The blow was to be expected, but the pain was new. Apparently Rodolphus was using his days off to experiment with new forms of torture. Adrian was certain he was lucky to get off so lightly. But that did nothing for the pain. He sort of doubled in on himself and his body convulsed quickly. To his credit he did not cry out, but his eyes squeezed shut and he thought briefly of death. He knew better than to open his mouth. He only made each mistake once.
He rested his elbows on his knees and did not look up during Rodolphus' lecture until the very end. He felt like a child. Defenseless and utterly humiliated. Of course Rodolphus wouldn't kill purebloods. Not like that.
"An excellent idea," he managed finally, nodding and straightening back up. He was completely defeated. "There are many families worthy to take up your mantle."
Adrian stared blankly at Rodolphus for a moment. He felt awful, but somehow Adrian felt his leader knew that. Better to err on the side of caution. "I feel fine, sir."