Chapter 190: My Prison Chronicles (5)
The line between weekdays and weekends was incredibly blurry, a fate borne by imperial civil servants. Nevertheless, weekends did offer a bit more breathing room compared to weekdays.
So, I thought that if I could just survive the weekend, I might avoid the foes that gruesomely murdered my mental state. They hadn’t shown up the day before, so I just had to somehow endure today, the third day.
Hehe, we’re here.
You came.
But, alas, I failed.
I should have known.
The 1st Manager and the other officials standing behind her.
Yeah, having expectations just leads to disappointment. Since I had none, I wasn’t particularly mentally shocked.
What we yearn for most usually ends up failing spectacularly. Thinking that if I could just make it through today? It only stands to reason that something would blow up today, doesn’t it?
“Why did you all come when you’re so busy?”
Instead of “How did you come,” I can’t help but voice “Why did you come?” Seriously, why? It’s tough to get a break on weekdays; shouldn’t they at least have some fun on the weekend?
It would be cruel to mock a superior in prison, but still.
“What if our boss is crying alone? How can we just have fun?”
“Go back to that boss right now.”
Who the heck is that? I don’t know any boss like that.
The 1st Manager rambled on as usual. But I couldn’t dismiss it outright; the thought of Mage Duchess and Marghetta made me feel a twinge of guilt.
To others, I must seem like a prisoner locked in a cold cell… which is strange. Other than a few heartaches here and there, I was living quite comfortably.
‘Maybe I should’ve pretended it was tougher.’
But Marghetta might have truly fainted if I acted like it. Let’s go with the ‘I’m doing well’ concept.
“Executive Manager, is there anything troubling you?”
The Senior Manager asked softly from behind the chuckling 1st Manager.
I had been locked up for just three days, and I’d be released in two more. Plus, I had plenty of food from my frequent visits, so…
“…I’m doing fine.”
It was a bit embarrassing to elaborate, so I quickly brushed it off. The Senior Manager didn’t press further.
An awkward silence took over, but perhaps because of the impressive lineup of visitors, it didn’t last long.
“Who’s next after the Minister and the Executive Manager?”
As the 2nd Manager glanced around, my eyes inadvertently locked onto the Senior Manager.
“Executive Manager?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
I quietly turned my gaze away from her eyes that asked, “Why are you looking at me now?”
I felt a bit guilty, but hey, instinctively thinking she was going to be the next inmate after the Minister and me was unavoidable.
“Still, isn’t it nice not to worry anymore?”
The 3rd Manager’s comment almost made me nod in agreement.
That’s right. Now I didn’t have to sweat over how many reports I had written.
“Want to come in?”
“No, thank you.”
But my friendly invite was met with the 3rd Manager’s serious denial.
If I remember correctly, that guy had quite the stack of reports to write, being the most active in the Prosecutor’s Office and all—not to mention he must have a lot written already.
Of course, it’s still less than mine. But I didn’t want to compete over something like that.
Just then, while exchanging understanding glances with the usually quiet 5th Manager—who was far more reserved than the chattering trio—the 1st Manager jumped in.
“Executive Manager, Executive Manager. What visitor number are we on?”
“Fifth.”
“Huh?”
The 1st Manager blinked in surprise at the unexpected answer, her reaction suggesting disbelief at the idea of four visits having already occurred.
Sadly, the Minister had come twice already in one day. Plus, the Mage Duchess came in once, and those from the academy too. And now here they were, making it five visits total.
Shocking, right? Even I was shocked! How could someone imprisoned for just five days already have five visits?
‘Damn.’
Thinking of it again made me angry. Who on Earth visits twice in one day? I’d never gone that far.
Even if I visited every day during his imprisonment, I didn’t go multiple times a day. Wasn’t that somewhat of an unwritten rule?
Visiting twice a day was just as gruesome as doing a daily quest twice over. That’s just what I believe.
“Uh… the Minister, the academy… and even the Mage Duchess… but isn’t there one more left?”
The 1st Manager counted on her fingers, her puzzled look revealing that she couldn’t come up with anyone else who could have visited.
Perhaps because she was just the 1st Manager? She seemed to underestimate my connections far too much. My network was beyond her wildest dreams.
“The Minister came twice.”
“Wow.”
“And then there was the Mage Duchess, and the academy.”
“Wow…”
I felt a pang of empathy at the 1st Manager’s sigh.
‘If she’s this shocked…’
Even the not-so-normal 1st Manager was amazed by the guest list.
Just how many prestigious visits had I endured?
*
There was still ample time left for visitation, but I sent everyone back.
“You’re just going to mess up the guards’ work. Go rest; it’s the weekend.”
“Are the guards more important to you than your cute subordinate?”
“Yes.”
“Waaah…”
I had to send them back early for the sake of the guards’ mental well-being. The guards were already exhausted from all the high-profile visitors like the Minister, the Duchess, and the ladies. But dealing with the Prosecutor’s Office was a whole different ball game.
Dealing with high-ranking officials was uncomfortable and awkward, but at least they could follow the manual.
But Prosecutor’s Office people—the ones who could mess you up right there on the spot—were different. If I were a guard, I’d probably have a heart attack.
‘I should be considerate.’
Even with the Crown Prince’s orders, those assigned to me were, thankfully, quite attentive. It’s only reasonable to return the kindness.
While none of this would have happened had I not been locked up, let’s not dwell on that. I didn’t choose to end up here, after all.
‘But it’s finally over now.’
With visits from the Minister, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the academy, all who should have come had already made their appearance. The visit from the Mage Duchess was unexpected, but that was a surplus achievement, not a deficit.
The only one left was probably the Masked Unit.
“Oh, Penellia sends her regards. It seems the Masked Unit couldn’t come because they were dispatched immediately.”
That makes sense; no wonder I hadn’t heard from her. Even if I put a no-visitors ban on the first day, she wasn’t the type to miss visiting the second day.
‘They must be very busy.’
They were sent out again right after the Red Wave suppression. If I had known they’d be this busy, I would have made sure to feed them more, even if the 1st Manager had cautioned against it.
Next time, I’ll make sure to pack plenty for them. Their health is their wealth; they need to eat well and live well.
*
I picked up a habit of praying to Enen twice a day starting four days ago: once when arriving at work and again when leaving. Upon starting, I prayed that the day would pass without incident, and when leaving, I offered my thanks for it being uneventful.
‘It’s finally over.’
With trembling hands, I marked an X on the calendar. At last, today was the fifth day. By noon, I’d be able to release the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor’s Office.
‘Finally.’
It had been a torturous time. Those five days felt more like five months.
On the first day, the Minister of Finance came. Honestly, I could handle that much. After all, it would be silly to be shocked by a visit from someone I previously managed while they were locked up.
Though I never imagined he’d visit twice on the same day, I still managed to endure.
‘At least the Minister was the easiest to deal with.’
A bitter laugh escaped me at the ridiculous reality. Who would have guessed that the Finance Minister would turn out to be the most straightforward visitor?
The day after, a duke came. The Mage Duchess, who rarely stepped out of the Magic Tower, came calling. My heart sank a little when I saw her bringing food into the prison.
I was doing my best to provide decent meals for the Executive Manager, but that was by my own standards. If he complained to the Mage Duchess about the food or the guards, I’d be saying my goodbyes!
…Thank goodness that didn’t happen.
‘Two nobles.’
After the Mage Duchess, the daughter of the Iron-blooded Duke showed up. I nearly smacked the guard for making a bad joke when they showed me the guest list.
Honestly, nobles could be more terrifying than civil servants. A civil servant could retire, but nobles remained nobles until death. There’s a reason why you shouldn’t even glance at a noble recklessly.
Fortunately, the young student who came wasn’t someone entangled in the political world. Though it was somewhat bittersweet to see her crying in front of the Executive Manager.
‘The last one…’
My thought process came to a sudden halt. I had expected this since the Executive Manager was imprisoned, but the last guests I least wanted to see showed up.
The Prosecutor’s Office… the people capable of severing my head in various ways…
Let’s stop there.
‘Anyway, it’s over now.’
My previously disheartened mood surged once again. This suffering is finally coming to an end! My days of dutifully serving a high-ranking prisoner while constantly worrying about not displeasing them were nearing their end.
This damn dirty life of being a guard. I should quit right now!
“G-Guard!”
Just as I was about to pull out the resignation letter I worked hard to prepare last night, a voice from behind called out urgently.
A sigh escaped me at the sense of urgency in the voice. What now? What on Earth could it be this time?
“What’s the matter?”
Every time a guard came running, something unusual happened. The Minister came, then a duke, then a lady, and then the Prosecutor’s Office.
But today’s supposed to be the day for release! It probably wasn’t related to the Executive Manager. Well, that’s enough, right?
I stood strong after these five days, right on the verge of submitting my resignation letter. I felt confident that absolutely nothing could surprise me now.
“A messenger from the Invincible Duke has arrived!”
“…What?”
I was completely taken aback.
‘The Invincible Duke…?’
But… why? Why on earth would the Invincible Duke…?
Although he didn’t come in person this time, what on earth could this be about?
‘Damn it.’
It makes me want to cry. I should have submitted my resignation not today, but yesterday!
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.