into this sorry state.

In order to stay by her mistress's side till the end, the handmaiden had taken a dagger to the heart and prepared these pills for her. However, when her mistress refused to leave this world peacefully, the handmaiden looked up at her with sorrowful eyes.

“No matter what happens to me, I must live. I need to grit my teeth and survive. I may be unable to bear it. I may die. But I'm going to endure it until I can't endure anymore. That's the only way I will be able face my brother, who left this world screaming in grief.”

As she finished speaking, EunSeo stood up.

Her skirt flowed down onto the floor.

“Let's go out.”

The handmaiden watched as her mistress opened the door and went outside. She wiped her tears away with her sleeve and followed after her.

She swallowed back her remaining tears as she watched EunSeo's quiet back as she steadily walked out.

“Bite this. It'll feel better if you do.”

Kneeling on the cold floor, EunSeo was given a piece of cloth that had been folded several times by the madame.

“It will be very painful. There are occasionally girls who will slip and bite their tongues, so hold this between your teeth. That way, you'll be able to endure it.”

EunSeo gazed at the hand holding the cloth. She shook her head, refusing it.

“I'll be fine.”

“This isn't something to be stubborn about.”

“I'll be fine.”

The madame clicked her tongue as she looked down at EunSeo.

‘Foolish.' EunSeo heard the woman quietly mutter.

“Begin.”

The madame stepped back. A man who had been standing by took out the iron brand from the brazier and began to walk forward.

The iron brand was glowing bright red. EunSeo could feel the heat as the sizzling iron came closer.

The iron branded her skin with '娼' to indicate her stigma as a prostitute.

With this stamped on her body, she was now branded as a prostitute and could no longer escape this status for the rest of her life.

Even if a high-ranking noble took her in as a concubine, the woman's stigma as a whore could never be erased. The physical brand on her skin would also remain.

Even if the whore became a woman of the king, she would still not be able to officially be a part of the inner palace.

This position was the lowest of the low.

The man roughly pulled one side of EunSeo's top to reveal her shoulder. Her pale shoulder and back appeared in the dark.

Kneeling on the floor, EunSeo tightly gripped her skirts.

As she imagined the incredible pain that would come, she bit her lip.

The iron brand finally pressed onto the back of EunSeo's shoulder.

“Uuugh!”

Sizzle—.

The smell of burnt flesh filled the air along with the sizzling sound. However, EunSeo didn't notice.

As the iron pressed down on her shoulder, the cruel agony began to suffocate her. It made her lose her senses.

“Hnng, nnnnng…!”

Blood began to trickle down from her lips as she bit down.

Between the bloody lips, a groan of agony escaped. EunSeo's body collapsed.

Seeing her fall onto the ground like a sheet of paper, everyone around her watched her with eyes full of pity.

Just a few days ago, she was the daughter of a highly-esteemed family. Now she had become a whore just like them. Seeing such a fall from grace, they couldn't hide the pity from their eyes.

The smell of burnt flesh lingered in the yard.

Even though the iron brand had been returned to its brazier, EunSeo's swollen skin was still sizzling.

Hazy from the pain, EunSeo could hear the sound of footsteps ringing in her ears.

The footsteps were her own as she climbed the mountain that day.

The footsteps were laced with fear and confusion. She had gotten lost in the mountain.

The sounds of the forest lingered in her ears.

The wind from that day brushed against EunSeo's white back as she began to lose consciousness. That was the day she had met him.

As her vision began to fade, she began to return to ‘that day'.

TN: Sad to see TMPW end, but excited to start this novel! It sounds SUPER depressing, though… even more angsty than TMPW 😰😰😰.

Since Stigma is so short, the is up again! Please place your votes using the poll located below the summaries. May the best novel win~
See y'all next week!