Free Web NovelChapter 165: Underground Prison
Tomorrow, Shin would take me to see Jeely on the condition that he would always be present during our talk. I readily agreed to that, knowing that there was no point in trying to negotiate. Shin was someone that I trust as well, so it wasn’t like I had things to keep away from him. I would probably feel more secured and reassured if he was there with me as well. I spent some time before bed praying that something good would come out of my meeting with Jeely tomorrow.
The morning arrived and after getting ready, I met Shin in the living room in my palace. He was early while I was roughly on time. Just as expected, I didn’t get a good night’s sleep the night before. Naturally, I was worried and stressed over my meeting with Jeely. Although I had pushed so hard for it, when it came down to it, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to say to her. Rather, I wasn’t sure how I would handle her reactions or the things that she would have to say.
“Are you ready to go?” Shin asked when he saw me enter the room.
“Yes. Thank you once again for helping me out with this,” I replied with a small smile.
“I’m not helping you out. I’m just following Ren’s orders. If he hadn’t ordered it, there’s no way that I would take you...” Shin replied, a little too honestly.
“That’s why...I appreciate your help even more...” I replied softly.
Without further delays, Shin escorted me to a carriage. That was when I realized that the prison must be a distance from here. I guess, that shouldn’t be surprising. Since we had time together in the carriage during the ride, Shin decided to get a conversation going and the topic that he chose to bring up was...
“So, how did you convince Ren to allow you to visit Jeely?” Shin asked with interest.
“Umm...I begged him multiple times...and then I sat and bowed my head to the ground. I told him that if he wouldn’t allow it then I wouldn’t get up...” I confessed my deeds to Shin a little shyly.
Shin looked at me in astonishment before laughing softly. I could see why he would have that reaction.
“You’re quite bold. Having you around Ren might be a good thing...” Shin said thoughtfully.
“How so?” I asked, curiously.
“To keep him in check...” Shin replied without a second thought.
“I see...” I mumbled.
“You managed to make up with him, right?” Shin asked.
Shin is always so perceptive. I could see why he has the position that he has and it’s not just because he was born with the right father either. This man is extremely sharp. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was anything that Shin didn’t know.
“Yes...I think I did...” I replied honestly.
At least, I was able to tell Ren that I had planned to stay. He seemed to believe me this time as well and he did promise to take care of me. It wasn’t a love confession or a proposal of any sort but...it was more than enough for me...
“That’s good to hear. That would be the best for you both,” Shin said with satisfaction and relief.
“What do you mean by that exactly?” I asked.
“Well, Ren surely seems happier when you’re around. Everyone benefits a lot when he’s having a good day. Of course, that applies to me as well. As for you, I think you enjoy being with Ren too, don’t you?” Shin said with a bright smile.
“I guess...” I whispered. Maybe he was right.
“After visiting Jeely, I guess it’s high time I return to work and train at the hospital,” I said thoughtfully.
“Yes, it’s going to get busier there...” Shin said softly.
“Why is that?” I asked, quickly catching on to his words. free𝑤ebnovel.com
“Umm...it’s just a guess. Don’t worry about it,” Shin said lightly.
I cocked my head to the side in wonder. Shin, does he know something?
We arrived at a very small building on the outskirts of the palace grounds. The building was surrounded by thick forests and heavily guarded. The building was so small that it surprised me. Were there not a lot of prisoners kept here?
“The main prison is underground...” Shin explained as if he could read my thoughts.
“Underground?” I said in surprise.
“Correct. The small building here just serves as an entrance to the underground prison. Only prisoners from the palace grounds are kept here. Everyone from maids, concubines all the way up to court officials that are convicted will be imprisoned here,” Shin continued to explain.
“I see...” I mumbled as I followed him into the bleak building.
The guards bowed immediately when they saw Shin before unlocking and opening the gates and then the doors for us. Wordlessly, I followed Shin inside where he led me down countless flights of stairs until we had reached the underground prison. It was very humid, and it smelled very moldy there. I grew up living in the forest, so I was used to these types of conditions, but I still had to say that it was extremely unpleasant down there.
We walked past various empty prison cells until we arrived at a larger cell at the end of the hallway. This must be Jeely’s cell. Shin nodded at me, signally that we had arrived at our destination. The guards that were following behind us bowed and left Shin and me.
“Jeely...I’m here to see you,” I said softly.
There was complete silence as no one spoke and no one moved. After a short while, I could hear the sound of metal clinking and being dragged across the floor before Jeely came into view. I gasped at the sight of her condition. It had been only one day and one night but the prison conditions had already taken its toll on Jeely’s body and spirit.
Her face and eyes were puffy from crying and her hair was a mess. The prisoner uniform that she had on was dirty. Her complexion was unclear and had lost all of its previous radiance. Overall, she no longer looked like the Jeely that I once knew. Once she opened her mouth to speak, I found out that it wasn’t only her physical appearance that had changed.
“Are you here to make a joke out of me?” Jeely spat at me when she approached the bars that separated us.
--To be continued...
