Slow Prison Life

Noblewoman Lazes Through the Day

Rachel stirred as the morning sun hit her face, and she awoke.

Unlike a wise man she inelegantly raised her body that was buried in the soft cushions of her sofa, and began rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands for a while. Rachel wasn’t proud to admit that her ability to wake up wasn’t that great.

…….In addition, she had been concerned about the continuation of the novel she had been reading last night, so she had stayed up late.

“……..It’s useless……..I can’t get up.”

Right now, there was nothing that could be done.

Rachel had already turned over on top of the sofa, and with her back to the sun, she let sleep take her once again.

♠

Elliot awoke after a fierce impact struck his futon.

“Wh-what’s going on!?”

Sykes was standing before him, holding a blanket with a blunt look on his face.

“Your Highness, it’s already time to get up.”

“Like this, isn’t this too sudden!? Mou, aren’t there better ways to do it!?”

“No, that is……”

Looking at the those gathered around Sykes, there was the head maid and a second team of maids already doing some of the cleaning.

“Ah……..”

He had been pushed to act by these people.

Even if he were to ignore Sykes, the next stage would be harassment from the sound of the head maid barking out orders, and the unfamiliar sound of cleaning going on around him.

Elliott understood there was no chance for him to forcibly choose to go back to sleep, so he begrudgingly slid off his bed.

♠

Having slept until midday, Rachel brewed herself some tea, and with the lightly tasting drink in hand, she started opening up some wooden boxes.

“What shall we do for today’s brunch…..”

While looking over the canned food organized by type,  Rachel, “I had fish yesterday……” was thinking about what to have while talking to herself. Well, in truth there weren’t that many types to be had though.

You have to watch what you eat since prison life doesn’t allow for much exercising, so with the menu assembled accordingly, she had to carefully make a decision……..in other words, she had some free-time and was idling it away.

“It’s fun deciding a menu for yourself.”

Her menu was decided, but not yet created.

♠

Because yesterday was spent running around and goofing off, today’s schedule was even harsher under stricter surveillance.

“…..Oi, isn’t this too much for just going to the toilet?”

So Elliott complained, but the tough civil servant shook his head.

“Yesterday you left the room saying, ‘I’m going to the toilet,’ and then never came back to the room until nightfall.”

“……..That was, well, that’s…….the toilet wasn’t available, and I was looking for another!”

“Your Highness’s personal toilet was already in use?”

After returning from the toilet, officials from each department guard the windows and doorways with documents in hand.

“So Your Highness, already those documents that were to be approved this morning are late. We won’t have time to take lunch in the dining room, so we’ve prepared you a sandwich.”

“With no break!?”

“You slept well enough yesterday…………..?”

♠

Rachel grew tired of reading, so she began knitting instead.

“Hmm, it’s nice doing it……..but what should I knit?”

The Jack of all trades Rachel, she had the means, but had to first decide what she wanted to do with them.

“Thinking about it…..in the first place, it’s the season to make something out of yarn………..”

The realization at her own lack of preparation had left her astonished.

“So then, let’s go with a scarf for George.”

♠

Elliott was buried under documents.

“Your Highness……how’s the progress?”

When George timidly called out to him, Elliott responded in a weak voice.

“I don’t understand any of this. How long until it’s over……..”

Elliott was speaking to his secretary who continued to pass over one document after another.

“Oi, how much more is there?”

The official answered emptily while quickly readjusting his glasses.

“Your Highness, ask me again after you’ve finally done a majority of the work for the day.

♠

Rachel set down her knitting needles and looked out at the peaceful afternoon light and calming winds.

“It’s nice, this comfort………”

Already, knitting was impossible.

“It’s such good weather for a nap!”

Rachel excitedly prepared the cushions on her couch, but when she covered herself with the blanket, she suddenly realized something.

“Wait a moment……….sleeping in the afternoon, isn’t this the strongest!?”

Rushing over to open a wooden box, she opened a bottle of plum wine.

“Just a bit……….un, just a little bit.”

Despite what she was saying, Rachel happily poured herself a cup of wine without holding back, savoring the taste as the moderately pink liquid poured into her mouth, and the sweetness of the alcohol stimulated the tip of her tongue.

♠

Elliott looked on to the political affairs that wouldn’t end with disgust as a tantrum began brewing inside him.

“Completely……this good weather while I’m indoors arranging documents, even all these civil officials are thinking about it.”

Elliott began mumbling to himself while staring out at the garden. George and Sykes were both standing behind him, yet they simultaneously looked away nonetheless.

“As was said, the office work has to be done even when the weather is so nice.”

“And in the reverse, us members of the chivalric order have to go out even in bad weather.”

“Idiot, that’s the type of excuse for adults! Aren’t I still in the apprenticeship stage before being an adult? So I should be given a curriculum suitable for my level.”

“That’s right……….”

“Absolutely, to overwork a minor for profit…….that would violate child welfare laws!”

“…………..child……….?”

The dissatisfied looking aides were leaving it alone.

Elliott switched his mind, and he began thinking about what to do after this.

“Now, maybe I’ll take a stroll around the garden and kill some time.”

Maybe Margaret will come around at just the right time, Elliott walked into the garden thinking such………..and a filthy group was there waiting opposite of him.

Inside the group was the assistant head of the knights order with several of what appeared to be apprentice knights bowing down to him.

“We have been waiting for you. Now then, please head to the training ground!”

“Huh? You guys, what are you saying…….”

While Elliott had no idea what was going on, Sykes came up from behind, giving praise with his chest stuck out.

“Since Your Highness was saying what a crime it would be to be stuck inside with such beautiful weather, I pulled some strings and allowed you to join in with the practice of the knight’s order!”

“So that’s why it was so easy to get those civil officials to release me!? No, I didn’t mean this type of thing……..!?”

“Your Highness said it yourself, and I for one look up to your dedication!”

“Now then, prepare yourself!”

“Hold on………”

Elliott was thusly taken away be the muscle brains.

♠

Because nobody was there to saying anything, when Rachel finally arose from her nap, the remaining red light of the sunset was just about to disappear.

Hurriedly lighting her lamp, the room regained its light before it subsided into darkness completely.

“I overslept…….”

Rachel was feeling truly remorseful.

“……..if my sleep was just a little deeper, I wouldn’t have gotten up until morning” the Rachel who completely lacks discipline thought.

“Well, what should I have for dinner?”

Rachel thought about it for a moment before pulling out a large can. This evening’s main dish for dinner would be boiled white fish with garlic oil.

After opening up the can and preparing it over the alcohol lamp, she brought out the potatoes she had and dexterously cut them into thin slices. Place the cut up potatoes into the can, and with the fish riding on top, kick up the heat of the fire.

“Fufufufufufu, I have increased my cooking skill to such an extent! The flavor of the oil from the potatoes will be sucked up and make it even more delicious! Ah, I want to inform all of humanity about this discovery of the century……”

Ignorant to the ways of the world, the young noblewoman had no one there to tell her that this was a well-known technique for all humanity already.

What was known was exactly the type of alcohol that would best compliment tonight’s dish, and while watching over the boiling of her meal, she chose the most suitable one.

The piping hot fish boiled in potato oil had to be blown on before it could be put in her mouth. The noblewoman’s mind left her for a second as the taste spread through her mouth, and “MMmmmmm!” couldn’t hold herself back from crying out in pure pleasure.

“Ah……..to be able to say that I can make such dishes myself, I am evolving remarkably. Also, I said I would be able to live by myself and was right.”

And while the taste of her meal was still dancing on her lips, she quickly drained the cup of white wine in her hand.

“The taste of the fish and garlic was washed away by the refreshingly sour taste of the white wine…..there’s nothing to endure!”

Rachel was satisfied with the taste of the dish she had prepared for herself. Thinking about the cuisine (?) for her menu had to be done since she was living alonein prison now. All thanks to the Idiot Prince.

The noblewoman tapped her snow white cheek with the tip of her finger………and then gave a breathless sigh.

“Delicious food, delicious alcohol. And if some drunkenness comes around, I can fall over directly onto my cushions! It’s perfect!”

A remarkable Lady capable of overturning a bad situation, she was able to absolutely enjoy her dinner.

♠

As expected for dinner, there was no case of being told to eat while working.

Because Elliott’s dinner was a private matter, he had a small dining room close to his room, (Although the table was large enough for at least ten people to eat there), and so he took his seat as the guest of honor wobbling with a sore body.

“……today was terrifying…..”

To the trembling Elliott, George and Sykes added words of comfort from their places to his left and right.

“We’ve managed to work through a bit of the document processing, thank you for your great contributions Your Highness.”

“And the assistant head knight also praised you for trying so hard, Your Highness!”

“Is that so……”

A green pea potage¹ was the first dish to be served, and Elliott picked up his fork.

“……….you didn’t say that I did good work……..”

“……….”

“……….”

They were two close friends who couldn’t tell subtle lies.

The dining table was silent except for the noise of Elliott slurping his soup…….something that sounded hollow on the ear.

“Ah, even so…….”

Elliott brought the bowl up to his face and drank the last remaining dregs from the bowl.

“I want to see Margaret! Whenever I feel like this, Margaret’s bottomless brightness is needed! George, is Margaret not coming today!?”

Even though the sun was setting, what was the Prince saying at this point?

While the Prince was shouting out, scratching his head over where his beloved was, George and Sykes turned their faces to each other looking surprised.

“…….Your Highness, what are you saying…..?”

“Doing only things that you aren’t used to, I wonder if you’ve tired yourself out too much……”

“………..why you, what’s with that response?”

George and Sykes looked at each other again.

In reality, other than this evening, there was a reason why these two were so confused.

“Because…….”

“………what?”

“So, what!?”

George pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his middle finger while making a strange face.

“Margaret won’t be able to come to the royal palace today or tomorrow as she is on a family trip, weren’t you just yesterday saying that you were dying from loneliness?”

“I told you before I’m going to go see my Mama, and I’ll get to see Cold Wall Falls while I’m there too! Ehehe, I’ll be sure to bring back a souvenir for Your Highness!”

A pretty girl whose red hair was tied up in twin tails had said this the day before……..

“Didn’t she say that only yesterday!?”

“What are you talking about at this time!?”

The cutlery Elliott was holding in both of his hands dropped to the floor.

“No good……..I’m not confident I can live like this anymore…….I will die if I cannot look upon Margaret’s laughing face…….”

“Just from not seeing her for three days!? How much do you depend on her Your Highness!?”

“Hey Your Highness, how long is this story going to go on for? Can I eat my dinner first?”

“I can’t meet her again for three days!? That’s about two years worth of experiences!”

“It’s really only two days, not two years! You’ll see her again in the afternoon the day after tomorrow!”

George tried to clear up the situation, but his words only served to cause Elliott extra grief.

“Day after tomorrow!? I cannot see Margaret until the day after tomorrow……until then I’m, I’m a civil official who is going to be crushed under documents and killed!”

“You say it like that, but isn’t this the same work your Father and other members of the royal family have to do every day!?”

“Margarettttttttttttttttttttt!”

“His Highness has broken!? Oi Sykes, quit munching away on your meat!”

“Can’t I finish eating?”

“Now!”

The idiotic disturbance continued on until the head court lady came in and shouted at them.

♠

Rachel closed her book, satisfied with the plot twist at the end.

“Is it coming………un, it was nice being able to read it until the end. Even if I’m felling fuzzy underneath a blanket, it was a place where I couldn’t sleep otherwise.”

Rachel reduced the light on her lamp, making it dim. Her heart was filled with euphoria delivered from a happy ending.

“It’s so nice not having the head maid here to get angry when you read a book late into the night……..tomorrow morning, I’ll sleep until noon if I’m still sleepy.”

Sometimes, I want to walk in the garden…is a thought that never crosses her mind.

But, when you’re reading as many books as you’d like, and taking a teatime whenever you’d like, it might be a good thing to take care of yourself by doing some chores on your own.

……….If you were to say it bluntly.

The young noblewoman would travel everywhere by carriage, so she never really exercised in the first place. She barely walked in her home garden, and while her family’s guards had always thought this was due to her being shy, it was actually due to her being a selfish Lady who only prioritized only her own personal circumstances.

So that’s why as long as she can manage to change her clothes, there was nothing to worry about even if she couldn’t leave this one room.

“The queen education was painful and unavoidable…….if this is the start to my slow life, then I don’t think this will be that bad.”

After experiencing hardships, then ordinary days feel like a utopia, so even though Rachel was in prison, her thoughts as she laid back on the floor was that this was the perfect solution.

♠

Elliot forcefully pulled open his bedroom window. A small cool breeze came through from the dark garden, brushing against his cheek.

“Yosh……..”

While looking for his outdoor shoes, a security knight called out to him from outside the window.

“Your Highness”

“What is it?”

“Miss Poisson is currently on a trip, and it was heard by the knight’s order that His Highness went on a rampage earlier from withdrawal symptoms. Did you know that we carefully watch over both the carriages and horses even during the nighttime?”

“I see…….keep up the good work.”

“Hah”

Elliott gently shut his window, and after closing the curtains as well, he slowly crawled into bed.

1. If you’re an uncultured swine like myself, then you will be pleased to learn that potage is a type of thick soup. The next time a family member asks you what you want to eat, you now have an answer.