Episode 7
Once again, as always, I stepped out of my cell. Picking the lock each night might as well become part of my new daily routine.
Richard looked at the metal pick in his hand with a disapproving expression.
“You really shouldn’t keep sneaking out of your cell like this.”
“Well, the more I try, the better I’ll get at it.”
I was walking toward Richard when I suddenly stopped in my tracks. His gaze, unlike the day before, carried a faint wariness.
It left a bitter taste in my mouth, and a cold smirk tugged at my lips.
Still, even if he didn’t trust me completely, Richard wouldn’t report me to the guards. I just needed to clear up the misunderstanding and head back.
I resumed walking and stood in front of Richard, who was sitting on the edge of his bed. At that moment, the sound of a guard’s footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor.
I froze. I’d made the mistake of assuming guards only patrolled on a set schedule like wind-up toys.
“Wh-What should I do?!”
That’s when Richard, seeing me panic, yanked me toward him. I felt an arm wrap around my waist, and before I knew it, I was lying flat on the hard wooden bed.
Richard hovered over me, and a dingy-colored blanket was quickly thrown over us.
“What are you—?!”
“Shh. Don’t make a sound.”
Richard’s large hand covered the lower half of my face. Caught off guard, I fell silent and held my breath as the guard’s footsteps approached.
I curled up, pressing myself closer to Richard, and felt him stiffen entirely.
The faint flickering light moved in rhythm with the footsteps. I could hear a heartbeat thudding in my ears—though I couldn’t tell if it was mine or Richard’s.
The guard looked into the solitary cell, checking for anything unusual, but apparently found nothing. He turned to leave… and then suddenly stopped.
“Hey, how’s life in prison treating you?”
“……”
Richard didn’t respond.
As the guard stepped closer to the bars, I instinctively squirmed down lower. My cheek and lips brushed against exposed skin peeking through the rough prisoner’s uniform.
“Ugh, stay still…”
Trying to stop me from moving, Richard pulled me in tighter.
With his full weight on top of me and his arms wrapped around me, I could barely breathe. And since our legs were already entangled, I couldn’t go any further down anyway.
“Never thought you’d end up a traitor… Life sure is unpredictable. Better brace yourself—prison won’t be easy.”
With a chuckle, the guard left us with that warning. Only after he completely disappeared from the underground floor did I exhale in relief.
“…Don’t breathe on me.”
“I was just breathing.”
Lifting my head from Richard’s chest, I saw that his entire face—ears included—was flushed bright red.
He looked like a pomegranate about to burst. I’d never seen someone’s skin turn that red before. It was almost fascinating.
He shot me a resentful glare.
“Please, get off now.”
We separated and sat up. As the stifling warmth between us vanished, the cold chill of the underground cell returned.
“…Um, thanks. For hiding me.”
I blinked awkwardly. All he did was cover for me to avoid getting caught by the guard—so why did the atmosphere feel so strange now?
It was all because of Richard’s overly sensitive reaction. His flushed face made my own heat up, and I began fanning my cheeks with my hand.
With a wary look, Richard tidied up the front of his wrinkled prison uniform. In just a few moments, it looked neat again.
As if speaking more to himself than to me, he turned his head away and murmured in a low voice.
“You shouldn’t have come here in the first place.”
“It’s fine. It was close, but we didn’t get caught.”
“Don’t come over the bars again.”
He pointed to the door, clearly telling me to leave. For a moment, I didn’t understand and just stared blankly at his cold profile.
He’d decided to put distance between us—without even giving me a proper chance to explain.
“You still don’t trust me? I’m telling you, the warden didn’t send me!”
“That’s not the issue.”
“Then what is? I shared food with you, treated your wounds—and you still can’t trust my sincerity? That’s really cold. What will it take for you to believe me?”
“……”
Richard’s lips parted slightly, like he was about to say something—but in the end, he closed his mouth instead.
I waited in silence, but when no reply came, I turned around in frustration. I cast him one last glance and stormed out of the cell.
Locking the cell door behind me with a loud clack, I threw myself onto my wooden bed and pulled the blanket over my head. My breathing was heavy with anger.
Whether it was because of my reputation as a saint, or just my looks, everyone else had believed me until now. Why was Richard the only one holding out?
I’d never put this much effort into anyone else before. His stubbornness was almost a challenge—and it only made me more determined.
Just watch. Sooner or later, you’ll be the one following my lead.
*
The reason Richard didn’t trust me was all Kyle’s fault.
Since coming to Fortress Prison, I’d decided to blame all the world’s evils on Kyle Caseynis. And this was no different—this, too, was entirely his fault.
Still, I couldn’t understand why Kyle was showing such unusual interest in me. Especially his bizarre suggestion that I become his woman.
Did I remind him of some woman he used to know? Or does he just have a thing for blondes with blue eyes…?
I was so curious that I’d even eavesdropped on the guards’ conversations—hoping to find a weakness I could exploit.
But the only thing I’d learned was that Kyle wasn’t the type to harass female prisoners. In fact, he strictly forbade the guards from even touching them. Not helpful at all.
So why is he only like this to me? He acts disgusted when others do it, but what he’s doing to me is any different?
As I sank into thought, I noticed a shadow loitering in front of my cell and frowned slightly.
I’d spent the entire day pretending Richard didn’t exist, not even glancing in his direction—and now he was hovering just within sight.
When I threw him a brief look, Richard was the one who spoke first.
“Are you… angry?”
“…Don’t talk to me.”
He didn’t respond right away to my frosty tone. After a moment of hesitation, he cautiously continued.
“I’m sorry if I upset you. But crossing the bars like that is dangerous.”
“Like I don’t know that? But if I’m going to escape, I have to get out of the cell eventually.”
“You haven’t had your trial yet. If the verdict is favorable, you could be released soon.”
“Hah…”
“Even if you succeed in escaping, all that awaits you is a lifetime on the run.”
I turned my head sharply to glare at Richard.
Even in that rough, stiff prison uniform, he carried himself with the poise of a knight. It was hard to believe this man was a prisoner in Fortress.
Maybe that’s why he couldn’t understand that escaping was the only option I had left. A man that upright would never understand, no matter how I tried to explain.
“Quiet. The guard’s coming.”
No matter how much I thought about it, there was only one way to break down Richard’s wall: I had to prove to him—without a doubt—that I wasn’t on Kyle’s side.
I had made up my mind. I would use Kyle to make that happen.
By now, I’d been in prison for a month. I could predict Kyle’s behavior fairly well. As expected, the guard opened my cell again today.
“Prisoner 14356, step out. It’s punishment time.”
Handcuffed in silence, I was led away. Richard quietly watched from his cell across the hall.
How foolish, to still worry about me after I’d survived a month in here. That’s probably exactly why he ended up in here in the first place.
Without a word, I followed the guard with a hardened expression. I took a deep breath to calm myself—and before I knew it, I was standing outside the interrogation room.
Inside, as usual, Kyle was waiting in his tight black uniform. The gleam of excitement on his face made my skin crawl.
“Have you thought about my offer?”
He sat casually on the edge of the desk, smiling smoothly.
I pulled out the chair and sat down, replying coolly:
“You mean the one where I escape execution?”
“No. The one where you become my woman.”
