"Get inside!"

"I told you! I didn't do anything wrong!!

A woman in her mid-twenties was pushed into the cell by a royal guard. The guard locked the cell and passed the keys to the man who guards the prison.

"Keep an eye on her. Don't let her out until the higher ups told so." The prison guard nodded.

After the royal guards left, the man sit on a chair nearby the entrance door and went to sleep.

"Let me out! I didn't do anything wrong!"

"I didn't do anything! Believe me!"

Not five minutes after the man sleep, he was woken up by the loud voice of the new inhabitant. Annoyed, he walk towards the woman's cell. 

"Keep it down, will you?" The man said.

"Ah..uh..I didn- I didn't do anything w-wrong."

The woman was probably scared by the man's irritated voice. The man sit and leaned on the wall after the woman quiet down.

"Name?" The man asked.

"Eh? A-ah. My name is Roxanne. What is yo-"

"What happened?" The man interjected.

"..You should let me-"

"Talk or I leave."

"N-no!"

The woman quickly behaved to avoid making the man leave. After all, except for some people, most people would like to have somebody nearby in a dark and gloomy place like this prison.

With a small voice, the woman said, "I did nothing wrong.."

Hearing no reply, she raised her head and look at the man. The man silently stare at her without making any movements. As time passes, the man suddenly got up.

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"Don't make the next guard angry."

"Eh? W-wait!"

Ignoring her, the man left the prison.

 ...

Creaak Doom

The sound of door opening and closing sounded out. A man made his way deeper into the prison and stopped infront of a cell. Inside, a woman is cowering in the corner of the cell.

"..I warned you." The man spoke.

Sounds of faint restrained cries could be heard by the man. The clothes the woman had been wearing yesterday has rips everywhere. To the extent that she could barely hide her privates using what's left.

"Eat."

The man push in the meals prepared for prisoners. After that, he was about to leave before he heard a voice from inside the cell.

"Why..Why is this happening.." The woman said.

Her voice was terrified. Shaken. The man could guess what happened after he left because this wasn't the first time it happening.

"I did nothing wrong..So why am I here.."

She cried. The man turned back and sit on the floor. He waited for the woman to calm down. For few minutes, the prison was filled with a woman's cries.

"Why are you here?" The man asked after Roxanne calmed down.

"..Would you believe me?"

"Depends."

"..."

"..."

The woman inhaled deeply before she started to tell her story.

"I..was framed."

"Of what?"

"Attempt murder of Crown Prince."

Probably because she was scared of the same thing happening again, she only said what the man asked to avoid irritating him.

"That's impossible."

"I kno- Eh?"

The woman were stunned by what the main said. No one had believed what she said. Not her friend, not even her parents. But this man believed her? Her eyes got brighter as she thought she had found her last ray of hope.

"You, who is afraid to anger someone, couldn't possibly be able to tolerate blood. Much less kill someone." The man said.

"..." The woman was speechless with the man's reason. However, she still clung to the only one who believes her.

"Do you know who framed you? And why?"

"..It was Valencia."

"Valencia Ford. The new royal head maid?"

"Yes." She continues, "If I were to guess a reason, it would probably be for the head maid position which was free a few weeks ago. There were only two senior maids, which is me and her. She was not well-liked by the other maids due to her arrogant attitude with each others. So when the head maid position was going to be given to either of the senior maid, she felt.."

"Envy." The man continued.

Envy. In the world, it is a part of the seven deadly sins. Because of something others possess, they would resort to even killing to achieve it. It is truly a scary thing.

"How did you know it was her?"

"I was supposed to make a cake to celebrate the return of Crown Prince from Blue Water Palace. As I was making it, a maid told me that the king were asking for me. I left the cake behind in the kitchen because it's my duty as a maid to respond to the master. When I return, I saw Valencia leaving the kitchen with a small bottle in her hand."

"Poison, is it?"

"Most probably." She continues, "It wasn't until she accused me putting poison in the cake when I present it to Crown Prince did I notice, I had been betrayed."

"..."

"..."

Silence echoes throughout the prison.

"The royals decided that today is your last day here." The man got up and wear his jacket he left next to him.

"W-what do you mean.. A-am I going to be executed..? I don't want that! I did nothing wrong!!"

She ignored her exposed body and rush to the jail cell. Her face was terrified. Tears falling down nonstop like waterfall. The man kept silence and left the prison way earlier than he supposed to.

...

Kcching

"Get out."

The next day, the royal guards came back to the prison and unlocked Roxanne's cell. Her eyes were lifeless like a doll. She follows the instruction the royal guards gave her. The royal guards escorts her out of the prison. At the door, she saw the prison guard she met for the last two days.

As she walk past the prison guard, she heard, "You're free."

Out of disbelief of what she just heard, she turned her head backward. Next to the prison guard was a woman who is very familiar to her. Valencia Ford.