Toxic Obsession: Massimo Maxence (Emperor Series, #2) ✔️

Chapter 20

Chapter 20
Trigger Warning: Childhood Violence. This chapter might be uncomfortable, skip if you cannot stomach violent scenes.

WHAT MAKES childhood so wonderful? It stings, hurts, and is unpleasant to look at.

Strong vodka's aroma lingers in the air, soothing the irritable Emperor. Massimo sipped on another Polmos Spirytus Rektyfikowany Vodka. He's sipping the strongest alcoholic beverage he possesses like water. His childhood memories keep coming back to him, making him depressed. He drinks whenever his memories come back because it puts him in a bad mood. His early life was filled with horrific comparisons, killing, violence, and other upsetting incidents.

Everything is still distinct in his mind. Everything about it is still recognizable to him, including the smell of rusty chains and whips, the repulsive smell of bloody razor blades, the same voices that nag at him every morning, telling him to become ruthless, and his father's comparisons.

His father's voice rang out in the main Empire's training area, "Foolish! You're a stupid kid! Hold your weapons properly. Look at your brother, he's doing excellent!" During that moment, he was five years old. A tiny error was made while he was training with his brothers.

He struggled to say, "I'm sorry, father."

As soon as he said that, he immediately got spanked. It is their forbidden word, and they are forbidden from expressing regret, bowed to anyone, or lowering any body parts to anyone. Since they are supreme, they ought to always act strong and superior. It was a regulation put in place by his great, great grandfather, the first Vassily emperor to rule over the main Empire. And it has continued to be used during his father's rule up until that point.

"Never say sorry! Vasily never apologizes! Never! Whip this kid at the dungeon." His father said while whipping him already.

Little Massimo began to cry. No matter how many times he was spanked, his young skin could not bear the pain of the whip. "No, father! I'm sorry; I won't make the same mistake again. My body hurts; please don't!"
 
"Bring him to the dungeon and teach him a lesson." His father added, "A Vassily must know pain, so in the future, you won't even flinch even when you're dying."

"Please, father, not right now. My body still hurts from your whipping. I won't make another mistake again!" Young Massimo screams while being dragged to the dark dungeon, the place of punishment.

But strictness runs in their bloodline: "Child, you just committed another mistake. Now count," the grand emperor said while holding a bigger whip.

When Little Massimo was taken to the dungeon to receive punishment, his voice reverberated throughout the entire space. They need to be disciplined in order to learn, too. The older Vassilys held the opinion that if you don't use coercion, no one will pay attention to you.

You must therefore be ruthless if you want to convince anyone that you are superior to them. While counting his painful whips, young Massimo endured all the suffering. He was already exhausted and barely breathing.

"...99," the drained child counted the remaining numbers while enduring the pain of the whips. Maximus and Macsen have bigger whips since they're older than him, and he's too frightened to grow because he knows his will become bigger as well when he grows up.

"100," he spat the last number as he slumped down on the bloody and dirty surface. The smell of blood and dirty floors mixed in the dungeon; it was unpleasant. Massimo wants to vomit, but he's too scared to do anything that might ruin the standards of a Vassily and he might get punished again.