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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Rolled-In Newbie
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*Why is the male lead standing in front of me?*
The ‘distinguished guest’ the warden mentioned was a high-ranking noble.
The male lead of this novel was the heir to a duchy, so he certainly qualified as a high-ranking noble.
But why hadn’t I even considered the male lead when I heard the words ‘distinguished guest’?
*Of course.*
Because in the novel, the male lead didn’t enter this prison as a noble.
He came in as a commoner prisoner.
Therefore, neither the guards nor the inmates knew his true identity.
“My father threw me into this prison.”
In the original story, he was incensed that his father had suddenly thrown him in here one day.
He searched for a way to escape and became the first person to ever break out of the prison.
Upon returning to society, he went to confront his father for framing him with such a ridiculous, unjust crime.
But his father had already been murdered.
It’s then that the male lead meets the female lead, and he releases all his mental stress, obsessions, and anxieties in a rather adult manner.
And our sacred and beautiful heroine accepts all of the male lead with her body.
The story is about the male lead getting his head on straight and uncovering the conspiracy that landed him in prison, ultimately getting his revenge on the imperial family, the final target of his vengeance.
*It’s not a happy ending, but. Well, that’s the gist of the story.*
I knew the male lead would arrive here ten years from the start.
There was a time when I did nothing but wait for him, but not anymore.
There was only one reason I had accepted the warden’s offer without a moment’s hesitation.
I didn’t want to wait for the time it would take the male lead to escape.
Besides, the novel only stated that the male lead ‘found a way and escaped from this place.’
The detailed process was never described, which also played a part in my decision.
*But still…*
The option I had discarded had rolled right up to my feet.
And it came with the name ‘newbie.’
I had no intention of jumping on the male lead bandwagon at this point.
*I can’t wait for an escape process I know nothing about.*
My decision was still to accept the warden’s offer.
For me, now a seasoned veteran of this place, that path was easier and more convenient.
*But now I have to raise a newbie.*
Come to think of it, I could guess why the male lead had been described as a distinguished guest.
In the book, the guards and prisoners didn’t know the male lead’s identity.
But was it really possible that the warden of Daesuri, the king of the prison, didn’t know either?
*Well, the book never explained the connection between the duke and the warden. Not that I’m curious.*
I slowly observed the male lead, who was dressed in a prison uniform so stiff it seemed he had just put it on.
Pale, fine skin.
His shimmering hair was disheveled and dirty, a testament to the humiliations he must have endured before arriving here.
Despite that, his silver hair looked as noble as the holy sword in the temple that no one had ever managed to pull.
His long eyes were mysterious, and the pupils within them were as mystical as amethysts plucked straight from a cave.
He was both handsome and beautiful.
What’s more, the three beauty marks lined up under his eye were the very thing that subverted his otherwise chaste appearance with a hint of lewdness.
The result was a look that made even his attendant of the same gender stare blankly at him.
To think that nobility, sanctity, and sensuality could coexist in one person.
That was my own, relatively tame description.
In the rough-and-tumble words of the prisoners, they would have just called him ‘damn hot.’ No doubt about it.
Meanwhile, his expression was nothing short of savage. It felt like looking at a dog, bound tight and baring its teeth viciously.
*And getting friendly with this guy is my first job.*
For ten days before coming here, I had diligently read the ‘Integrated Manual and Rules for Guards.’
Lacking common sense as I did, I desperately needed such a guide.
According to the manual, a rookie guard and a veteran guard are usually paired up to greet a newly arrived prisoner.
But my partner and senior, the veteran guard, didn't seem to have arrived yet.
*A guard must know how to crack a joke to soothe a new prisoner, who is like a frightened baby chick, anxious and scared.*
‘Baby chick’ was a term I added myself.
Wasn’t the male lead trembling in fear right before my eyes?
If this wasn’t a baby chick, what else could it be?
*His glaring must be due to the fear of facing the unknown.*
Although the guards had only called me things like ‘a cruel lunatic for someone so young’ on my first day here,
I shouldn’t become like them.
I spoke to the fiercely glaring male lead.
“You’re quite handsome.”
It was high praise.
“Even I could be captivated.”
It was a line that appeared countless times in the novel, too.
Just as I expected.
The male lead flinched.
Sensing his tension ease, I felt the need to say more.
“No need to tremble like a little chick. I’m always happy to welcome a handsome man.”
This place was, after all, a place where people lived.
Not just the older women I used to live with, but most of the female prisoners liked a handsome face.
“This instructor’s eyes are sharp. You’ll be popular with people like me.”
I put it even more bluntly.
*I’ll watch your back.*
So your path ahead is clear.
It was as good as telling him not to worry so much from now on.
But then, the male lead’s neck and cheeks flushed bright red.
Then, he glared at me as if he wanted to kill me.
*Oh, I can feel a talent for Kia. Hasn’t he awakened it yet?*
If he weren’t tied up, I felt he would have reached out and strangled me.
Why was he glaring at me when I complimented him, anyway?
Ah. I get it. Was it because he didn’t want to show his shy side? In Korea, they called it being a ‘tsundere’ or what have you.
I nodded.
“You’re quite shy. Did you like the compliment that much?”
“Shut up! I said, shut up! You, you, you filthy…!”
“…?”
What did I do to be called filthy?
I glanced down at my clothes. They were clean. I had showered this morning.
“If you’re talking about cleanliness, this instructor is very clean.”
“Sir, Sir Garet…”
“Yes?”
The one who called me was the attendant, who wore a troubled expression.
For some reason, though he’d said he would only accompany us to the building entrance, he had followed us all the way here.
We had a brief chat, and he’d said that as a veteran attendant, he was worried about letting him go alone.
“Sir, your words, ahem. They could be easily, very easily misunderstood…”
“Misunderstood? My compliment?”
“Well, you see, when a man… um, says something like that to another man, it’s… isn’t it the kind of thing someone who likes the same sex would say?”
I thought for a moment, then nodded to myself.
Ah, right.
I’m in a man’s body right now.
Saying he’d be popular with people like me could be taken the wrong way, depending on the person.
Then I should rephrase ‘handsome’ into something one man might say to another.
“My apologies. I’ll correct myself.”
I thought back to the male prisoners I had known.
The way they acknowledged good looks.
“You’ve got a damn pretty face. Like a pretty boy.”
Ramona used to say that when a male prisoner calls someone a ‘pretty boy,’ it’s always a compliment.
He’ll be satisfied this time, I thought, feeling pleased with myself.
And then, the male lead cursed me out.
*Why is he cursing?*
I felt a little wronged, but I decided to just assume it was his way of showing extreme appreciation.
“What the hell, I was just gonna watch for a bit to see how this played out.”
An unfamiliar voice came from behind me.
“Looks like we’ve got a real weirdo on our hands, huh?”
Turning my head, I saw a man standing in the doorway.
Narrow eyes, freckles, and a neat impression.
As befitting a guard, I could feel a trace of Kia from him. I had already sensed his presence, so I wasn’t surprised.
The attendant quickly bowed respectfully.
Then he whispered to me, ‘That’s Sergeant Steven.’ Ah.
“So you’re the new recruit.”
I bowed my head.
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Sergeant Steven. I’m Garet.”
“Yeah, you too. But you really are a weirdo, aren’t you? You enjoy taunting people?”
“Sir?”
“I was watching, and you’ve got quite a knack for it. The type to feel inferior to guys handsomer than you?”
“…?”
“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine. We get a lot of guys like that around here.”
Looking at his smirking face, I felt like I was being misunderstood somehow.
But I had no idea what had caused the misunderstanding, and explaining it seemed like more trouble than it was worth, so I remained silent.
Then, thinking that saying nothing might seem rude, I nodded.
“You’re very perceptive, Sergeant Steven. That’s correct.”
“…”
“I get jealous whenever I see a handsome man. I hate that I’m so ugly. Prisoner ‘Helios’? My apologies. All my remarks were born of an inferiority complex.”
That should smooth things over.
However, Sergeant Steven stared at me with a peculiar expression.
Ah, I know this look. I know it well.
It was the *What kind of lunatic have we got here* look.
The male lead, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
“…Can only crazy bastards become guards here?”
