Slow Prison Life Chapter 44

The King Condemns
The royal palace, has finally seen the return of their King and Queen.

A carriage slowly pa.s.sed by a line of royal guardsmen, and both military and civil officials poured out of the palace to greet them after their long absence.

“Hahaha, now this is quite the welcome.”

The enthusiasm from the courtiers at their lord's return brought out a cacophony of delighted cheers, causing the King to ease up on his formal poise. Even though a welcome like this was against custom, it would certainly make anyone feel popular.
The Queen was smiling as well.

“We have been absent a long time. They must have fully realized how grand Your Highness's existence was in that time.”

“But after 1 week, I'm sure they'll start saying how oppressive I am again.”

“Well, in that case Your Highness. I'll have to begin to distrust the loyalty of your retainers.”

“Hahahahahaha”

From the window of the slowly moving carriage, you could see the numerous clerks and military officers rus.h.i.+ng forward one after another to meet the King's carriage. And the courtiers lined along the road looked truly happy from the bottom of their hearts.
……..they actually looked a little too happy.

“………..My Queen. Isn't there something strange about all of this?”

“………..I was just thinking the same thing.”

The people who had run up to greet them were waving their hands in the air way too energetically………rather than coming back from a business trip, it was more like the King and Queen were being welcomed by a parade after a successful military campaign……..no, it was more like they were desperately needed reinforcements arriving during a difficult siege………

“Perhaps………Elliott's disturbance………”

“………..let's go back to our chambers to compose ourselves, and we can confirm everything then.”

So with mixed feelings swirling around in their hearts, the King and Queen's procession continued through an enthusiastic welcome.

♠

Informed of his parents' return by a chamberlain, Prince Elliott's expression tightened.

“So then Father and Mother have finally returned……..yos.h.!.+ Since things have already come to this, I have nothing left to do but to complain about Rachel's injustices with all my heart!”

Last night, the villainous n.o.ble girl was so heinous that as a man he had to try and a.s.sa.s.sinate her.

“In an hour's time, they shall immediately hold an audience in the small hall to make a ruling on the previous engagement abandonment.”

“Mm. I'll head over there at once as well.”

“Yes. ………would you like me to push you?”

“Yes, please!”

And so the chamberlain pushed Elliott's wheelchair out of his office.

Rachel deflated a bit when Sofia informer her the King, Queen, and her parents had returned.

“Is that so………I wish they would've been a little slower.”

The word 'bothersome' was written clear as day on Rachel's face.

“I don't think a trial by absentia would work out too well for you.”

“That's right……….I guess I don't have any other choice.”

For the time being Rachel changed from her loungewear into a walking outfit.

“……….before heading there, aren't you still too lightly dressed?”

When Sofia tried to point out the unceremoniousness of her outfit, Rachel snorted through her nose.

“I've been locked away in a prison this whole time, so it'd be strange for me to suddenly show up in formal wear. And these type of clothes are good enough if you're just going to greet someone.”

“And the real reason?”

“If I were to wear a dress, then I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep until they come get me.”

As she was saying as much, Rachel was already halfway back under her covers.

♠

The small hall was a place used for informal talks or courtesy visits, and it was in this very room that everyone was now gathered where Elliott had canceled his engagement three months ago.
Other than the King and Queen–Rachel, Elliott, and Margaret had gathered here as well. Others included the Prime Minister and the Archduke, and other major cabinet-level individuals such as the knight commander and the chief minister. Duke Ferguson and his wife were there as well.
But that was it.

“…………just this?”

Elliott's expectations were betrayed when he saw how few people there were here.
Margaret kept quiet.
Seeing the King's countenance and each person that had been gathered here, Rachel was able to guess how things were going to go.

“Hmm. We'll be having an informal trial.”

The King gave a large nod to her words.

“Now then”

The King sat down on his thrown, glancing at the faces of everyone who had gathered here.

“We are gathered here today to put an end to all the confusion that has sp.a.w.ned from Elliott breaking his engagementstupidly during that party a few months ago.”

All the va.s.sals unanimously voiced their approval. The Archduke especially breathed a sigh of relief.
As if waiting for this very moment, Elliott cut through the others as if a flame had been lit.

“Then Father, allow me to explain why the engagement was cancelled……..”

“Ah, it doesn't matter.”

A wet blanket was immediately thrown over that flame.

“…………Huh? Why?”

The King rested his chin in the palm of his hand and made his response to his son a little clearer.

“I said, I don't care about such a thing.”

“No………eh? Even if you say that it doesn't matter…….didn't you gather us here to talk about it?”

“There is nothing to talk about. I have already confirmed all the facts for this case long ago.”

The corners of his mouth moved as the King looked down on his son.

“Do you think we visited the hot springs to enjoy ourselves?”

Of course they did.

“Even as I was using the hot springs to help cure my stomach condition, I was still collecting and a.n.a.lyzing information.”

He means his subordinates were.

“So as for why we've all gathered here………..”

The King moved his legs and rearranged how he was sitting.

“The reason is so I can announce my decision on the future of the Kingdom's inheritance.”

Stunned for a moment, Elliott buckled over confused.

“P, Please wait Father! Even though you said that the circ.u.mstances behind my broken engagement don't matter……..!?”

“To be precise, should I say this is the result of the past three months?”

The King stared directly into Elliott's eyes.

“In truth, after the first two weeks I had completed my investigation on you and your friends' horseplay. I asked everyone and all of their stories matched up. There is no evidence that Miss Rachel bullied anyone. So without any solid reasoning to back it up, you abandoning your engagement and everything you did afterwards was completely unjustified.”

“That is……..!? That's wrong, because………!”

“Well then listen! After we had finished compiling our evidence, Duke Ferguson joined me at the hot springs, and we began talking about countermeasures. And so just as we were considering how to best end this issue without creating any serious problems…….we realized it wouldn't be that great of a loss.”

In front of the King's eyes, chamberlains set down a couple mountains of doc.u.ments that had been in the King's carriage with him.

“Elliott. The mountain on your left is from all the reports I received from government officials and cabinet members telling me about how each department was faring. The mountain on the right is from my people who work behind the scenes, reporting on all the information they had collected for me. And as for that center mountain nearly twice the size of the others, those are all the reports Miss Rachel made herself and sent to her father reporting on her current condition using one of her subordinates. Even though the Duke and I were in a city so far away, these reports were so well made we felt as if we knew everything that had happened because we were there to witness it.”

The King's intense gaze once again focused on Elliott.

“So, where are the reports from you?”

Elliott didn't have an answer to the King's question.

“Typically while I am away, you would send any inquiries you have to the government offices so that you're not wasting time by having to confirm every little thing with me every single day. However……..something like abandoning your engagement and changing who the future queen of this country would be, don't you think that's a major incident slightly out of your authority? You never thought to inform me of your decision, or to even explain your reasoning to me?”

“T, That is………”

Elliott cleared his throat…….and then thought for a bit before squeezing out an answer.

“………..I was going to do it all at one time later.”

“Don't talk like you were some child who procrastinated everything.”

The King picked up some doc.u.ments that a fourth chamberlain brought over on a tray to him.

“This is a summary drawing its conclusions from all these other reports, detailing everything you and your subordinates did and the consequences of those actions. There were so many, do you have any idea how hard it was boiling all this down?”

Hard for his subordinates he means.

“Reading this, it becomes easy to understand how you allow important government affairs to rot. You spent all of your time trying to find new ways to hara.s.s Miss Rachel, using up valuable resources in these asinine plots, and then always took damage from some counterattack, so you neglected your duties for nothing. And then you went ahead and did it over and over again.”

“Because Rachel is……..!”

“Miss Rachel was also almost always reacting on the spot. Even while you were off planning things on your own, she was finished after giving out a few orders and spent the rest of her time reading or napping or doing other hobbies……….i'm so jealous…….but so you weren't even capable of forcing her hand.”

As expected, the King doesn't seem to understand that Rachel has been spending her time writing BL novels either.

“Think about all the trouble you've caused for the royal palace because of how preoccupied you were with Rachel. After breaking off your engagement, did you think about anything else other than forcing Rachel to declare she gives up?”

The King's gaze locked with Elliott's only grew more severe.

“You lack the ability to understand national politics and are unable to understand what should take priority. The reports from each department are clear. Did you ever wonder how much work your mess created for the royal palace? It wouldn't be a stretch to say that the courtiers have lost all trust in the n.o.bility because of this.”

The King turned through the pages of the report he was holding.

“There was one night where you kept the whole castle up with all the noise you were making, and with the counterattack you received, the whole affair left a huge mess that the cleaning staff had to pick up. In addition, there were numerous injuries and extensive damage to equipment during that incident with Miss Evans, and the forced mobilization of the knights without permission caused major issues with the s.h.i.+ft schedule afterwards. And far beyond just the Ferguson Duke house, you've received many fierce protests because of your actions from even the houses that oppose the Duke's house………how in the world did you turn every n.o.ble family faction into your enemy when you haven't pa.s.sed even a single policy yet?”

It's because he tried to stop a strip show.

“I honestly didn't think you were this incompetent………I wanted Rachel to make up for the things you lack, but rather than asking for her help, you got picky and decided to get rid of her. If you were around the rank of an earl, perhaps if would be fine for you to marry a woman you like. However, a King isn't allowed that kind of leeway.”

“F, Father………”

Elliott looked away.

“Well, about Mother………”

“Don't interrupt me!”

“No, I was just doubting you a little. Didn't Father and Mother”

“Don't change the subject!”

“I'll send that right back to you!”

After forcibly pus.h.i.+ng aside Elliott's doubts, the King rose up from his throne.

“I remain uneasy about either of my sons inheriting the throne. To that point, Miss Rachel who fails as a human being yet has excellent stats cannot be removed for the sake of the next era's reign.”

“Who fails as a human being?”

“And so!”

“Excuse me? Are you ignoring me?”

“If Elliott refuses to marry Miss Rachel, then my second son, Prince Raymond shall become the crown prince.”

“Oiiiii, Oiiiiiii”

“That is, Father!”

“If the parent and child could please not ignore me~”

“It has already been decided!”

“That ruby on the crown is very lovely~, maybe I'll try stripping it off and bringing it home with me~”

“That's a no-go!”

After pacifying Rachel, the King clapped his hands.

“Raymond! Enter!”

Everyone's gaze turned towards the door as the King's voice rang out. And in response to his father's call, the second prince……….didn't come in.

A guard knight standing nearby fidgeted uncomfortably with everyone's attention suddenly focused on him, so he left out into the hallway to take a look around.

“Um, His Highness isn't here……….”

“But I summoned him! Where could Raymond have gone……….enough already, these brothers……….”

“Father, I'm right next to you.”

“Uwaa! You surprised me!”

If you looked closely, you could see a boy several years younger than Elliott standing near the throne.

“W, When did you come in here!”

“I've been here since the beginning.”

Everyone thought back on it………..

“Ah, I have a feeling………”

“Speaking of which, I've been here since the beginning………..”

“It seems like n.o.body noticed when he came in though………..”

In his grand debut, the second prince was worried because he didn't have much of a presence.

“But I was already in the hall when you came in………..”

Nevermind, this wasn't his grand debut after all.

As if he were just a smaller version of Elliott, Raymond was also a young, beautiful blonde-haired boy.
Rachel started wondering if the next volume of His Highness is Aiming for Me should go the shota route.

“To think someone like this was hiding inside the royal family……….”

Raymond looked over dejected at the impressed Rachel.

“I wasn't hiding. I've been standing next to my brother during almost every special event…….Big Sister Rachel, you really don't remember my face………..”

“Sorry, but rather than your face, I didn't even remember you existed.”

“I think it's amazing you can say such a careless remark to somebody else so boldly Big Sister.”

The King cleared his throat to try and regain a portion of his dignity before asking his stealthy second son a question.

“Raymond. Will you take Rachel as your wife and succeed the throne?”

The fourteen year old boy gave an immediate reply.

“Yes, absolutely!”

The boy's eyes were sparkling as he puffed out his chest.

“I never thought my turn would come around because Brother was here……….but if things are going to be like this, I will happily become the crown prince!”

Elliott was stunned by his younger brother.

“Raymond, so you were aiming for the throne! ………..even though I thought your only merit was having a thin shadow………..”

“Brother, having a thin shadow isn't a merit.”

Raymond put his hand to his chest.

“And honestly I don't care about the throne……….but if it means I can marry my beloved Big Sister Rachel, I will happily endure this position I don't want.”

prison life v2 11

“So the incidental conditions are more important!?”
The King released a loud tsukkomi at his shocking second son,

“You, you want to marry a woman like that!? You're going to see h.e.l.l!”
but Elliott's shout drowned out his words.

As his brother's words continued to echo in the hall, Raymond smiled as if in a dream.

“Since my shadow is so thin, my personal maid would oftentimes forget to pour me tea during teatime or completely disregard me whenever I called out to her………and the lovely Big Sister's continued coldness always made me tremble! Big Sister Rachel is beautiful, has big b.r.e.a.s.t.s, is really cool, has big b.r.e.a.s.t.s……….isn't she already the greatest! I've always wondered how great it would be to be ignored by someone like her. And then she says she completely forgot I had even existed………aah, what a wonderful person!”

“Pull yourself together Raymond! That coolness your talking about is just her not caring about anyone other than herself! Don't mix up a careless made with the devil Rachel! Don't think that just because it's safe to sip plum wine you can guzzle down steins of whiskey!”

“Brother, please don't wory!”

Raymond slapped his thin chest full off self-confidence.

“Even though I'm like this, my tutor still says I'm, 'The kind of guy who can learn something after hearing it ten times'.”

“Little Brother, I'm really worried about you!”

The King leaned over towards the Queen who was sitting next to him.

“Hey, what now……….the future is looking bleak no matter which son we have take over.”

“It's because of that very fact,”
The Queen used a folding fan to hid her lips
“isn't that why we insisted on Rachel being queen?”

The King clapped his hands together to gain everyone's attention again.

“Well then my friends. The engagement between Elliott and Miss Rachel has officially been broken, and Miss Rachel's new fiancee shall be my second son Raymond. And at the same time we shall recognize Raymond as the new crown prince……..Elliott meanwhile shall keep his position as a member of the royal family, and I grant him the peerage of Earl, becoming the new Earl of Reefren.

“That is………!?”

Elliott groaned.
The t.i.tle the King had handed down to him was a traditional t.i.tle pa.s.sed along the royal family for generations……..the territory holds great historical importance yet is small and poor, and if not managed correctly, its financial power would lose out to even a baron from a richer region. Honestly it was little more than a t.i.tle…….usually something added on to an Archduke's duties unless it's given to a retiring member of the royal family as a way to take some burden off the pension.

“Father! Like that, it's almost as if you're hiding me away from the world!”

“No, not almost, that's exactly what we're doing you fool! We're not going to leave someone who's lost and holds a grudge against the current administration the power to revolt. You've brought about your disinheritance through your own blunders, and even if it is just a t.i.tle, you should feel grateful you're still being treated as a member of the royal family.”

“But!?”

“Unless”

Before Elliott could protest, the King brought something forward that made the young prince cringe.

“Perhaps you wish to curry favor with Miss Rachel and get your engagement with her reinstated? Even though you continuously tried hara.s.sing her after you were the one who broke off the engagement to begin with, and even tried a.s.sa.s.sinating her last night by your very own hand? I think the scales have already swung wildly out of your favor. Although even if that were not the case, I'm sure you already understand it's quite difficult for Miss Rachel to have a positive opinion on someone?”

“d.a.m.n!?”

Abandoning Margaret and trying to win Rachel back, it was something impossible for Elliott on a psychological level………

“After that Elliott. You seem to have forgotten……..”

Since Elliott wasn't responding, the King opened up his dark past.

“When you were young, there was a trivial argument during a garden party, and the person who responded by throwing stones and a beehive at you was Miss Rachel. The Queen was charmed by that severe retaliation for such a relatively small offense which was why we forced through your two's engagement by saying it was compensation for your injuries.”

“……….then perhaps, that time when cousin Earl Grosvenor was ruthlessly beat over and over again with a club…………”

“That was Miss Rachel”

“………….then really, the person who was laughing as they threw stones at me and tried drowning me in a pond………..”

“That's just Your Highness's persecution complex. I, wasn't really laughing at that time. I just wanted to quickly finish up a boring job so I could head back and eat some dessert.”

“Killing me is a boring job!?”

“Oh my, so rude. I, am not really the type of person who finds murdering others fun. I wanted to quickly deal with Your Highness so I could head back to the buffet, but I was in trouble because you just wouldn't sink……….really, what would I have done if I had missed out on the limited cheesecake?”

“Aren't your priorities a little mixed up!?”

“I don't want to hear that from Your Highness who can't prioritize his job.”

Rachel deflected Elliott's words with an uncaring air, and so the King asked him once again.

“So, what will you do? Will you obediently retire? Or will you once again challenge Miss Rachel?”

“……….I, no………..I will………”¹

Elliott's mind was a mess, memories of long ago torment and all of his efforts over the past three months swirling together.
And so he finally stood up from his wheelchair, only to pitch forward and fall to his hands and knees in anguish……..

“………I shall become the Earl of Reefren………”

and his heart finally broke.

“Well then, now that Elliott's situation has been settled………..”

The King turned his gaze on Margaret. The baron's daughter squirmed like a worm on the floor. Early on she had tried going right up to the King and Queen's carriage to try and speak about Elliott's righteousness, and she was was subsequently a.s.saulted and tied up. She still tried to raise her objections even while gagged despite this mess.
A servant who was standing behind Margaret finally removed her gag after receiving the King's signal.

“Fuah!? Just a minute King, this isn't right!? No matter how you put it……….”

“If you don't keep quiet I'll cover your mouth with a horse harness.”

“I'll keep quiet.”

The young lady who had been bouncing around since earlier quieted down immediately, and so the King was able to ask her a question.

“Well then, the n.o.ble daughter of Baron Poisson. The requirements to being a prince…….what do you think they are?”

Margaret tilted her head to the side while twirling around her twintails.

“Umm………a good face?”

“…………anything else?”

“Hmm……….money?”

“…………..and?”

“More!? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm……………ah, his horse should be white.”

The King turned his gaze back towards everyone else.

“As you can see, since this girl grew up as a commoner for the most part, she is lacking a bit in aristocratic knowledge.”

“It sounds like there's a more fundamental problem………..”

Ignoring the Prime Minister's doubts, the King pointed down at Margaret.

“We can't just leave the person responsible for all this turmoil alone. And so you shall be forced to take on an apprentices.h.i.+p² for an indefinite amount of time to an influential n.o.ble family.”

“Fue!? That's all?”

Margaret was shocked. After seeing Elliott tossed aside like that, she was wondering what would become of a half-commoner like her………even an airheaded girl like her understood that much.

“Mhm. We've already confirmed everything with Duke Ferguson. It seems his daughter has already become quite attached to you.”

Everyone in attendance took a moment to think about the meaning behind the King's words.

Reality suddenly struck Margaret.

“Isn't that Rachel!? You're just using pretty words to say I'm going to be Rachel's toy!?”

“What are you saying? They've expressed a willingness to teach you some proper manners.”

“You're still just using pretty words!? My main job will be acting as Rachel's toy!”

The King sighed.

“That's right……….it's better to just come out and say these kinds of things.”

“What is it?”

“Mm. Miss Rachel's feelings can't be settled down after this mess that Elliott made just by abusing him you know? So we're offering you up to her as a human sacrifice instead.”

“Is it fine to just come out and say that!? And to begin with, I'm a minor. You need parental permission whether it be an apprentices.h.i.+p or a human sacrifice! And Mama will never give out permission for this!”

After listening to Margaret's cries, the King gave a signal.

“Pardon my rudeness, but I am obliged as a va.s.sal.”

Rachel's personal maid, Sofia walked in.

“Baron Poisson, he and his wife have already given their permission for the young lady's apprentices.h.i.+p.”

“That's stupid!? Mama isn't so stupid as to not understand the meaning of this!”

But Papa is?

“Yes, and for that reason I've been entrusted with this letter.”

Sofia withdrew an envelope.

“Ehem. My beloved Margaret. I traveled to Duke Ferguson's mansion where I heard from His Majesty about your apprentices.h.i.+p. I hesitated at first, but finally I gave my approval.”

“A lie!? That's a lie!”

“After all, they said they would give us three days worth of platinum tickets for premium box seats to Adam's stage if I were to sign the consent forms. I couldn't possibly pa.s.s that up right? Ciao, and do your best studying manners.………….is all she wrote.”

Margaret listened to the whole story, but instead of wriggling around like before, this time she started bas.h.i.+ng her head against the floor.

“She decided to accept after those were taken out!? Adam's stage!? Even I would have been happy to sell two, maybe three daughters for something like that! I mean they're my rights, so let me sell them for those tickeeeeeeeeeeeets!! Please let me go just for one daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!”

“Then, you understand you'll be taking part in this apprentices.h.i.+p?”

“Yeah, but I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaate it! I understand her reasoning, but I don't want to goooooooooooo!”

Margaret suddenly stopped and glanced over at Rachel. Right now Rachel was making a never before seen radiant smile with her arms spread wide open in greeting.

“Welcome~!”

“Just like I thoughttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!”

Archduke Vivaldi breathed a sigh of relief.

“So it's finally finished?”

The Prime Minister had all of his built up tension leave his body all at once.

“That's right…………..”

“No more Enriques being eaten?”

“That's right”

“No more monkeys eating apples?”

“That's right!”

The two men embraced each other crying tears of joy.

“…………Uncle, what happened?”

Not everything had found its way into the King's report.

“Hmm, with this everything is finished.”

The King spoke his satisfaction…………not noticing the evil that lurked behind him.

“Robert”

The King turned around…………and found d.u.c.h.ess Somerset and Countess Marlborough there waiting for him.

“If it isn't Auntie. Sorry for the delay in greeting…………”

“I don't care about that.”

d.u.c.h.ess Somerset was holding a literal teaching cane in her hands.

“Robert. During this incident I'm sure there is a story behind why your judgement, instructions, and communications skills were so lacking.”

“No Auntie!? That's why…………!?”

“Let's hear it. Back!”

The d.u.c.h.ess took a swing, her cane cutting through the air like a sharpened blade.

“Or perhaps………..you'd like to take your pants off here and now?”

♠

Although the King's judgement had been handed down, the small hall was still bustling with activity……….and Rachel watched all of it with a fleeting smile.

Would the engagement cancellation be over with this?
As long as the current punishment is followed through, then the situation should return to normal. So now it was just a matter of what was to come.

Rachel quietly backed away from all the rest of the preoccupied gathered people.

“My role here, it too, is done.”

And so……….

Quietly making her way out onto the terrace, Rachel gave one more quick glance back at everyone while smiling.

Everyone, I already………….it's fine now for me to go back to the one I love now right?

“Ah, good grief……….hey Rachel, let's head out from here and go home………….Rachel?”

Fed up with all the noise inside the hall, the Duke thought it was about time to call his daughter and head home. This would be the first time in three months that Rachel's been out of prison as well. She's probably homesick.

………..or so he thought.

“Rachel?”

When the Duke turned towards Rachel, he found n.o.body standing where she had been……….only a pair of large curtains swaying in the wind from an opened window.

“RACHEL!”

“Nn~”

Rachel happily turned over in bed while ignoring her father's shouts.

“Hey, Rachel! Wake up!”

“Nnn……..what is it, even though somebody is sleeping so comfortably…………”

“No 'what is it'! Wake up Rachel!”

Duke Ferguson started shaking the iron bars of the prison cell.
Even though everyone else was still embroiled in the uproar of everything ending, the n.o.ble girl who was supposed to be at the center of this story suddenly disappeared.
There was a quick search……….and she was found sleeping back in her cell. What was this girl thinking? The Duke didn't know, but seeing Rachel's happy sleeping face brought out a bit of anger.

“Everything's been taken care of, so why are you back in the dungeon!? Get out of there already!”

“Don't wanna.”

“Wha…………”

The Father's angry voice was completely blocked by his foolish daughter.
Rachel lifted up her comforter, disappearing further down into its hold while enjoying the soft, velvety feel of her bed.

“Right now, I just want to avoid all the hindrances and enjoy my tryst with the one I love. And you're being a boorish hindrance…………..”

“Tryst?”

The Duke tilted his head to the side as his daughter started saying something strange, but Sofia having been quiet up until now stepped forward and calmly asked.

“My Lady, the one that you love…………perhaps, is it your bed?”

“That's right………we love each other so deeply…………Zzz”

“You and your bed love each other, don't come out and say such stupid things!”

“I'm not lying though~”

Rachel lifted her comforter completely over her head, and you could just barely make out her m.u.f.fled voice.

“When everything started I was just sleeping on a cus.h.i.+on………..but I realized after switching to a bed. Ah, this is so much more comfortable.”

“That's obvious! Of course it is!”

“When I thought about it………my bed has been warmly supporting me ever since I was born.”

“That's what they're made for!”

“During both sleepy times and sad times, my bed always gently held me without saying anything………..”

“I can't even say anything anymore…….”

Even with her Father unable to tsukkomi anymore, Rachel rolled over in her bed and went on having not been paying him any attention to begin with.

“And so, I reaffirmed by appreciation for my bed over these long three months. I already no longer need something like a queen's education. So please do not disturb this lovey dovey time between two people.”

“So in short, you're just skipping out on your cla.s.ses again!? Oi Sofia. You too, say something to this stupid girl!”

On the Duke's orders, Sofia looked into the bed covers.

“My Lady, are you happy?”

“Un.”

For a short while Sofia thought about something while staring off into s.p.a.ce,
“I see. Then best regards.”
and then stopped thinking about it entirely.

“Why are you just going with it!? Aren't you going to try convincing her at least a little!?”

“My Lady's happiness is my happiness.”

“All of you look like you're capable, buy aren't you all just worthless junk!? Oi Rachel, get up!”

“Zzz.”

The Duke turned back to the Prison Guard who was trying to keep his distance.

“Oi, you forcibly drag her out! Use the key and open it up!”

“Um………..”

Hearing the Duke's order, the Prison Guard scratched his head.

“That is……….”

“What?”

“When the young lady came back, she said something along the lines of, 'From now on it will be the person inside the cell's duty to watch over the key,' and then confiscated it from me……….”

“Didn't you think that was strange!? Isn't it!? What type of prison has the prisoners watch over the keys!?”

“No, of course I thought it was strange……….”

The Prison Guard looked off into the distance as if he had somehow reached enlightenment.

“But it's pointless to try and go against that young lady………..”

“Why is everyone around Rachel like this!?”

Something hit the raging Duke's knees. When he looked down, he found the monkey that his daughter had said looked cute holding up an apple for him.

“If you take this, would you mind forgiving us and forgetting we were here?”

“Enough already, everyone around Rachel…………..!?”

With the shouts of her father creating some soothing background music, Rachel rolled back around on her warm bed, falling into a deep sleep with a happy smile on her face.

It seems like the n.o.blewoman's slow prison life will continue on for just a bit longer.

1. Elliott switched from the boyish 'boku' to the more formal 'watas.h.i.+' here. He's probably remembering the spanking he got from a couple chapters ago.

2. The 'apprentices.h.i.+p' they're using here is more specific in j.a.panese. It's referring to somebody who takes cla.s.ses from an aristocrat in how to properly behave/manners.