Chapter 5
‘Why is the male lead standing in front of me?’
The “important guest” the warden mentioned was supposed to be a noble.
In the novel, the male lead is the heir of a duke, so he is a noble.
But still, why didn’t I think the “important guest” would be the male lead?
‘Simple.’
Because in the original story, the male lead didn’t enter this prison as a noble.
He entered as a regular, low-class prisoner.
So none of the guards or prisoners knew who he really was.
“My father threw me into this prison.”
In the novel, the male lead is furious that his father suddenly locked him up here.
So he looks for a way to escape and becomes the first person to successfully break out of this prison.
After returning to society, he tries to confront his father for wrongly accusing him of a crime.
But his father was already murdered.
It’s then that he meets the female lead, and he pours out all his stress, anxiety, and obsession on her… in an R-rated way.
And our holy, kind, and beautiful female lead accepts all of it with her body.
That helps the male lead come to his senses, and he begins investigating the plot that led him to prison.
Eventually, he takes revenge on the royal family, who were the true masterminds.
‘It’s not a happy ending… but that’s the story.’
I knew from 10 years ago that the male lead would eventually show up here.
Back then, I used to wait for him.
But not anymore.
The reason I accepted the warden’s offer without hesitation?
I didn’t want to wait around for the male lead’s escape plan.
The book only said, “He found a way to escape,” without explaining how.
That also influenced my decision.
‘But still…’
The path I had given up on has now rolled right back in front of me—
In the form of a newbie.
I had no plans to jump on the “male lead train” now.
‘I’m not going to wait for some vague escape plan I barely know.’
I still chose the warden’s offer. It was easier for a long-time prisoner like me.
‘But now I have to train a newbie… huh.’
Thinking back, it made sense that the warden called the male lead an “important guest.”
In the novel, only the other prisoners and guards didn’t know his identity.
But of course, the warden—the king of this prison—must have known.
‘The novel didn’t explain their relationship, and honestly, I don’t care.’
I looked closely at the male lead, wearing stiff, new prisoner clothes.
His skin was pale and smooth.
His silver hair was messy and dirty from whatever happened before he got here, but still beautiful—like a holy sword no one else could ever lift.
His long eyes were mysterious, like jewels taken from a cave.
He was both handsome and beautiful.
And the three small beauty marks under his eyes added a hint of seductiveness to his otherwise pure appearance.
Even the male servant who came with him couldn’t help staring blankly.
The perfect mix of purity, beauty, and sex appeal.
This is me trying to describe him politely.
Most prisoners would’ve just said, “He’s f***ing hot.” No doubt about it.
But his expression? Extremely hostile. Like a dog baring its teeth while tied up.
‘So this is the guy I have to befriend first, huh?’
For the past 10 days, I had studied the “Guard Manual and Rules.”
I lacked basic social sense, so I needed the handbook badly.
According to it, new prisoners are usually welcomed by a pair of one rookie guard and one experienced guard.
But the veteran assigned with me wasn’t here yet.
‘The rookie guard should say something lighthearted to calm the new prisoner, who’s scared and nervous.’
I call these kinds of prisoners “baby chicks.”
Look at the male lead shaking nervously—what else would you call that?
‘He must be glaring from fear and confusion.’
When I first came here, the guards called me a “brutal little psycho.”
But I shouldn’t act like them.
I looked at the glaring male lead and said:
“You’re really handsome.”
A genuine compliment.
“I feel blessed just looking at you.”
It’s a line that’s said countless times in the novel too.
As expected, the male lead froze.
He looked a little less tense, so I kept going.
“No need to shake like a baby chick. I welcome handsome guys.”
This place is still full of people, after all.
All the women I knew here—and I—like good-looking guys.
“My eyes never lie. Guys like you are super popular with people like me.”
That was basically saying:
‘Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.’
I was telling him not to be scared.
But then the male lead’s face turned bright red…
And he glared at me like he wanted to kill me.
‘Oh, I can sense some Kia energy. Has he not awakened it yet?’
If he wasn’t tied up, he might’ve tried to choke me.
But still, I just complimented him—why the death stare?
Ohhh… I get it.
Maybe he’s embarrassed and doesn’t want to show it.
Like a typical Korean tsundere.
I nodded.
“You’re shy, huh? Did you like the compliment that much?”
“Shut up! SHUT UP, you—you disgusting—!”
“……?”
What did I do that was disgusting?
I looked down at my clothes. Neat and clean. I showered this morning.
“If you’re talking about hygiene, I’m very clean.”
“Um, Sir Garrett…”
“Yes?”
The person who spoke was the servant, looking very uncomfortable.
For some reason, even though he said he’d only walk me to the entrance, he’d followed me here.
He said he didn’t feel comfortable leaving me alone, so he came along.
“Sir, um, your words… might cause some… misunderstandings.”
“Misunderstandings? From my compliments?”
“Well, when a man says that kind of thing to another man… people might think… you know… that you’re into men.”
I paused, then nodded to myself.
Oh. Right.
I look like a guy now.
Saying things like “Guys like you are my type” can be misunderstood.
So, I decided to fix my wording.
“My bad. Let me rephrase.”
I thought about how male prisoners complimented each other.
Then said:
“Your face is really smooth. Like one of those pretty-boy entertainers.”
Ramona once told me that if a male prisoner says that, it’s definitely a compliment.
I figured the male lead would finally be satisfied.
Instead, he cursed me out.
‘Why is he so mad?’
I felt a little hurt, but I decided to just take it as his way of expressing intense happiness.
“Wow, I was just going to watch for a second…”
A new voice cut in.
“But we’ve got a real weirdo here.”
I turned my head to see a man at the door.
Squinty eyes, freckles, calm face.
I could feel the Kia energy—definitely a guard.
I wasn’t surprised; I had already sensed someone nearby.
The servant quickly bowed politely.
Then whispered to me, “That’s Sergeant Steven.”
Ohh, got it.
“So you’re the new guy?”
I bowed.
“Yes, nice to meet you, Sergeant Steven. I’m Garrett.”
“Sure. But wow, you’re kind of a weirdo, huh? You enjoy teasing others?”
“Excuse me?”
“I was watching. You seem like the jealous type who gets upset around guys better looking than you.”
“……?”
“Oh, don’t worry. We’ve got plenty of people like that here.”
He smiled in a way that said he had definitely misunderstood something.
I wasn’t sure what part caused the confusion, and explaining felt like too much work, so I stayed quiet.
But silence might seem rude, so I nodded and said:
“You’re sharp, Sergeant Steven. That’s exactly right.”
“……?”
“I get jealous whenever I see good-looking guys. I hate that I’m ugly. Prisoner ‘Helios’? Sorry. Everything I said was just from my deep insecurities.”
That should smooth things over, right?
But Steven just stared at me with a strange look.
Ah, I know that face.
It means, ‘What kind of lunatic just joined?’
Then the male lead, who’d been quietly watching, finally said:
“…Do you have to be a complete psycho to become a prison guard here or what?”
