The Crown Prince remained confident in his judgment—that woman was no fool.
Her current stance was unclear. At first, he thought she had sided with those people, but further analysis led him to dismiss that assumption.
She seemed utterly unconcerned about him. Whether they were his enemies or those trying to stay neutral in this political whirlpool, everyone treated his presence with caution.
Yet she made no deliberate distinction regarding his safety, the intensity of his surveillance, or the restrictions on his movements.
Just this morning, he had even survived an assassination attempt—clearly not orchestrated by the Warden, as she couldn’t care less about the guards granting him privileges. She had even given Secretary Zhu, who openly supported his stance, significant administrative authority.
These contradictory actions left the Crown Prince unable to make a definitive judgment for the time being.
But since she had granted Secretary Zhu the privilege of looking after him, she surely wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters.
Yet the moment the Crown Prince finished speaking, the Warden’s hologram appeared outside their cells.
Even as a mere projection, her good mood was evident. However, the instant she materialized, Lien’s expression darkened with even greater fury.
The Warden spoke sternly, "3077, why are you causing a disturbance again? It’s rest time—keep quiet."
Lien hadn’t expected the woman to actually respond to his provocation. He glanced at Shen Ying, momentarily restrained by circumstances and unable to retaliate.
Then his eyes flicked to the Crown Prince, and his resentment and humiliation immediately redirected toward him.
We’re both prisoners, so why am I the one nearly turned into medicinal scraps while this bastard gets to act high and mighty?
He immediately stood and pointed at the Crown Prince in the neighboring cell. "Him! This guy’s been smuggling contraband into his room nonstop since yesterday."
"He doesn’t even bother hiding it. It’s a blatant disregard for prison discipline. He’s a convict, yet he orders the guards around and doesn’t even put down his coffee cup in front of you, Warden. Clearly, he has zero respect for you."
"At first glance, these items might seem harmless, but every single one could be used to create something dangerous."
"Take that cup in his hand—just shattering the porcelain could kill several people."
The Crown Prince scoffed. "Why would I need that to kill people?"
Lien pressed on, "See? He admitted it himself! And those books—some of the covers have special metal embossing. Combined with parts from the workshop, they could easily be modified into weapons."
The Crown Prince retorted, "I haven’t touched any workshop parts."
Lien sneered, "So you’re admitting you didn’t do a single damn thing? Just slacked off in public?"
"Warden, this guy’s also a 3S-level psychic. He’s your property too. If he doesn’t work, it’s a direct loss for you."
"Besides, claiming he didn’t touch any parts could just be a cover. He might already have something hidden on him."
"Warden, search him."
Shen Ying studied Lien, almost reconsidering whether she had been too harsh on him earlier.
She had been trying to figure out how to provoke the Crown Prince, and here this guy was, eagerly building her a ladder.
But she had already dealt with two troublemakers today, and her energy was running low.
The Crown Prince, however, looked at Lien with disdain. "Pathetic. I thought you’d at least make some noise."
"Yet you lost before even starting. Now you don’t even have the spine to accept defeat—just dragging others down with you."
Lien gritted his teeth in fury. This bastard acts so high and mighty now. If I’m going down, I’m taking him with me. No way I’m suffering alone.
He shot back, "Pathetic? At least I’m self-sufficient. What have you done besides ordering a bunch of useless lackeys to fetch your tea?"
As the surrounding prisoners grew increasingly riled up by their exchange, Shen Ying finally intervened. "Enough."
With a flick of her fingers, glass panels descended around the cells, their tint darkening to block the view. A chorus of disappointed groans rose from the inmates.
Shen Ying’s gaze swept over the Crown Prince’s room—the books, flowers, fruits, and smart coffee machine.
She raised an eyebrow. "How frugal of you, Your Highness, to tolerate such cheap coffee beans."
The Crown Prince replied lazily, "It’s passable. When your father hosted me, he specially reserved a batch of my preferred variety."
"I had someone look for it. Surprisingly, it’s still well-preserved."
His words were a mix of provocation, intimidation, and warning. Yet Shen Ying acted oblivious.
Her smile deepened. "As long as Your Highness is satisfied. The prison is humble, but if we can meet even a fraction of your standards, it eases our unease."
Even as she spoke, she turned to the two guards stationed outside the Crown Prince’s cell—ostensibly for surveillance and protection, but in reality, they served as his personal attendants.
"Starting tomorrow, the two of you are confined to your quarters."
Their faces paled, despair instantly written across their expressions.
In the Sky Prison, being ordered to stay in one’s room wasn’t an empty threat. Anyone under confinement who dared step out would be instantly executed by the prison’s defense systems.
The Crown Prince remained unfazed. "Is this really necessary?"
"Out of the 937 prison staff and researchers, the majority lean toward my stance—a legacy of your father’s influence. Even the neutral ones won’t interfere with trivial matters."
"The number of people I can’t command is negligible. Are you prepared to shut down the entire prison just to strip me of a few minor privileges?"
Shen Ying smiled. "True. My footing here is still unstable. Even with control over the system, I can’t claim full authority over the prison."
The Crown Prince smirked. "I don’t know what your stance is, but it’s likely not against me."
"Let’s assume Warden Shen treats me the same as other prisoners to uphold the prison’s dignity and discipline."
"As the Imperial Crown Prince, I appreciate your commitment to the rules—refusing to trample on the prison’s principles just because of a prisoner’s status."
"I’m willing to cooperate with your ideals and won’t demand excessive privileges."
"But while you may enforce the rules impartially, political matters are another story. Even if you disagree with your father’s stance, I ask that you turn a blind eye."
As he finished, he noted the hesitation in the Warden’s expression and felt a surge of confidence.
As long as she wasn’t intent on killing him, she’d have to consider the future.
She would likely compromise.
Sure enough, after a brief pause, Shen Ying addressed the guards. "Escort His Highness to my office."
A smug smile curled the Crown Prince’s lips as he glanced at Lien’s cell, taking in the man’s seething resentment. For once, he felt a flicker of satisfaction.
Lien watched the Crown Prince leave, his expression dark, before letting out a derisive chuckle.
"Idiot. Really thinks she’s backing down?"
"If that psycho knew the meaning of fear, would she have slapped you on the first day?"
The Crown Prince, of course, didn’t hear this. He soon arrived at the Warden’s office to find her seated at a dining table, a spread of food and a drink before her—apparently in the middle of dinner preparations.
Seeing him enter, Shen Ying gestured to the opposite chair. "Have a seat."
There was no intention of rising to greet him.
The Crown Prince didn’t mind and took a seat opposite Shen Ying.
Without pleasantries, Shen Ying spoke first, "Actually, there were some matters I planned to handle tomorrow."
"I’ve already dealt with two unruly prisoners today and am a bit exhausted."
The Crown Prince’s interest was piqued—he was aware of Shen Ying’s movements today. Rumor had it she had lazed around in her office all morning, spent the afternoon dealing with Lien, and only just wrapped up.
Wasn’t it just Lien? There was another?
The Crown Prince was puzzled but didn’t dwell on it, assuming it was handled by the system.
So he replied, "Then I’ll trouble the Warden to work overtime."
"After all, I dislike inefficiency."
Shen Ying sighed. "Fine."
This was the first time she’d been so distracted by a man’s looks that she hadn’t even had time to eat. But since it was his own request, she had no choice.
She pushed the drink in front of her toward the Crown Prince. "Have some."
The Crown Prince frowned. It was a bottle of soda—he’d never consumed such garbage.
He refused outright. "I’m not thirsty."
Shen Ying smiled. "How could you not be thirsty? Your Highness walked up from the lower levels—even with the elevator, it’s a good six hundred meters."
"Your noble body must be craving hydration by now."
The Crown Prince’s frown deepened, his gaze turning sharp. "I thought you invited me here because you’d come to a clear understanding of the situation."
Shen Ying replied, "How so? I’ve always been clear. It’s Your Highness who isn’t."
"When you walked in, I made it clear—here, you have only one identity: my prisoner."
"Did Your Highness really think I called you up to prepare a VIP suite for you, letting you run wild in this prison?"
"I can tolerate Your Highness exercising some privilege, but I won’t tolerate anything that threatens the safety of the Sky Prison."
Her eyes darkened, leaving no room for argument as she commanded, "Drink."
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes. "What’s in this?"
Shen Ying answered, "Ordinary soda, plus some medicine I stole from the infirmary."
The Crown Prince’s expression turned icy. "You dare!"
Shen Ying remained impassive. "If you dare, why shouldn’t I?"
She stood up. The Crown Prince tried to rise as well, but a sharp sting from his neck sent him crashing back into his seat.
The Warden had activated the suppressor collar to restrain him.
Shen Ying approached, picking up the bottle and looking down at him. "How considerate of Your Highness to humor me with all those stirring words."
"But in truth, a Warden whose loyalty is ambiguous and uncontrollable—even if not an obstacle—is something you can’t tolerate."
"For most prisoners, escape is near impossible. But not for Your Highness. All you’d need is to subdue a Warden like me, who has no established foundation yet."
"However, the command chip in my brain can suppress anyone. So the simplest solution is to render me unconscious, remove the chip, and force me to rely solely on voice commands."
"That way, as long as you control my body, the prison falls under your rule."
"For an ordinary prisoner, this would be impossible. But for Your Highness? Effortless."
The Crown Prince’s eyes flickered, unsettled by her baseless yet razor-sharp deduction.
Shen Ying gripped his hair, forcing his head up.
With a sigh, she said, "Your Highness only needs to give orders—others will find a way."
"For instance, today, two men made excuses to steal medicine from the infirmary."
"I’d planned to let it slide since they hadn’t even hidden their loot yet, dealing with it tomorrow."
"But Your Highness insisted on making me work overtime, so I have no choice but to obey."
She tilted the bottle, pressing it to his lips.
The Crown Prince seethed. "You wouldn’t dare! Your subordinates broke the rules, yet you’d hold me accountable?"
Shen Ying replied, "I thought the same—how could I accuse the Crown Prince of the Empire so easily?"
"But just now, Your Highness admitted to controlling most of the guards."
"Let’s be honest—those assigned to the Sky Prison have thoroughly vetted backgrounds. Stealing that medicine would do them no personal good."
"No prisoner could order two guards to break the law. I was just short of suspects when Your Highness confessed."
Only then did the Crown Prince realize—
He’d thought he’d persuaded her. He’d walked right into her trap, confident and unsuspecting.
Right now, more than the failure of his plan before it even began, he burned with humiliation at her mockery.
But Shen Ying paid no heed to his fury. She shoved the glass bottle into his mouth.
The Crown Prince snarled, "What are you doing?"
Shen Ying smiled. "Cleansing the temple."
