Slow Prison Life Chapter 7

For a short chapter, this one sure gave me a lot of trouble. Have a good day everyone.

As Elliott had said, he didn't arrange any meals for Rachel to have.
This was of course hara.s.sment for making him retreat under the threat of a weapon.
But this wasn't the primary objective. He had decided to bring this down to a test of endurance, and after being weakened through a lack of meals, she would yield and lower her head to him.

Instead of any meals being given to Rachel, the prison guard would eat the food every day in front of her cell. It was the strategy of fueling Rachel's hunger by having the delicious prison food that was originally meant for her eaten right in front of her.
No matter how extraordinary Rachel was, she couldn't live without food. And so it was a fear of having nothing to eat that would bring about the Prince's victory. She would quickly get discouraged. So Elliott showed his confidence.

That's why.

The prison guard was sitting at his desk in front of the iron bars, raving about eating the meal he himself had brought.

“Aiya, for you n.o.ble families even black bread has a different taste! The texture is so smooth, there is almost no acidity in the taste, and it smells so fresh!”

The prison guard was giving a review of the menu, using a monotone voice as if he were an incompetent gourmet reporter. But it was still effective for the n.o.blewoman inside the prison where Rachel was moaning about her own meal.

“It's nice having oatmeal, but as I thought there's not enough powdered milk after all……there are raisins though, so it's still fine.”
“And this grilled chicken breast! Although it has gotten cold, the taste has completely soaked in, un. Aiya aiya this, isn't this too extravagant for a prisoner?”
“If it's food that pops, then mine certainly has a strong taste as well…….but this roasted duck, its meat has become hardened after being pickled in the sauce. Well, this is the limit of canned food I suppose.”
“…….And it's even lucky enough to get dessert! Un, this orange is a little sour, but it's still good!”
“Ah, this white peach pickled in syrup is pretty good. It's lacking in raw, fresh taste, but this different kind of sweetness is still good.”

Rachel was eating out of some cans she had brought with her at a folding table and chair set up in her cell, and she smiled sweetly when her eyes met with the silent prison guard.

“After all it's preserved food, so the taste isn't that great. It seems Mr. prison guard had a satisfying meal that I am envious of though.”
“HaHaHaHah! Well, if you're feeling envious then apologize to the Prince as soon as possi……ble, Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait!”

The prison guard jumped up to his feet, hitting his foot against the desk, and creating a loud clamor as the metal tray and dishes bounced off the stone floor. With slightly watery eyes the prison guard started yelling at the iron bars.

“Don't say things that don't match with your heart!”
“My, because it looked like Mr. prison guard was having such a delicious meal, I just wanted to match with you in spirit and share a conversation.”
“Just like a n.o.ble, is your only skill getting on people's nerves!?”
“Ah, was it the lunch menu? Then I'll have to start thinking about making arrangements around Mr. prison guard's menu~.”
“Fine! Is hara.s.sment all that can come out of your mouth!? Hara.s.sment needs hara.s.sment in return!”
“Well, that's no good! n.o.bles, they don't fight in the same ring.”
“Pretending to fight fair and square, they don't get directly involved and have others perform their back-handed dirty tactics……..”
“Isn't that what your job is right now?”

For this n.o.blewoman who was saying whatever she wanted, the prison guard angrily thrust a finger towards her.

“Is it fine!? You, do you think you can last like this!?”
“Oh scary.”
“Those preserved meals you brought will eventually run out! After you get hungry and bow your head, do you think the Prince will consider taking your hand!?”
As he continued to scream……..the prison guard's eyes gradually drifted to the large stack of crates piled up in one corner of the prison.

……..that, possibly for months………?

After the prison guard's report, the meal showcase strategy was inevitably abandoned.

“d.a.m.n! d.a.m.n! Daaaaaaaaaaaamn!”

The beautiful Prince had unleashed his anger, hideously twisting his face in a way that should never be shown. He was in a place where others could see, and Sykes, the head of the knights, and George, the Duke's eldest son, both took a deep breath and shared a look. A few servants that were unlucky enough to be in the room at the time were also there, trying to eliminate their presence by sticking close to the wall.
For now, it was clear to see that Rachel was skilled.
Prince Elliott continued to stamp his foot on the ground, but he who was wholly incompetent couldn't figure out what next to do after everything that had happened. Generally hunger strikes occur inside prisons, but he was now faced with the opposite problem of his starvation tactics being circ.u.mvented because of an insane amount of stockpiled food.

“Rachel……rather than crying out in hunger, we'll hara.s.s her with spices that would make the meals even more delicious!”
“According to the prison guards report, it seems there is enough room in her menu for……..”
“Can we cut off her water supply!? If she's unable to freely drink water, then there would be nothing else she could do!”
“In order to do that we would have to destroy the path that the water supply runs through. And if we were to do that wrong, then half the royal palace would become flooded.”
“Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!”

The Prince was going crazy from Rachel's first counter. His durability was a little weak.

“What would you like done?”

Towards Sykes's question, spit out an order.

“Enough, leave her be except for the occasional patrol! That guy will just give her some entertainment if he clumsily goes after her!”

The Prince made an unusually well thought out plan George thought…….although he'd never say that aloud. The Prince then approached George with a blood vessel pulsing at his temple.

“George, can you hold down Duke Ferguson?”

The foolishness came right back around, and George shook his head inside his heart. Well, he had predicted that his older sister would work on the Prince's nerves at least this much though.

“In any case, there is no way for us to take out the goods all ready inside for now. Well, no matter what he says I'll make sure the Duke my father cannot provide any more support.”
“Hmm. Rachel has been able to prepare for this life alone because the financial strength and amount of resources behind the Duke is incomparable. Once she discovers that the Duke has been held down, and her home has become her enemy, Rachel will surely lose heart. Be sure to do it.”
“Hah!”

It was beyond these two's imagination that Rachel hadn't in fact made use of the Duke's resources and done all of this through her own means.
To make matters worse for Elliott and George, there was something else that they couldn't have expected. The fact that the Duke and his wife had all ready given up on George, their family's heir.

After that, a few days pa.s.sed.
In the afternoon when the prison guard was on his patrol, Rachel made the unusual move of calling out to him herself.

“Mr. prison guard”
“Hm? What. Has your head cooled down a little?”
“Although I believe it's His Highness who needs to cool his head.”
“…….What is it?”

Looking as if she hasn't had to bear anything at all, Rachel was holding a sweet smelling can with a spoon inside it. It seems she was eating dessert just now.

“Mr. prison guard is, are you no longer eating three meals a day here?”
“Ah, that plan was canceled. Far from doing any damage to you, I ended up looking like an idiot talking to you.”
“That's it.”

Rachel looked cute while tilting her head to the side and making a troubled face.

“Eating a meal by myself just isn't enough.”
“Hoh……You're cheeky, but you can say some cute things.”
“Without being able to see Mr. prison guard's tearful face, I can't feel like I won, and the meal doesn't taste as delicious.”
“You bully! Go quietly read your book!”
“Yes, that!”
“Shut up!”