Chapter 188: My Prison Chronicles (3)
With a grip like she was ready to sever my hand, the Mage Duchess finally let go only after what felt like ages. In reality, it probably only took a few minutes, but time felt like it had dragged on for almost an hour.
“Please wait here for a moment.”
With that, the Mage Duchess hesitated for a brief second before turning her back to me.
She glanced back several times as though worried that the moment she looked away, I might vanish into thin air. It was almost as if her earlier request to wait was amplifying her anxiety.
But all I could do was stare blankly at the worried figure of the Mage Duchess walking away.
‘Not like I had anywhere to go anyway.’
What was there to wait for? For someone trapped in a prison, there was no escape to be found.
The best I could do was shift from standing in front of the bars to lying on the bed—so basically, still stuck in the prison.
My heart sank. Wasn’t it just yesterday when the shocked Mage Duchess had seen me in such a pathetic state behind bars? Now she was fretting that I might just vanish.
‘Was the shock too much for her?’
How shaken must she have been for the Mage Duchess, the embodiment of wisdom, to make such a completely ridiculous mistake? Even someone devoid of emotions would feel their heartstrings tug a little in this situation.
‘Ungrateful brat.’
This was the same Mage Duchess who brought me the most unique health foods. Occasionally dropping the odd joke that could leave one scratching their head, she was nonetheless just as thoughtful as the Invincible Duke and the Wise Duchess.
While those two dukes had their reasons to be nice, the Mage Duchess had no such connections with me. Yet, she always reached out with warmth.
Truly, she was like a mother—her generosity fitting of the title. And here I was, displaying such a disgraceful side to her.
I’m sorry, Your Grace… I think I should really be serving a full five-year sentence.
Not long after, the Mage Duchess returned.
“Eating must be uncomfortable in there. I brought some food for you.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
She came bearing a massive stash of food.
However, ‘massive’ felt like an understatement. Had I been misusing the term ‘a little’ all this time?
‘There’s no way I can finish this before I leave.’
This pile was far too much for just five days, and it wasn’t even small enough to squeeze through the gaps—
“Here, take this.”
And just like that?
With a flick of her finger, everything she held shrank, and as she pushed it through the bars, they grew back to their original size, as if mocking the laws of nature.
‘Wow.’
If I wasn’t imagining things, this was some wizardry happening right before my eyes—no wand, no chant, just pure magic.
“The paths that mages pursue may differ, but they all seek the same end goal: the ability to perform magic without any medium or incantation. That is the true pinnacle of magic.”
Suddenly, I recalled the words Lather had passionately expressed in the club room.
Are you watching, Lather? Your dream unfolded in this underground prison!
None of this was my fault, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt.
‘What a waste of talent…’
While I stared vacantly at the spread of food surrendered to me in my prison, the Mage Duchess’s voice jolted me back to reality.
“It appears insufficient. I should bring more.”
“It’s fine. This is more than enough.”
If this was piled any higher, even the guards would end up with leftovers. There’d definitely be leftovers.
Despite my desperate plea, the Mage Duchess slightly furrowed her brows and shook her head, displaying a strong determination to bring even more.
“Excuse me, Your Grace, but I’m only imprisoned for five days.”
Finally swallowing my pride, I ended up mentioning the myth of my five-day sentence. Clearly, the Mage Duchess was under the impression that I was locked up for at least a month.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to comprehend the mountain of provisions she brought. It felt more like the feast to feed a whole month!
“I know.”
But the Mage Duchess replied with calm indifference. Rather than express surprise or disbelief upon hearing my five-day claim, she looked at me with pity for unintentionally revealing my own imprisonment period.
“Is the duration of importance? What truly matters is that you’re in there during that time.”
Once again, she reached out toward the bars, and without thinking, my hand mirrored hers.
Her warm grip enveloped my hand, and suddenly, my heart was on the verge of shedding tears.
“No, it’s just five days!”
“It’s not just five days; it’s significant.”
In that moment, I couldn’t help but recall my conversation with the Minister.
It was the exact same topic. Sure, I expressed how I was locked up for literally only five days, but the response was wildly different.
In a sense, it was similar since both parties were clearly indifferent to the five-day duration, albeit for different reasons.
‘This is what being an adult is.’
She was a true adult, unlike a certain ‘someone’ who sought retribution for trivial teasing.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t just trivial teasing. Regardless, the Mage Duchess had now snatched the title of ‘Minister of Finance’ from my heart.
“If you find anything uncomfortable, feel free to call for me at any time. I’ll let the guard know, so don’t hold back.”
Her words were a warm assurance; an offer to come personally if needed.
Had no one been present, I’d have definitely sobbed right then and there. Almost had a ‘prison cry’ moment!
*
Since yesterday, my heart had been racing, making it hard to get a good night’s sleep. Even when sleep beckoned, I couldn’t bring myself to shut my eyes.
Imagining Carl in that cold prison, lying on a hard, uncomfortable bed made it impossible to find peace. I spent the night wrestling with a body craving rest while my mind stubbornly rebelled against it.
“Senpai, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
I plastered on a forced smile in response to Louise’s concern.
Staying up all night wasn’t new to me. Sometimes, student council responsibilities would keep me awake far too late.
But this concern for Carl cut deeper—it was emotional torment that affected me even more than physical exhaustion. I knew my reflection wasn’t too pleasant to look at, and it pained me to appear so disheveled in front of Carl.
“Still…”
“Really, I’m fine. Just a tad tired.”
Louise, finally acknowledging my decisive response, nodded in agreement.
‘How can I be worrying about others at a time like this?’
Louise didn’t seem to be faring much better with her own worries about Carl. Her pale complexion said it all; she clearly hadn’t gotten adequate rest.
And yet, here she was, fretting over someone else. Her kind heart shone through, but surely, she should focus more on herself first. I should find the time to offer her some genuine advice.
“Everyone’s here.”
I turned my attention to Erich’s voice as I checked Louise’s expression.
‘He’s arrived.’
Erich directed his gaze toward a rapidly approaching Irina. Since she too held Carl in her heart, having her join us was only natural.
…Honestly, both Louise and I were so scattered that we had to inform her hastily this morning. Had we returned without saying anything, how much would Irina have resented us?
“Oppa… are we going?”
I couldn’t even bring myself to meet Irina’s gaze after she learned about the big catastrophe so suddenly on a weekend morning.
I felt bad; I couldn’t even look her in the eye. I should have talked to her yesterday so she might have had some time to brace herself.
“I-I’m not late, am I?”
“No, you’re right on time.”
Seeing Irina gasp for breath as if she had sprinted all the way here only intensified my guilt. I felt truly sorry.
“If everyone’s gathered, we’ll proceed.”
While Louise gently patted Irina’s back, one of the teleportation mages from the Krasius family spoke up.
His rigid tone reflected his mood, which was far from elated, likely because the heir of the family he served was behind bars. The entire Krasius household must have been in turmoil.
‘I wonder if Mother is doing okay? She always seemed a bit fragile; I hope she hasn’t collapsed.’
There was no teleporting directly to the prison. While I disliked the idea of taking the long way around in such an urgent situation, it was a necessity due to the anti-teleportation spells set up around the prison to prevent escapes.
Pretty understandable security measure, considering I’d had the same thought of teleporting Carl out several times.
“Stop. This area houses individuals who have dishonored the Empire and the Imperial Family. Those without a legitimate purpose must refrain from advancing any further.”
As we approached the prison, a guard blocked our path.
‘Dishonored criminals.’
I bit my lip in frustration. To think that Carl, who dedicated himself to the Empire, was labeled a criminal was infuriating. If the Chief Inspector was considered a criminal, then who on Earth could be a loyalist or even an average citizen?
I understood; I knew that the guard was merely following the protocol and was not targeting Carl directly.
Still, my heart felt like it was being torn apart by the thought of Carl enduring such a label, after everything he’d sacrificed.
“Erich of the Krasius family. I’m here for a visitation.”
Erich spoke as our representative since he was the only one with blood ties to Carl.
“Excuse me, but whom do you wish to see?”
The guard’s tone softened noticeably upon hearing the name of the Krasius family.
Instead of calling Carl a ‘criminal,’ the guard was now inquiring who we were there to see. That respectful shift in phrasing eased my heart a tad.
“Carl Krasius.”
“Understood. Please sign the visitor’s log.”
The guard reverentially passed the log onto Erich.
Once Erich had signed, the guard checked the names and quickly headed into the prison.
*
Damn it.
‘How unlucky can one get?’
When the guard abruptly sprinted toward us, I flinched, wondering if the Mage Duchess had returned.
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case, but a new figure appeared. Yesterday it was the Minister of Finance, this morning it was the Mage Duchess, and now it was apparently the Lady of Valenti. Just fantastic.
I was prepared for it. Given that I was the Executive Manager here and that I wasn’t stripped of power, I anticipated that the visitors might be someone noteworthy, especially since this was the Chief Inspector’s showy five-day incarceration.
Still, it’s only been five days! I had hoped that such a short stint wouldn’t warrant a visit.
‘Or was it actually five weeks instead?’
For a moment, I genuinely questioned my memory. Surely, it couldn’t be right that high-ranking officials like the Ministers and the Duchess showed up with food for me after a measly five days?
But it genuinely was five days. I had no clue why, but that was correct.
‘Maybe my luck has just taken a nose-dive.’
A few years back, I had visited the Minister of Finance when he got busted. I thought that chapter wrapped up my prison saga, but apparently, there was more to add to this tale.
‘Is it time to retire?’
It’s a matter worth serious consideration. I had plenty saved up, after all!
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