I Met the Male Lead in Prison

Chapter 93 – The Genre Has Changed All Of A Sudden? (2)

Translator: SKAIS Editor: Nym13

I pulled out a decorated lamp from the walls and held on it tightly. The guard would periodically change lanterns or torches, but fortunately today the one that was placed in Ricodrian’s cell was a torch enclosed in a glass dome. It was an oil lamp. Good, it will last longer, I thought.

It’s been shedding light in his cell for quite some time now and it seemed that the fire wasn’t subsiding at all. They were lucky that today the guards decided to place oil lamps.

“Okay, shall we go now?” I asked as I finally took a tentative step forward.

I walked with a slight grip around Ricdorian’s finger.

“Hand…” Ricdorian told me with a little hesitation.

“Huh? Why?” I asked.

Ricdorian was trying to say something but when our eyes met, he shook his head quickly as if washing his thoughts away. His cheeks seemed slightly red under the light of the torch. He seemed to be blushing.

The inside of the hole was rather dark. We could not help but move slowly and take careful steps.

Even with the torch lighting our way, we could barely see more than three steps ahead, so our pace was inevitably slow. 

“It’s too dark, isn’t it?” I asked him.

“Yes…” Ricdorian replied simply. I grabbed on his sleeve tighter.

As we moved deeper into the cave’s cavity, I noticed that it was quite cold here, and only the torch in my hand gave me warmth.

“Now that we’re in here, I still can’t see the end.” I told Ricdorian as I squinted my eyes.

I can’t see well, but this cave seemed to be in a long corridor format. The chains of Ricdorian were leading infinitely in front of us.

How far did it go? Where do they end?

“Have you ever heard about this cell before?”

It was a question that I asked thinking that he would say that he had never heard of this. He was trapped in the basement when he was very young, when he wasn’t even sure where this was.

“I’ve heard of it before.” Ricdorian answered and I was surprised.

Him knowing about this was quite unexpected.

“You’ve heard of it?” I asked again.

“Yes… before…a long time ago from my father.” He replied as he stared ahead.

Having heard this, I could not help but nibble on my lower lip. I asked him the question but in certain circumstances, knew that there were questions whose answers I did not need to hear. If my question provoked in him memories he was uncomfortable with I did not need an answer.

“Well, if it’s hard to tell, you don’t have to tell me.” I reassured him.

“What? No, no. It’s not like that. I was just reminiscing.”

Contrary to his normal tone, Ricdorian’s voice, when he answered me, was flat, devoid of emotion. 

Somewhere in the heavy, dreary space, in which we were in, his clear voice seemed to purify the air around us.

“My father said…He said this is a very old place. It was built a long time ago, a very long time ago we never knew existed…beyond imagination.”

As I listened, I recalled something. I have heard about this. Among the things that Baron was excited about, was the story about this cell. 

<There are three special things in this empire that are not in other countries. This prison, ‘Kambrakam’, has been built since ancient times for more than a thousand years.>

I remember there were two other things besides that. Was it the Imperial Palace and the Roses? Anyway, if it’s a prison that’s been around a thousand years since ancient times…There would be at least one strange thing in here. Right?

“I’ve heard of it. You said it was from ancient times, right? I heard it’s been a thousand years since it was built. Then maybe there’s something here.”

I paused in my steps as I found myself in deep thought.

“But what do you mean by ancient times?” I asked him because I still lack basic knowledge of this new world. 

If it’s about Korea, I know he doesn’t know anything about Gojoseon, Ungnyeo, Hwanung and the likes of Korean History. 

But the only thing I know was that this place is a historic place after hearing stories from Baron. 

“That’s probably the era before this empire was built.” Ricdorian suddenly said.

“Eh? You do know?” I asked.

I turned my head with a little surprised look. Because I didn’t think he’d tell me the answer.

“A little bit? My father and Merida once told me a story.”

That Harnim. 

You’re saying that the godd*mn Archduke hit a kid while giving a lecture? What? 

My perception of the Archduke has gotten worse. No matter how I think positively of him, I just can’t. 

“My father said that it was a time when roses were in full bloom.”

“Roses?” I asked.

That’s when I gave out a large sigh. 

Rose, I didn’t think that was just about the roses.

<Roses are very famous for being the five families of the Empire. And the special abilities each family has.>

I guess Archduke Harnim told Ricdorian stories about the ‘families.’

“At that time, well, it was an era when a rose could become a king. But it was said that it’s better to have only one emperor.” 

One emperor? Is the king and the emperor different? It wasn’t just governing the land, but governing the country and gathering it to become an empire. 

“The Emperor? Doesn’t he still exist?” I asked.

“I heard it’s a little different.” Ricdorian replied.

“Different, how?”

“Yes. He’s the one who only rules the roses. Although I don’t actually know what it means.” Ricdorian, who had paused for a while, answered me slowly.

“I think I heard my father say that I must find it.”

You must find it. 

At least it was clear to me that Archduke Harnim would die without finding it. But, if I try to remember correctly, there was no such thing as these in the contents of the story I read.

This was a rated-19 romance novel between the heroine and the male lead and the villain. Maybe? But I wasn’t sure anymore, ever since I have been here the story got more complicated.

I stared at Ricdorian’s face one last time before finally looking forward again. Then, Ricdorian stopped on his tracks and rubbed his chin as if in thought.

“Apart from the stories about the prison, Ricdorian.” I told him.

“What?” He asked.

I turned around and faced him. I scanned his face. He was a sixteen year old boy, just two years younger than me, and had been locked up since childhood. Furthermore, I never had any idea of Ricdorian’s education. I don’t know just how much he knew of the world he was living in.

The more I looked at him, the more I understood why the book was so vague from the very beginning.

Dear heroine, I hope you’ll thank me later.

“You, you need to learn a little from me. You should not remain naive.”

“Le..learn?” He asked, and I gave him a nod.

“Yes! You are going to learn.”

TLN:

Gojoseon – Ancient kingdom on the korean peninsula 

Ungnyeo – Bear woman  

Hwanung – Korean term for Supreme Divine Regent, an important figure in the mythical origins of Korea. 

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