Free Web NovelChapter 268: Chapter 268 Competition for Superior Position_1
Aiden was still at a loss for words due to Ophelia’s actions when Veronica had already taken action.
She handed over the prisoner who had risen to use the bathroom to Isabella’s supervision, and walked straight in between the two himself, first looking at Ophelia, "What’s going on here?" freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
"This bitch is provoking me, holding that thing and not stopping to tell me if she should give it to me after she’s done, to use as a teabag," Ophelia pointed at the prisoner and said.
Aiden couldn’t help but laugh silently from outside the window; for the Blood Clan, this was quite an offensive racial joke. He was impressed that Ophelia managed to hold back.
The prisoner began to speak sarcastically, "Wow! Truly worthy of the noble Blood Clan prince, telling on someone to the teacher—"
Veronica swiftly turned around, her piercing gaze cutting off the prisoner’s words.
"Did I call on you to speak?" Veronica asked coldly.
The prisoner immediately shivered; Veronica did have a strong deterrent effect on most of the core area prisoners.
"No..." the prisoner swallowed.
"When I’m asking questions, do not interrupt me, and there had better not be a next time. You know what will happen," Veronica warned, enunciating each word, "Now speak, what is this about?"
At that moment, Aiden felt he saw a reflection of himself in Veronica—this girl had learned well, and in terms of fierceness and deterrence, she had even surpassed him.
With Veronica there, it seemed there was no need for him as the warden to step in and resolve the issue himself.
"I was just... just making a joke, ah hahaha..." The prisoner realized the gravity of the situation and forced a laugh. frёewebnoѵēl.com
"So it really did happen, didn’t it?" Veronica said expressionlessly, then looked at other prisoners in the nearby area, "Is that right?"
The other prisoners nodded their heads silently as if they were faced with a chilling frost.
"You’ve got guts, causing trouble in my territory?" Veronica turned her gaze back to the prisoner who had provoked Ophelia.
"Ouch, officer, is it necessary to be so serious? It was just a joke..." the prisoner tried to smooth things over with a laugh.
"This is working hours. When you’re in the workshop, if I say you can’t talk, then you can’t talk. And you use racial jokes to provoke? Did you not see me standing above when your eyes looked up..." Veronica spoke slowly, "Or did the regulations you learned when you got imprisoned leak out of your mind?"
It was common for prisoners in the core area to verbally provoke each other, but provocations that hinted at racial discrimination could incite violent crimes or even collective riots, which would be very easy to escalate into brawls even in the general area; hence they were explicitly prohibited in the regulations.
"I... I didn’t..." the prisoner stammered stiffly in defense.
"Stay half an hour after the morning shift ends to clean the bathrooms, and after that, you may eat," Veronica announced the punishment, "Did you understand?"
"But officer..."
"I’m asking if you understood," Veronica repeated.
"Understood," the other party completely deflated.
With her vengeance satisfied, Ophelia’s mouth curled into a pleased smile.
"Then continue with work!" After giving the order, Veronica turned and glanced towards the window here.
Aiden silently gave her a thumbs-up as a sign of approval.
Veronica smiled back and returned to the front of the workshop.
After lunch, it was time for a walk outside.
The prisoners from the core area walked around the yard since it was the rare occurrence of an overcast day, and even Ophelia came out to walk for a bit, then sat down on a bench beside the iron fence.
Soon after, Aiden showed up behind her during his inspection, speaking to her through the iron bars, "It seems you’ve really turned over a new leaf."
Ophelia immediately turned around and frowned upon seeing Aiden, "What do you want?"
"I happened to witness what went down in the workshop this morning, and, honestly, it really startled me. Is this the Ophelia I know?" Aiden said with a teasing smile.
"What’s that supposed to mean?" Ophelia retorted with a stony look.
"The old you wouldn’t let even minor racial provocations slide without a fight, let alone a few teasing words. Finally learning to follow the rules—I’m quite pleased," Aiden smiled.
"Screw that, I just can’t be bothered to argue," Ophelia turned her head away.
"You have a long sentence, but there are actually many opportunities for reduction... as long as you keep following the rules," Aiden spoke slowly.
He could tell that Ophelia had undergone a significant change in her mindset, and though she still wore a foul expression in his presence, she seemed to have lost that inexplicable sense of superiority that came with seeing herself as royalty of the blood clan.
At least, he hadn’t heard her arrogant declaration of "This prince" anymore.
"I don’t need your preaching. I know exactly what I have to do," Ophelia said with irritation.
"You have two visitations a week, and in three days your brother will probably come to see you again..."
"I don’t know this person, my whole family is dead," Ophelia felt angry just thinking about the morning’s events.
"If you don’t see him, you won’t even have the chance to curse him out," Aiden persuaded.
"Mind your own business and get lost. Every time I talk to you, it just brings bad luck!" Ophelia waved her hand dismissively.
Aiden chuckled, preparing to walk away with his hands behind his back.
"Hey, wait a second!" Ophelia suddenly turned her head and called after him.
Aiden, about to turn away, gave her a glance, "What is it?"
"I remember you said that being your enforcer could lead to a sentence reduction, didn’t you?" Ophelia asked Aiden.
"Don’t make it sound like I’m some mob boss," Aiden replied, "I do select exemplary inmates to work for me, you should know that from the time you acted as a mole."
Ophelia remembered it clearly, of course, since she was forcefully brought back by three inmates on red alert during her escape, and then betrayed by Asenna and Daili during Meiruki’s slave uprising.
"...Any vacancies?" Ophelia asked after a moment’s silence.
"Hmm?" Aiden raised an eyebrow.
"I’m asking if you’re still hiring!" Ophelia raised her voice slightly.
"Why, are you looking to climb the ranks?" Aiden couldn’t help but smirk.
The notorious troublemaker who never seemed to settle down in prison was now actively vying for a job as his enforcer.
"I just don’t want to spend over a hundred and fifty years in a hellhole like this. Who could stand being around a jerk like you for so long?" Ophelia kept a cold face, "I can fight better than those others, don’t be ungrateful."
"A hundred and fifty years, I won’t even live that long," Aiden said with a helpless smile, "I have my criteria for selecting people, and it’s not just about being able to fight. If you want to work for me in exchange for a sentence reduction, at least become an exemplary inmate first."
"So troublesome..." Ophelia turned her face away.
"Everything has to follow rules, this is a prison." Aiden turned to leave, "I’ll tentatively take note of your application. Now show me you can behave."
