reprimand

The count smiled as if the child bade fair to realize his hopes, while Madame de Villefort reprimanded her son with a gentleness and moderation very far from conveying the least idea of a fault having been committed.

“The brutal affectation with which you have enumerated and classified your crimes calls for a severe reprimand on the part of the court, both in the name of morality, and for the respect due to humanity.

She gazed at the blinking cursor on her computer screen, the rhythmic pulse serving as a gentle reprimand for her uncharacteristic hesitation.